Sun and Rain Cube

By 2050, the UK’s climate is predicted to feature hotter, drier summers, and milder, wetter winters, with heatwaves and flooding becoming more commonplace.

This Cube showcases the RHS’ Plants for Purpose project, a pioneering programme that is labelling UK cultivated plants with their environmental benefits.

The ominous sculpture above the ‘shower’ feature represents the sun, a key element of climate change. Containers beneath the acoustic rain feature include plants that help mitigate flooding by capturing and temporarily storing rainwater, allowing infiltration to the soil, evaporation from the surface and transpiration through vegetation returning water to the atmosphere.

Additional plants provide cooling for buildings in hot weather, capture pollution in urban areas or support pollinators and wildlife.