Britain is a nation that takes great pride in its gardening, and every year thousands of Britons spend hours and hours of time weeding, pruning, planting and tending their little patches of nature. A well kept garden is a place to relax and forget all the pressures of modern life, whether it be family barbecues on the weekend or just a quite drink on the patio after work. But what happens when the recent trend in British summertime flooding comes along and submerges all those hours of hard work under three feet of water? The effect can be devastating, and it is likely that plants, landscaping and garden furniture will be ruined by such an event.

It is therefore vitally important to make sure your home insurance policy has decent garden coverage. A major problem for many as a result of the increased risk of flooding in Britain is obtaining good quality buildings insurance. It appears to be a growing trend that owners with property in high-risk areas are having trouble finding someone to insure them. More likely is that they will find insurance, but the cover for flooding will have been modified by the underwriters to make the cover less comprehensive. So if your home is hit by flooding, you could find that the compensation you receive is not what you were expecting.

The way to avoid any problems with your buildings insurance is to really go over the policy documents with a fine-tooth comb. There will always be someone out there who can provide a policy to give you the protection you require. At the moment Co-op home insurance provides generous compensation for flood damage, with the only exemption being damage caused to fences, hedges and gates. All insurers will also allow you to add additional cover to their basic policy, so think about what you might need and then decide if you might require any extended cover.

Of course the price of buildings insurance is bound to go up, should Britain keep being hit by flooding year after year. There are few free rides in life, and in the world of insurance there are none. But compared to the very real threat posed by our changing climate, adequate buildings insurance is not one of the things that can really be cut back on.