Common to urban landscapes is an increase in paved areas, often essential to facilitate access yet contributing to water run-off problems, urban heat island effects, and visual dullness. The John Lewis Rain Garden in Victoria Street, London, is an example of how to transform such a space.
Prof. Nigel Dunnett, RHS ambassador for ‘Greening Grey Britain’, designed a retrofit rain garden for the site to promote biodiversity, contribute to flood prevention, and enhance human enjoyment of the space. Completed in spring 2015, the John Lewis Rain Garden profiles a climate-change adapted landscape, buffered against extreme rainfall events and drought through intelligent design and judicious plant choices.
