“The best of all rains is the rain that comes after the worst of all droughts”

Proverb / Folk law

​

Hello fellow gardeners, Well, what a summer it has been. For those in the UK who don’t have a garden, live near a beach and like sunbathing, sailing, water skiing or any other water sport, the summer of 2026 has definitely been right up their street. I suspect though, that most of our membership found the heat waves intolerable and were greatly upset to see beloved plants suffering in the high temperatures and arid conditions. We were warned heat waves would be more frequent but we ‘brits’ always seem to take little notice of what the forecasters are telling us and pretend our gardens will ‘pull through’. Some have not. I have seen dying plants in many gardens, and desperate owners at a loss to know what to do to protect their favourite cultivars when the hosepipe bans came into force. We know the heat waves are likely to happen again next year so we do need to think about how to ‘future proof’ our plots – and make changes. There are things we can do to help plants get through heat and drought. Everything we grow really only depends upon two things: water and the soil. Installing one or more water butts to collect every drop of rain is a good idea. Another is to feed our soil. I know I have, at every opportunity in my Newsletters and at the society meetings, advocated ‘going organic’ and that we should ‘feed our soil not our plants’. Never has there been a time when doing this has been more important. Putting organic matter into the soil not only ‘feeds’ it but greatly improves its water holding properties. Soil is made up of 50% mineral material and organic matter, 25% air and 25% water! Mulching it locks in that moisture, making it less likely to dry out quickly. Of course to aid this we need to purchase organic matter but it will cost us far less if we make our own compost and make plenty of it. If you want to grow a range of plants that have the capacity to withstand drought, improving the soil is absolutely vital. Even though I practice what I preach looking round my garden highlighted plants that survived remarkably well BUT also those that suffered. Everything in the Mediterranean Garden, as one would expect, came through the summer. Here, the hylotephiums, sages, salvias, heucheras and succulents revelled in the heat, but there were some surprises in the other parts of the garden. The shrub, Fatsia japonica actually put on growth and the Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Pink Perfection’ that I planted in a south west facing position has looked the picture of health all summer. Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Worcester Gold’ with blue flowers is also drought tolerant. For a sheltered position I may consider planting Blupleurum fruiticosum which is totally drought resistant too but also tolerates winter wet conditions (always a good characteristic!) Achillea ‘Moonshine’ outshone its neighbours, the Phlox and Anthemis, both of which suffered in their different ways. The phlox flowered well but wilted badly. The Anthemis ‘E.C. Buxton’ remained upright but bore very few of its lovely yellow daisies.  Berginias have lasted too. Overall, there were fewer flowers, less growth and bleaching of large - leaved specimens. 

Changing the plants we grow to those that relish the heat is an option and using drought tolerant cultivars will certainly make life a lot less stressful. Any silver/ grey or glaucous leaved plant will fit the bill. Plants with microscopic hairs, waxy coatings or air pockets in leaves reflect intense sunlight, reduce water loss and lower leaf temperatures making these plants very suitable for hot dry conditions. Artemisia, Balotta, Brachyglottis, Erygium, Ruta, Lavender, Nepeta, Stachys, Lychnis are a few genus that are drought tolerant. The Artemisia genus includes a number of cultivars that are very useful. Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ is a nice, neat woody based shrubby perennial that has beautiful finely cut silver foliage. It can succumb to winter cold but is easy to strike from soft wood cuttings taken in late summer. Artemisia absinthium ‘Lambrook Silver ‘looks similar. Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’ and A.L. ‘Silver Queen’ are both very upright and semi-evergreen. The leaves are much more pronounced and jagged. I do like Artemisia pontica. Requiring very well drained soil it looks good at the front of the border in quantity. Stachys byzantina is another stalwart eminently suitable for use in this context. I will be planting more Eryngium and Euphorbia next year. Both these are drought tolerant and the ones I already have in the garden have done well (always good to go with what one knows will work)