# We can’t keep treating water shortages as a summer emergency

By Fran Barnes — 2026-07-21

Fran Barnes, chief executive officer of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), said: “Every summer now seems to follow the same script. Temperatures rise, rainfall disappears, water companies introduce Temporary Use Bans, and gardeners are urged to put away their hosepipes. Then, when autumn and winter arrive, many of the same areas face flooding.

“This is no longer an exceptional weather event. It is becoming the UK’s new climate reality. We faced it in 2022, then again in 2025, and already in 2026, we’ve had three heatwaves – just months after parts of the country endured floods.

“The latest Temporary Use Bans reflect genuine pressures on water resources.

“But why, after successive winters of heavy rainfall, are we still finding ourselves with water shortages just months later?

“The answer lies not simply in how much rain falls, but in how well we capture, store and manage it. The UK needs a long-term water resilience strategy that matches the realities of a changing climate, rather than lurching from flood response to drought restrictions every year. This may mean large-scale building of reservoirs, and it almost certainly means making it easier for businesses and homes to create their own water storage solutions.

“If drought and flood will shape our children’s future, then the importance of environmental horticulture in managing that is clear.

“Rather than gardeners, growers and landscapers being the backstop and being penalised first in water restrictions – the sector should be invested in to provide the solutions to the climate swings which have gone from ‘not normal’ to ‘the new normal’.

“The gardens, trees and green spaces our sector grows and maintains are not an optional luxury. They are essential infrastructure. They cool our towns and cities during heatwaves, reduce surface water flooding through sustainable drainage, improve air quality, support biodiversity and contribute significantly to people’s physical and mental wellbeing.

“Ironically, these are precisely the solutions that become harder to deliver when water restrictions are poorly designed or communicated.

“Our industry uses just 0.15 per cent of the UK’s total water supply, yet the benefits it delivers extend far beyond that small proportion of water use. The challenge is ensuring that Temporary Use Bans recognise the difference between discretionary water use and the responsible watering needed to establish plants that will provide decades of environmental benefit.

“This year we’ve seen saplings and green spaces planted alongside grey infrastructure – roads and railways – which go unwatered, meaning that the benefits they could provide in years to come have died.

“And domestically, the phrase ‘hosepipe ban’ understandably leads many gardeners to believe they should stop watering altogether or avoid buying plants completely, when many activities can continue, such as watering with a watering can.

“The confusion doesn’t stop with consumers. Guidance for businesses has also proved inconsistent, with water companies changing or clarifying advice after restrictions have come into force. We need clearer, nationally consistent communication about what is permitted, alongside a review of the exemptions so they better reflect modern horticultural practice.

“For example, in landscaping advice, while newly planted trees, hedging and whips are exempt, perennials and shrubs, which are commonly planted during the summer months, are not, despite their importance in establishing resilient green infrastructure. That confusion discourages gardening and creates unnecessary uncertainty for businesses and ultimately undermines a sector that is helping communities adapt to climate change.

“The sector itself has invested heavily in becoming more water-efficient. Growers increasingly capture and recycle rainwater, retailers and landscapers promote drought-tolerant planting, and businesses continue to adopt more efficient irrigation systems.

“But what we need now is a new approach. A modernisation of the Drought Code of Practice, improvements in how Temporary Use Bans are communicated and the development of practical exemptions that allow essential planting and establishment work to continue responsibly.

“Above all, we need to stop viewing water resilience as a seasonal issue. Climate adaptation requires long-term investment in water storage, infrastructure and planning, alongside continued investment in the green infrastructure that makes our communities more resilient to extreme weather in the first place.

“The weather may be changing, but with the right policies, our response can change too. Instead of seeing water conservation and greener places as competing priorities, we should recognise that they are two sides of the same solution.”

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