The National Trust says the rare late Arts and Crafts garden that it cares for at Mount Stewart in County Down is ‘extraordinary’, but is threatened by climate change
Warmer summers, wetter winters and rising sea levels are already affecting the gardens, which are set on the shore of Strangford Lough, a sea lough in County Down. And with the formal gardens expected to be slowly consumed by both saltwater and rainwater in the coming decades, there are plans to create a new garden in the “spirit” of the existing planting, further from the lough.
“This way, people can continue to enjoy the character and beauty of these unique gardens for generations to come.”The work by the National Trust has been hailed as “exemplary” by judges from the European Garden Heritage Network and the Schloss Dyck Foundation, a centre for garden design and landscape culture.
National Trust director of gardens and parklands Andy Jasper said: “The outstanding work that Mike, his team and partners are doing at Mount Stewart shows how seriously the Trust is taking climate adaptation.He added: “It’s our responsibility to make sure that extraordinary gardens like the one at Mount Stewart have a future and can keep enriching the lives of everyone who visits.”