Planting and replanting for drought tolerance is certainly the way to go, as noted above. People balk but sand and gravel is wonderful for a huge and diverse range of plants - and is best for low maintenance wildlife planting. We need to look at new, cheaper, easy care perspectives.
Ironically it's the drought tolerant species that have suffered most in our garden this year. We have tried to make it like a wildlife meadow feel and have introduced masses of natives but like in the surrounding countryside, they have either perished or suffered massively whilst the normal mix of garden plants and shrubs have done better. We live on sandy soil and are in the driest part of the country so thought it sensible to switch, or experiment, but we also had problems in 2021 because we had the wettest winter in 100 years. The goal posts just seem to be constantly moving in our aim for a half decent garden with the fluctuating climate.
Our walnut tree is absolutely loving it. Putting on massive amounts of growth and covered in big fat nuts. I suspect we're on the brink of a squirrel population explosion
Ironically it's the drought tolerant species that have suffered most in our garden this year.
As I mentioned, the suffering may not be from the heat or even lack of rain, but from the quick doubling of temps. Plants in garden beds need time to get properly established and resilient. There are a lot of other factors at play. And yes, it's not just about planting for low summer rainfall or heat, but planting for extremes and uncertainty.
Planting shade gardens might be a helpful way forward for some gardens. As you would plant wind shelter belts, it might be good to plant sun shade.
all my veg are very late this year - we had a really long cold spring, well into June. The upside is that most plants are not yet fruiting so if I can keep the plants alive, the veg may be OK. My potatoes are not happy though, and the elephant garlic was a fail this year. Ordinary garlic is looking a bit better. Chard only went out a couple of weeks before the hot spell, under a shade net and it seems fine, as is the beetroot. My brassicas are still in pots - might get them out tomorrow. It's drizzling here. Not rain to do any good but keeping things cooler, at least. I can't really water stuff so it has to take it's chances. The runner beans are only just beginning to set now - remains to be seen what they're like when they're big enough to pick. Peas were hopeless - didn't even bother. Just too cold
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
It's so interesting to hear about all the wildly different regional experiences through the year. Really worth noting and remembering when offering advice; It's often given too broadly, as if the UK has more or less the same conditions, weather, rainfall, night temps etc.
‘Climate resilience’ is a much more useful concept than ‘drought tolerance’.
Plants here in my bonkers climate have to variously survive scorching summers, drying winds, monsoon rain, high humidity, prolonged periods of drought and winters that can be far colder than the UK average. Oh and do that in thin, rocky clay soil. Some breezily cope with anything, some that one would think should, don’t.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
To be honest, I'm getting fed up woth this now. Everyone else seems to get rain except us. For 4 months now, when rain is forecast it hardly ever materialised. We had an almighty thunderstorm at the end of the heatwave which brought a poxy 10 minutes of light rain. Since then nothing. Nothing in the forecast
Supposedly drought-tolerant plants are now wilting and fading - crocosmia, agastache, cosmos, scabiosa, even verbena are yellowing - the yellow rising from the base. It’s completely soul destroying, like I worked hard all year to make a nice garden and it looks like a pile of crap just when it should be at its best.
I'm done with the watering. I'll continue doing the pots, everything else can just die and I'll start again next year. I just can't be bothered any more.
Sorry to rant, but I just needed to get this off my chest.
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Ironically it's the drought tolerant species that have suffered most in our garden this year. We have tried to make it like a wildlife meadow feel and have introduced masses of natives but like in the surrounding countryside, they have either perished or suffered massively whilst the normal mix of garden plants and shrubs have done better.
We live on sandy soil and are in the driest part of the country so thought it sensible to switch, or experiment, but we also had problems in 2021 because we had the wettest winter in 100 years. The goal posts just seem to be constantly moving in our aim for a half decent garden with the fluctuating climate.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Plants here in my bonkers climate have to variously survive scorching summers, drying winds, monsoon rain, high humidity, prolonged periods of drought and winters that can be far colder than the UK average. Oh and do that in thin, rocky clay soil. Some breezily cope with anything, some that one would think should, don’t.
Supposedly drought-tolerant plants are now wilting and fading - crocosmia, agastache, cosmos, scabiosa, even verbena are yellowing - the yellow rising from the base. It’s completely soul destroying, like I worked hard all year to make a nice garden and it looks like a pile of crap just when it should be at its best.
I'm done with the watering. I'll continue doing the pots, everything else can just die and I'll start again next year. I just can't be bothered any more.
Sorry to rant, but I just needed to get this off my chest.