The study, led by climate change expert Dr David Viner of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, warns of an extremely challenging future for British gardens if nothing is done to reduce the effects of global warming. The predictions were based on projections of future temperatures throughout the next century, based on figures from the Central England Temperature Record (CET), which extends back on a daily basis to 1659.

According to the study, global warming is set to increase average annual temperatures in the UK by 4ºC by 2050 and 6ºC by the end of the century, with highs of over 40ºC also reached within 50 years. This huge surge in average temperatures will lead to a variety of worrying developments by 2050, including the possible extinction of staple flowers and trees of the traditional British garden such as roses, bluebells and oak trees, set to be replaced by more exotic species such as olive and palm trees; the introduction of new pests and diseases - including more aggressive varieties of wasp and year-round mildew - as well as all year-round weeds and water shortages.

As the climate warms, the UK will have an increasingly Mediterranean-type climate and a growing season that will last the whole of the year. This could mean...

Traditional British flowering plants and trees may be lost
The lifespan of annual flowers such as snowdrops, bluebells and daffodils is set to be curtailed as they wilt and die at earlier stages of the year, while the traditional English Rose - arguably the most iconic symbol of Englishness - will also suffer, with its flowering times accelerated by the high temperatures.