From Sarah’s garden to yours.
Summer is often seen as the pinnacle of the growing season; it is what we dream about all winter and work towards all during spring. If all goes well, the fruits of our efforts materialise in the summer months and we can enjoy what we have achieved. However, in the depths of the off seasons, it can be easy to forget just how hot summer can be, and how this affects the garden. As the temperatures rise and the rainfall dries up, our idealist expectations for a dream summer garden can evaporate in the face of the harsh reality of the summer heat.
To avoid having a lacklustre garden in the hottest season, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your plants flourish, and you have a serene tranquil backyard to escape the heat.
The first steps to take should happen back in those early cold days when preparing the garden for the coming season. Take care of your soil by adding plenty of well-rotted organic material. This can be turned into the soil or left on the surface in a no dig style to allow the micro communities to do the work for you. However you do it, it is like adding nature’s sponge into your soil and will support moisture resilience in the summer months.
As the season progresses from a soggy spring into a dry summer, adjust your watering schedule to ensure the soil stays consistently moist without drying out. Soil moisture is how plants draw nutrients in through the roots and any disruption to this process can impact healthy growth.
As the season gets going, encourage the plants to set deep roots that are protected from warm soil temperatures and evaporation by watering deeply every few days - depending on your soil type. Frequent shallow watering creates root structures close to the surface and results in constantly thirsty plants. Early morning watering for its low evaporation conditions is the best time to water the garden.
If the best watering routine for the garden doesn’t work well with your life routine, consider installing irrigation and let a water computer reliably take care of everything. Having your own water collection system is a good way to keep your garden hydrated should a hose ban be enforced in your area.
The final way to protect your soil is to mulch thickly while the soil is still deeply moist from the cool season rains. Always apply mulch onto damp soil to lock the moisture in. Keep an eye on the mulch throughout the growing season and top up if it starts thinning out.
Plants are a large part of the aesthetic of the garden but can have the potential to be the downfall of our dream garden. We all have a garden style we like and want for our backyards. While standing in a garden centre holding a pretty plant we can throw all caution to the wind and pop it in the trolley. However, the wrong plant in the wrong place can require extra attention to stay in peak condition and may still die.
Take some time to understand your climate and conditions before choosing the plants. Once you decide on the style for your garden, you may find your situation may not be suitable for the plants typically used to create the look. By choosing wisely it will be possible to find alternative plants with a similar appearance but more suited to your garden which will require less care and will cope better during the hotter days ahead.
Some plants have natural adaptations to cope with hot conditions. For heat loving plants look for plants with small or narrow leaves, or succulent plants with fleshy leaves. They can also be light silvery colours or coated with hairs or waxes to conserve moisture or reflect the light.
When designing the garden, include strategies to cope with the heat. The perception of a cool garden can be created by picking cool colours for structures or plants. The look and sound of water can also have a cooling effect so consider adding a fountain or water feature. Planting trees and shrubs will add shade or build structures that will create a cooling respite from the heat.
In the midst of the heat, there are strategies to support your plants through the damaging temperatures. Heat stressed plants will let you know with crispy edges, wilting, rolled leaves, a pause to blooming and fruiting and even leaves falling off. Increasing deep watering and providing temporary shade can reduce the effects. Remember trees and shrubs need water too and a lack of water in a large tree can cause long term damage or even death later on. Now is not the time to fertilise or prune heavily. The most you should be doing is deadheading spent blooms to relieve the burden of trying to set seed. Keep weeds down to avoid competition for soil moisture and nutrients.
The lawn can quickly dry out in hot weather. Artificial lawns can seem like a good solution to keep the green look, but this can actually increase the temperatures. Cutting the grass longer seems counterintuitive but longer grass shades and cools the soil and will allow the lawn to cope better with the conditions.
Damage from a really bad heatwave can take some plants months to recover. If plants do die from the heat, wait until the conditions are less severe before replanting, and consider a different plant that gives the same look if these conditions are common in your area.
Support the creatures in the garden by keeping an area a little wild and shady and offer somewhere for them to drink. Be sure to keep bird baths clean and fresh as diseases can build up quickly in warm, dirty water.
Finally, look after yourself. Avoid tending the garden in the hottest part of the day. Drink plenty of water, apply sunscreen and wear a wide brimmed hat.
