75 Garden design “It never rains... and then it pours” T
he ‘hot topic’ of this summer has been the succession of heat waves and prevailing drought conditions, that we have all had to endure.
If you enjoy sunbathing and the heat, it has been an amazingly good summer. But as a consequence, we have experienced Mediterranean temperatures and weeks without any significant rainfall. While humans have mobility in finding shady places, plants aren’t so lucky and trying to keep plants alive has been a challenge. However, nothing lasts for ever and this situation will
change. It will rain – probably too much, and we will face the problem of waterlogged soil and flooding. How on earth do you create a garden that can cope with these extremes? The best thing to do is sort out your soil. Add as much
bulky organic material as you can, which will help with drainage and then once your plants are well-watered mulch thickly (about 7.5 cm depth should do it) to retain the moisture. Healthy soil will absorb a lot of water and retain it without being soggy. You also need to make your garden as flood proof as possible. It is not the most exciting subject, but drainage is really important. Keep drains cleared of
Sun worshippers
by Colette Charsley One of the few
debris and try to manage the water that results from cloudbursts so that it can be safely channelled away – perhaps into a swale or rain garden. Water butts are an easy way to make the most of rainfall and even rainwater harvesting systems are worth considering. Shade in the form of pergolas, shade sails or trees will
create mini microclimates for both you and your plants. Water cools the air, but unless you are lucky enough to have a natural water source, water features will need topping up in very dry weather. Any new plantings need watering until they have established themselves. This is particularly true with young trees which often don’t show immediate signs of stress but can suddenly turn brown by which time it might be too late. Look at the plants that have come through the summer happily. Those are the ones to use. Some other tough, yet often overlooked, species that should be happy include: Alchemilla mollis, Miscanthus grasses, Stipa gigantea, Japanese anemones, Erigeron karvinskianus, Geranium macrorrhizum, Veronicastrum. We can’t control the weather, but we can control
how we respond to it. As with many things in life, plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Planting for drought
Sedum love the sun
colette@charsleydesign.com
www.charsleydesign.com t: 01548 581753 m: 07774 827799 Follow me on Twitter @ColetteCharsley Professional Landscape & Garden Design
Creative and beautiful designs for village, town and country gardens
Colette Charsley PG Dip OCGD t: 01548 581753 m: 07774 827799
colette@charsleydesign.com
www.charsleydesign.com
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