With water shortages a growing concern in Britain, ACO is partnering with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Tom Massey, garden designer featured in BBC Two’s Your Garden Made Perfect, to reimagine rainwater as a resource for positive use rather than simply being disposed of.
Concerns about water quantity and quality are often in the news. As the climate crisis continues, droughts are becoming more frequent as temperatures climb past 40°C, while extreme rainfall events cause extensive flooding.
Domestic practice still tends to discharge rainwater runoff into storm drains, while drinking-quality water that is in short supply is used in both the kitchen and the garden.
Supporting water conservation efforts, ACO is delighted to sponsor the RHS Resilient Garden at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Flower Festival. This show garden transforms an aesthetically and environmentally unimaginative domestic plot into a biodiverse garden resilient to climate change. The garden is being designed by Massey and built by Landscape Associates. Domestic rainwater management is central to the RHS Resilient Garden, with ACO products featuring in the show garden and on the adjoining ACO House & Garden Stand.
Photo: RHS Resilient Garden, Dorling Kindersley: © AVA CGI Ltd, 2023’
The stand shows how residential roofs, patios and driveways can become catchment areas that direct rainwater into systems for storage and reuse. For example, ACO’s RainDrain is used to feed a rainwater garden that overflows into ACO’s StormBrixx soakaway, In this way, rainwater enhances the show garden for people and wildlife and is dispersed on-site rather than into the sewerage system.
The garden showcases ACO’s GroundGuard, which both stabilises gravel for access and allows rainwater into the ground. ACO’s RoofBloxx create reservoirs in green roofs and rainwater planters, slowing water’s journey through the property and plants to evaporate and lower temperatures in the immediate surroundings.
Peter Ridgway, Brand Development Director from ACO House and Garden, said: “The Flower Festival is always a pleasure to attend and this year we’re thrilled to be working with the RHS and Tom Massey to expand the conversation on rainwater in our homes. We all know water is an issue of increasing national importance, but struggle to achieve solutions that benefit both our own homes and the wider eco-system.
“We invite everyone with an interest in gardening and nature to the ACO Stand to discuss reimagining rainwater and explore solutions. We want to hear which solutions capture your imagination by taking our survey to enter our draw to win water-themed prizes to benefit your back garden.”
The Royal Horticultural Society Flower Festival will be held at Hampton Court from the 4th to the 9th of July. ACO will be at Stand HC277.
