Specific reasons aside, there’s no denying that the worlds climate are changing, our summers are getting hotter and our autumns are consequently drier. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the garden.
In the long term much remains unknown about the exact implications of climate change, but the conscientious among us are already making changes to try and minimize it. As far as life in the garden goes, anything from using electrical over petrol powered equipment, through to saving water where possible, will all be a great help in the long run.
Of course it’s all well and good trying to minimize our carbon footprint, but we still need to be able to enjoy our gardens even if climatic changes beyond our control take hold.
What this leaves us with is a perfect opportunity to try new and inventive growing strategies, and plants that are better suited to warmer climes.
First and foremost it’s important to start with a solid foundation, in this case high quality soil to promote growth in low moisture conditions. Use plenty of organic matter in your soil, including leaf mulch and old compost. A nice thick layer will retain moisture better and be full of life giving nutrients.
Once you’ve trawled your local garden centre for warm weather plant life the story need not end with simply planting and watering as you ordinarily would. To ensure the water that you do feed your plants with reaches its target as quickly and efficiently as possible, a good solution is to set a plastic water bottle into the soil with the bottom cut off to act as a direct conduit to the plant roots when watering.
If you need some ideas for plants that favour dry conditions a good rule of thumb us to look for plants that have thick waxy/shiny leaves, these are typically adapted to be more efficient with less water. Other plants such as lavender, geraniums, catmint, centaura, and oriental poppies are just a few of many plant options for cultivating a great looking garden even when the rain stays away and the sun shines brightly.
