I am beginning to think I must be careful what I wish for! After a long, wet winter when I was longing for some dry weather I now wish it would cloud over and rain! I guess gardeners are never happy with the weather. It is tough on our gardens and on us. I am running around watering the pots and spraying water on the greenhouse and polytunnel floor to try to increase humidity and lower temperatures.
Painting shading onto the greenhouse will help a lot – I just put a second coat on this week, reaching as high as I could. It is essential to keep tomatoes watered and that they are not allowed to dry out or the fruits will be affected by blossom-end rot – the black bases that occur when the plants wilt.
But I popped out into the garden to look at what plants are coping with the heat. I have omitted the lawn which is, as present, covered in clover flowers. It is best to avoid watering the lawn but we need to mow, when we can find a cool time to do it. But raise the height of cut so you do not scalp the lawn which will put more strain on it.
So here are some photos from a quick trip round the garden today.
It is tough on the bedding plants that were only planted last month. I am fortunate to be able to water (I have a well) but if you do need to water, direct the water at the roots and do not just spray it over the bare soil. Water in the evening if possible so it soaks in rather than evaporate in the sun. It is best to give a good soak every few days rather than a light water every day.
It is a difficult time to plant anything in the garden in this weather. You must keep any new plantings soaked. It is better, in this weather, to buy your plants and place them in a shady spot, in a tray of water so they remain well hydrated until the weather cools down and you can plant them. Or buy your shrub and plant it in a slightly bigger pot on the patio and keep it watered until you can plant it.
Move patio pots to a shady spot and put them together in groups so they are easier to water. It is surprising what a difference it makes to the time it takes to water them if they are grouped together.
Some plants can cope with the heat and drought and lavenders are not at all fazed. But remember that these drought-resistant plants are only resistant to drought if they are established and their roots have spread deep and wide in the soil. If you plant a lavender today and do not water it it will be dead in a week!
Cistus are Mediterranean plants and cope well with heat.
Dianthus are also well adapted to hot and dry conditions although the flowers will not last quite as long.
Eryngiums (sea holly) are reliable perennials that enjoy the warmth and their long-lasting flowers are loved by bees.
Verbena bonariense is so popular that it is almost a cliche. But it is still a fine plant that loves well-drained soil and full sun. This year I planted a long line of them to form a runway for the butterflies.
Penstemons also cope with the heat and dry weather once they are established. These plants were put in last spring and trimmed after winter and are now in full bloom in a south-facing bed that also contains lots of alliums.
Of course, if you really want to stop worrying about the drought then plant some succulents. Not all are hardy but these sempervivums are tough and will not be damaged if they dry out – though I do water them regularly because they are relatively recently planted – in April.
You must not forget to water your patio pots and this pot gets watered every evening.