As climate change shifts UK weather patterns toward warmer springs and intense summer droughts, commercial horticulture faces a unique dilemma: growers need water to cultivate the very plants and trees that help cool urban spaces and capture carbon.
At Provender Nurseries, managing this balance requires forward-thinking water stewardship. Operating across a growing site in Sevenoaks (within our supply boundary) and an 18-acre cash and carry depot in Swanley, Provender is pioneering on-site water efficiency.
The challenge: Growing plants in a changing climate
Extreme weather creates constant operational pressures for growers. Earlier springs force irrigation to start weeks ahead of schedule. Moisture-sensitive species like conifers risk wilting and dying under prolonged heat, even as demand spikes for heat-tolerant plants like Olive trees and flowering Lagerstroemia. On-site boreholes are strictly capped, covering only a fraction of a large nursery's needs. Expanding extraction licenses involves high application fees with no guarantee of approval in high-demand catchments. Local mains and harvested water often require processing before it can be applied to sensitive stock and Provender has built an on-site pump house acting as a mini water treatment works for this.
"We seem to move from too much to too little water. Normally, we turn our irrigation systems on in March, but this year, we had to switch on in early February. This is likely to become more common with climate change. We need water to continue doing business... if we’re going to continue providing the plants that help tackle climate change, then we need some support."
— Provender Nurseries
The solution: Smarter on-site water efficiency
To safeguard plant health and dramatically reduce reliance on mains drinking water, Provender Nurseries built a closed-loop water infrastructure across its 18-acre site.
- Rainwater harvesting and mass storage: Captures rainfall from building rooftops routing it into 11 storage tanks with a total capacity of 1700 m3.
- Advanced water treatment: An automated pump house cleans and treats captured rainwater, making it safe for crop irrigation.
- Dynamic inter-tank transfers: Water can be moved between storage units across the property to maximise capacity during heavy downpours.
- Precision irrigation and maintenance: Replaced open sprayers with targeted drip-trickle systems, capillary moisture-retention trays, and hand-watering cans, paired with continuous leak-detection checks across the pipe network.
Partnership in action: Supporting the wider community
We’re working alongside Provender Nurseries and the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) to translate these on-site lessons into broader public awareness and operational support:
- Clear operational rules: Providing clear, transparent guidance so trade buyers and garden centres understand how to keep stock healthy during dry spells or active Temporary Use Bans (TUBs).
- Awareness messaging: Designing co-branded, easy-to-read guides for garden centres that teach home gardeners how to spot drought stress and select dry-weather plants like verbena and lavender.
- Rainwater capture campaigns: Promoting water butt installations, offering practical advice on downpipe diverters, proper maintenance, and using captured rainwater so home gardens can thrive without relying on hosepipes.
By pairing Provender Nurseries’ investments in rainwater capture with our community outreach, this partnership demonstrates that environmental horticulture can adapt to climate change - protecting essential plant production while conserving regional water supplies for the future.