The Hurlingham Club has always been proud of its grounds. Members have the unique privilege of being guardians of a 42-acre site rubbing shoulders with the greater metropolis.

Generations of gardeners have shaped and tended the grounds, and like all good gardeners, this has been done with a view to sustainability and working with the environment.

Everybody in the garden world, and the vast majority beyond, are now aware of the challenges posed by increased demand on finite resources, coupled with accelerating climate change. As we become more aware, we are also becoming more educated in ways to tackle these challenges, and I am very proud to say that the staff at the Club and members of the Gardens and Landscapes Committee are passionate about these issues. They have been attending lectures, courses and visiting notable gardens which are leading the way in biodiversity, sustainability, managing the effects of climate change and making long-term plans to secure a verdant future.

Like the exponential rise of the dangers associated with climate change, our reactions have also been on a steep upward curve.

On the Estate we have nearly 1,000 trees, and it is these that, in large part, give Hurlingham its ‘Oasis’ ambience. We are proud to maintain these trees to the highest standards, doing our bit for the local environment and as part of a greater green corridor. The challenges created by climate change and pests and diseases becoming more prevalent, has meant we have been looking at new ways of caring for our existing stock, planting more resilient species to cope with the new challenges.

“We have nearly 1,000 trees, and it is these that, in large part, give Hurlingham its ‘Oasis’ ambience”

The Club grounds have evolved over time with acquisitions here and there and new design elements being added, in what has resulted in a generally very pleasant set of surroundings. However, a holistic approach to the estate, where there is a homogeneity of design and each part of the grounds and the demands put upon it, link nicely with all the other parts, is long overdue.

We have recently embarked on a programme we call ‘a blueprint’ to bring a sense and a reality that everything is interconnected. At the heart of this new approach is our directive: environment – adopt sustainable practices; source responsibly; enhance biodiversity; improve water conservation and management.

While trees have been our primary focus, the gardeners are adopting many new ways of increasing our sustainability and biodiversity.

Examples can be seen around the grounds, where grass is left long in certain areas and dead tree trunks are left as monoliths and havens for birds and insects. We are introducing ‘dead hedges’ to provide safe wildlife habitats. You may also have noticed the reduction on the reliance on single-use bedding plants. We are also reducing reliance on irrigation and, where we do use it, the system provides for getting just the right amount of water to the right plants at the right time, as opposed to a blanket soak-everything policy.

We need to remain vigilant and not put too many stresses on our shared responsibility but, with a coordinated approach, the future can still look rosy.

I am pleased to announce that Katherine Van Tienhoven will be taking over as Chair in the autumn. She is super-qualified for the role and cares deeply for the grounds, and I wish the best of luck to her and the rest of the hard-working GLC team.

CHARLES CRAVEN, CO-CHAIR GARDENS AND LANDSCAPES COMMITTEE