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Planting for the future?

madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
in Garden design
With the wet winters and scorching hot summers that are fast becoming the norm it is time to start thinking about what plants will do well in our gardens.
Frost free days especially in the south are more frequent.
Here on the Isle of Wight (and Kent) we can now grow delicious apricots because of this.
I have started planting things from New Zealand, Australia etc.
Trying to keep watering to an absolute minimum so plants have to survive on their own once established.
What plants would people here recommend for future planting?
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings

Posts

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    It's really difficult,  @madpenguin. I'm  on the Island, too, and dry as dust, but my garden will be waterlogged for most of the winter. Plants that don't mind being wet all winter struggle in drought and obviously,  plants that enjoy dry conditions rot off in winter wet.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    " at my age: I don't even buy green bananas "
    Devon.
  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    Me neither Hostafan, whoever inherits this garden can sort it out themselves. 
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited July 2022
     I think most gardeners are driven buy what they want to grow, maybe it is something new to them or a must have from a Nursery or GC. When a new season is just around the corner exictement takes over with the promise of starting all over again. The previous year disappears with the hope  for better weather in the coming year. 
    I think I do learn from some mistakes, I only have a few pots now as I don't want to  water them when it is hot.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I certainly have fewer pots out on the south facing front of house steps and they are all sun lovers like citrus, baby cannas being grown on, agapanthus, a senna corymbosa and a daphniphyllum.   However, the pots round the back on the north facing terrace seem to be increasing as I am now hiding 2 clematis rescued form frying in birders, a bird of paradise, most of the houseplants and then my hostas and fuchsias and the mints.

    For future planting, I'm looking at drought tolerant plants, especially for an area that will be planted up like Beth Chatto's dry garden to make a large, weed suppressing carpet of colour, form and texture but with 2 heatwaves already and a dry spring I need more for filling gaps in existing beds.

    We do have fertile soil in most of the garden but I do find I have to water trees regularly for their first 3 years while they get their roots down.  I have a Tibetan cherry and a  cercidiphyllum which are really struggling and this is their 3rd summer.  Might need a 4th year of watering.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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