Gardeners rise to the challenge as heatwaves impact ‘magnificent’ World Heritage Site water garden - National Trust

Weather extremes are putting gardens and landscapes under pressure – not least at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden in North Yorkshire, cared for by the National Trust, where the summer's heatwaves have led to a boom in pond weed in the World Heritage Site's ornamental ponds, lakes and canals.

Removing pond weed is a typical summer job for the charity’s gardeners that care for the site, but this year’s repeated heatwaves have made it a weekly task. Dressed in waterproofs, the team wade in to remove around two tonnes of pond weed each week to help ensure the Georgian ponds can continue to be enjoyed as intended. Their calm, mirror-like reflections have been an attraction for visitors since they were created in the 1700s; UNESCO describes the site as “one of the most magnificent Georgian water gardens ever created”.

The weed is carefully removed by hand to minimise disturbance to pond life, then left for up to 48 hours, giving insects such as dragonfly larvae and aquatic creatures like frogs and newts time to make their way back into the water before it is removed.

Justin Scully, General Manager at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal said: "Pond weed has increased significantly over the last couple of summers, to the point where its removal has become a weekly task just to keep on top of it. The ponds in the Water Garden are quite shallow, so during periods of hot weather they warm up quickly. These higher temperatures encourage rapid pond weed growth, which can lead to the thick blanket weed seen on the surface. The garden’s creators couldn’t have imagined the challenges that climate change is bringing us. But as custodians, our job is to safeguard this beautiful place so that people can keep enjoying it, just as they have for more than 250 years.”