Discover how extreme heat reveals which plants, soils and planting positions cope best, then use those lessons to build a more resilient garden
A spell of extreme heat can be challenging, but it can also tell us a great deal about our gardens. Once temperatures ease, take a slow walk around your space and look beyond any immediate damage.
Which plants stayed fresh and upright? Which wilted first? Where did the soil dry out fastest, and which areas held onto moisture for longer?
These simple observations can help you make smarter choices and gradually create a garden that is easier to care for when hot, dry weather returns – particularly if they continue to be a regular occurrence!
Notice What Thrived
Some plants will have sailed through the heat with very little attention. Make a note of them. Their success may be down to naturally drought-tolerant foliage, deep root systems or simply being planted in exactly the right place.
Treat these dependable performers are valuable clues. Repeating them elsewhere, or choosing plants with similar characteristics, can help you build displays that remain attractive without constant intervention.
Learn From What Struggled
A plant that suffered is not necessarily the wrong plant for your garden, but it may be in the wrong position. A moisture-loving variety in an exposed, sunny border will naturally struggle more than one growing in cooler soil with afternoon shade.
Consider whether vulnerable plants could be moved in autumn, grouped with others that share similar needs or given shelter from the hottest part of the day. Often a small change in position can make a remarkable difference.
Read The Soil
Heatwaves quickly expose differences in soil. Cracked, dusty patches may indicate light, free-draining ground, while other areas stay cooler and retain moisture for longer.
Improving dry soil with well-rotted organic matter can help it hold both water and nutrients. On the other hand, areas that remained damp may suit plants that prefer more moisture.
Treat each part of the garden according to its conditions rather than expecting every border to behave in the same way.
Look For Patterns
You may notice that plants beside walls, fences and paving suffered more because these surfaces absorbed and reflected heat. Containers may also have dried out far more quickly than plants growing in the ground.
Use these patterns to shape your future planting plans – reserve the hottest spots for tougher varieties, use larger pots that retain moisture for longer and avoid placing thirsty plants where heat becomes trapped.
Plan For The Next Hot Spell
Please remember – there is no need to redesign your whole garden overnight. Start with the clearest lessons. Add more resilient plants, improve one particularly dry border or relocate a plant that repeatedly struggles.
By paying attention now, you can create a garden that not only looks beautiful, but is better prepared for whatever the weather brings next.
This heatwave is causing havoc with my garden. I have not been able to use my hosepipe for 3 weeks and have to use watering cans sparingly. I have 2 hydrangeas in the front garden which have suffered badly – the flowers have wilted and died. I’m not sure whether I should have, but I cut the flowers off as they looked so unsightly. I thought, as they are mature, they could withstand any weather so didn’t cover them and especially as they’re in my front garden. I do water them at the roots and can see new shoots appearing so thank goodness they’re not dying. Do you have any ideas on what I should do now (I’m tempted to take the opportunity to prune but not sure how to prune?) PS on leaving my details it asks for Website (not sure why so haven’t filled in).
Hello,
You did no harm removing the dead flowers, and those fresh shoots are a reassuring sign. Even mature hydrangeas can struggle in prolonged heat. I would not prune further while they are stressed. If they are mophead or lacecap types, leave pruning until spring, as cutting back now may remove next year’s flowering growth.
Use your limited water slowly and deeply around the roots, preferably early morning, rather than little and often. Once the soil is moist, add a 5cm layer of compost or bark mulch. For now, recovery rather than reshaping is the priority!