Blog
3 August 2026
If you've wandered through the College gardens this month, you may have noticed that, despite the heat, everything is still looking remarkably colourful (apart from the lawns). I can assure you that hasn't happened by accident.
July has been one of the most challenging months we've faced in the gardens for many years. After almost a month without any meaningful rainfall, Cambridge Water introduced a hosepipe ban to help protect our local water supplies and the precious chalk streams that make this part of the country so special. Like everyone else, we've had to adapt, and overnight our watering routine changed completely.
Every plant that now receives water does so from a watering can.
It sounds simple enough, but across a site the size of Emmanuel College it's a huge undertaking. Instead of turning on a hose, every can has to be filled, carried, emptied and repeated, countless times throughout the day. It certainly makes you appreciate just how much water a garden needs during prolonged hot weather.
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The biggest challenge has been deciding where our efforts are best spent. Unfortunately, it's impossible to water every corner of the gardens by hand, so we've had to prioritise newly planted trees and shrubs, containers, hanging baskets and those plants that simply wouldn't survive another week of this heat. Established trees and borders are having to fend for themselves, relying on deep roots and a little resilience until the weather changes.
Of course, the weather doesn't stop the College calendar. July is one of our busiest months, with weddings, garden parties and receptions taking place across the grounds. While some of the team have spent hours carrying watering cans, others have been preparing the lawns, borders and courts to ensure every event takes place in gardens that Emmanuel can be proud of. It's been a constant balancing act between keeping plants alive, presenting the gardens at their best for visitors, and still finding time for all the routine jobs that never disappear—mowing, weeding, hedge cutting and general maintenance.
There have certainly been moments when we've wished for just one good day of steady rain.
Living and gardening in Cambridge, we are used to drier conditions than much of the country. In fact, Cambridge receives only around 570 mm of rainfall in an average year, making it one of the driest cities in the UK. This year, however, has been particularly difficult. A dry spring followed by weeks of hot weather has left the ground baked hard, with very little moisture remaining beneath the surface. Even when showers have appeared on the forecast, they've often passed us by.
As frustrating as the hosepipe ban has been for gardeners, I fully understand why it has been introduced. The water beneath our feet doesn't just supply our taps; it also feeds the remarkable chalk streams that flow through our region. These streams are globally rare habitats, home to species that depend on cool, clean groundwater. During prolonged dry weather, every litre we can save helps reduce pressure on the aquifers that sustain them. As custodians of a historic landscape, we have a responsibility not only to care for the gardens but also to look after the wider environment that supports them.
Climate change is making these long, hot, dry spells feel less like exceptional events and more like something we have to plan for every summer. As gardeners, we're continually adapting. We're improving our soils to retain more moisture, mulching wherever possible, choosing plants that are better suited to warmer conditions, and thinking carefully about how we use every drop of water. Gardening is changing, and we have to change with it.
Despite everything, there have still been real highlights this month. The roses have been exceptional, many of the herbaceous borders continue to provide wonderful colour, and some of our more drought-tolerant planting has positively thrived in the sunshine. Perhaps that's one of the joys of gardening—you learn that nature is remarkably resilient, even when conditions are less than ideal.
I'm incredibly proud of the gardens team. They have worked tirelessly throughout this difficult spell, often spending hours carrying watering cans before moving straight on to preparing the grounds for College events. Their dedication and good humour have ensured that Emmanuel's gardens continue to look their best, even under some of the most testing conditions we've experienced.
Like every gardener, I'm now looking skywards and hoping August brings us something we've all been waiting for—a few days of gentle, soaking rain. Until then, if you see one of us making yet another trip across the courts with a watering can in hand, you'll know exactly why.
In August, the team say Bon Voyage to our Wrag’s trainee, Elizabeth Harvey. Elizabeth has completed here one year placement here at Emmanuel college. Elizabeth has been a joy to work with, and the team wish her every success in the future, continuing with her floristry business and working part time at Homerton College in the gardens. She will continue her RHS studies and remain a friend of the college for life.
Good Luck!!!