In rural Hertfordshire, landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith has developed an innovative approach to gardening amid increasingly hot summers and wetter winters by cultivating a diverse sand garden. Located at The Plant Library on the site of a former orchard near his home and studio, the garden features around 2,500 different plant species, making it a unique experimental site for understanding plant resilience under changing climate conditions.

Unlike traditional gardens based on soil, the collection is grown in sand, a medium often associated with desert landscapes but less commonly used for plant cultivation. Stuart-Smith explains that sandy environments offer distinct advantages: while surface temperatures can be high, digging down just a short distance reveals cooler layers, and the excellent drainage prevents waterlogging. Consequently, plants establish root systems that avoid excessive heat and saturation, common challenges under extreme weather conditions.

Due to sand's low nutrient content, plants tend to be shorter and less dense than those grown in conventional soil, reducing the need for staking or additional feeding. During recent heatwaves and periods without rain, most plants in the sand garden have remained healthy and vibrant, indicating their adaptability. However, seedlings do not easily germinate in pure sand. To address this, Stuart-Smith recommends initially raising young plants in a mixture of equal parts peat-free compost and sand before transplanting them into the garden once established. This method also helps suppress weed growth, contributing to easier maintenance.

The sand garden serves as a living laboratory to determine which species can better tolerate drought conditions without supplemental watering beyond the initial planting phase. “If something dies because it’s too dry, that is telling you something about the plant’s resilience,” Stuart-Smith notes. Insights from the project have informed the design of the forthcoming Clore Garden at Tate Britain, scheduled to open next year. In collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society, this public space on London’s Millbank will feature a biodiverse landscape integrated with art installations, creating both an educational and cultural venue.

For gardeners interested in experimenting with sand gardening on a smaller scale, the process involves selecting a sunny, well-drained spot that does not retain excessive winter moisture. Removing four to six inches of topsoil and replacing it with horticultural sand or locally sourced quarry sand creates a suitable planting medium. Small plants should be spaced about one foot apart and introduced during autumn or spring. Suitable species demonstrated at Serge Hill include Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas bluestar), Vernonia lettermannii (narrowleaf ironweed), Marrubium supinum, Perovskia ‘Blue Jean Baby’, yarrow, globe thistles, sea hollies, and salvias.

Maintenance involves clearing dead plant material in winter to prevent organic buildup, which can gradually convert the sand back into soil over time. Applying a fresh layer of sand in the spring as mulch further preserves the garden’s sandy character, helping maintain the dry, well-drained conditions favored by drought-tolerant plants.