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The Independent
9 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
What you should be doing to your garden during this heatwave
The UK is currently experiencing a heatwave. But how do you look after your outside space in the heat? And how how can gardeners minimise the damage caused by high temperatures? 'It's about risk management,' says Nick Turrell, RHS horticultural advisor. 'No-one's going to suddenly change all their plants, getting plants with silver leaves etc. 'Some plants are more susceptible than others, and I would say the top five are hydrangea, which likes slightly cooler temperatures and plenty of water, Japanese maples, which have thin leaves and lose moisture, fuchsia, astilbes and roses, which are hungry and thirsty. They catch gardeners out.' Plants likely to cope better include lavender, rosemary, sedum and other succulents, he says. But what else can we do? 1. Water wisely 'Water in the morning because that's when the plants are going to be needing it during the day,' Turrell advises. 'Don't spray the leaves or water on the top of the leaves, get it underneath to the roots and use a watering can, not a hose, because if you've a hose, you're more likely to liberally spray it around, which means you get a sprinkling on the surface which just evaporates. Get the nozzle of the watering can right in at the roots.' Melissa Quinney at Cabin Master, advises: 'During hosepipe bans or dry spells, greywater (from baths or washing up, provided it's free from harsh chemicals) can be reused to water ornamental plants.' 'It's best to water less frequently but more thoroughly, soaking the rootball properly,' suggests Charles Carr, head of wholesale nurseries at Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centres. Water plants in the area where the roots are, suggests Nick Hamilton, son of the late Gardeners' World icon Geoff Hamilton and owner of Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland. 'Some plants will require more than others, so when considering whether a plant needs water then my view is that if you're not sure, don't water. Don't worry if a plant begins to wilt from under-watering, because if you then apply water, within an hour or so you would never know it was wilting.' Give watering priority to anything which has been planted within the last 12 months, and particularly newly planted trees, Turrell adds. 2. Mulch the surface 'To lock in moisture and protect plants during a hot spell, cover the top of container plants with a mulch such as gravel, bark or a good quality compost. You should also mulch garden beds to help bedding plants retain moisture and give them a nutrient boost,' suggests Dobbies ' plant buyer, Nigel Lawton. 'Add organic mulch such as wood chippings, garden compost or leaf mould to beds to save water and improve moisture retention. A thick layer of mulch will block sunlight, insulating the soil and reducing the amount of water evaporating from the garden,' Carr adds. 'I think a good shredder is a very worthwhile investment as old flower stems, twigs and vegetable material, such as brassica stems, can be shredded down, composted and used as an excellent mulch,' suggests Hamilton. 3. Don't buy new plants If the hot weather is forecast for a few weeks, there's no point planting new plants because you'll just be putting stress on them and on the watering system, Turrell advises. 'Anything that has been established for more than two years should be OK because it already has its roots down deep enough to cope with unusual circumstances. 'But the plants will tell you if they need a drink, when they start wilting or the leaves start to curl up around the edges,' he explains. 4. Take hanging baskets down The compost in hanging baskets can evaporate so quickly that it's best to take them down during a heatwave and put them in the shade where they won't lose water so rapidly, says Turrell. 5. Pick vegetables which are likely to bolt Lettuces are prone to running to seed in hot weather, so pick them young and keep them in the fridge, or shade them with netting to keep the heat of the sun at bay, says Turrell. 6. Find shade 'For those especially vulnerable during extreme heat, temporary shade structures using old bedsheets, garden furniture, or shade cloths can make all the difference,' says Quinney. 7. Huddle patio pots Put patio pots in the shade together to create a microclimate and reduce evaporation, says Turrell. 8. Look after wildlife Make sure birdbaths are topped up because they will need it for drinking and bathing, and put some pebbles in water-filled pot saucers to allow insects to land and drink as well. 9. Leave your grass The grass may look like a mass of straw but it will recover when the autumn rain comes, so if you can stand it looking brown, just leave it, says Turrell. However, if it has been newly laid and hasn't yet been through a winter, you'll need to water it. 'In hot spells, it's best to hold off on applying weedkillers or fertilisers. These can be too harsh when the lawn is already under stress and may cause more harm than good,' says Peter Chaloner, managing director of garden machinery specialists Cobra. 'When grass turns yellow and brittle, it's a sign it's conserving energy due to lack of water. At this point, try to keep foot traffic to a minimum and clear away furniture or toys so the lawn has the best chance to recover undisturbed.' 10. Plant drought-tolerant species If you have spaces you feel you must fill, plug the gap with drought-tolerant species such as lavender, rosemary, salvia and sedum – but remember they will also need watering until they become established. 'Generally, succulents and silver foliage plants like lavender are the best at adapting to warmer conditions, so these are fine to be left as they are, but you should make a point to check up on your other plants throughout the summer months and adjust watering as needed,' says Lawton. 11. Improve your soil 'An excellent way to improve a light soil and increase its moisture retention capabilities is to add organic matter, which could be your own garden compost, green composts or well-rotted farmyard manure. Any one of these can be lightly forked into the surface and then added to the surface as a thickish layer to act as a mulch,' Hamilton advises. 'If you look after your soil, pretty much everything else falls into place,' says Turrell. 'If every year you mulch that soil with as much organic matter as you can, you are helping to prepare for any eventuality.' 12. Use a water butt This is another vital investment, says Hamilton, and can be fitted to trap and hold much needed rainwater – when it does finally come – from all your downpipes. 'I would also consider using the low-pressure leaking pipe that will work from a water butt. When buried just under the soil surface and laid out around the plants that require a bit more moisture, water will just gradually leak out and because it is under the soil, evaporation will be minimal.'
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Wentworth traders' 'traffic chaos' fears over RHS Flower Show
Owners of businesses in a village where a major national flower show is to be held next month have spoken of their fears over possible "traffic chaos".The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flower Show will take place at Wentworth Woodhouse, a stately home near Rotherham, between 16-20 Sales, who runs an independent shopping complex opposite the estate, said while people in Wentworth village were "keen" for the event, she asked: "But at what cost? We need to be able to function. The parking situation is a worry: 12,000 a day is a lot of people."An RHS spokesperson said a traffic management plan would be in place to reduce the impact on "local highways, residents and road users". It was announced in April 2024 that the much-loved RHS Flower Show would be coming to South Yorkshire this year, with other locations around the country also to be used in RHS explained that the aim of holding the event in new places was to "promote gardening to as many people as possible". Ms Sales, who has run The Emporium on Cortworth Lane in Wentworth for 25 years, said the RHS gardening charity had "underestimated" the impact the event could have on the village and surrounding area."I don't think they realise how busy this road can get. An accident on the M1 and things get very interesting. It'll be traffic chaos," she warned."With the best traffic management in the world, you can't control the through traffic and the people that aren't supposed to be here."Ms Sales said her "biggest fear is the gridlock"."We had a little taster of this recently with a car show at the house, and it was backed up in both directions," she said. Meanwhile, Dave Smith, whose antique furniture store has been a fixture in Wentworth village for many decades, said he was also said he was worried about the area's infrastructure being able to cope with an influx of traffic, with particular fears over the "narrow country roads"."People will be arriving from all over the North, but they won't understand there's four to five entrances to the site," he explained."There's enough land in there for parking, but it needs to flow and I can foresee problems."Other business owners who spoke to the BBC, but who did not wish to be named, said they might shut up shop entirely for the five days of the Dan Wilde, who has run the Village Shop for just over a year, said he would be opening as usual after receiving "assurances" from RHS Flower Show organisers."Fingers crossed it'll go well, but I do worry about the parking," he said."If you see an empty space in the village, you're going to take it."It might not be positive for the week they're here, but until it's definitely a negative, we have to see it as a positive," he said. In a statement responding to traders' concerns, an RHS spokesperson said the organisation was "incredibly mindful of the experiences of both the local community and our visitors".The RHS consulted "local partners, such as the local council, emergency services, Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, and nearby landowners to ensure we plan each event meticulously and prioritise the safety of all", the spokesperson traffic control measures would be in place for the event, they said, including "20mph speed restrictions, temporary no waiting or parking orders, temporary traffic signals, traffic officers directing traffic, and multiple access points into and from the site".The spokesperson added that everyone involved was "incredibly excited" to bring an RHS Flower Show to Rotherham, "and to work with local communities, businesses and organisations to deliver an amazing show full of unique gardens, talks and tips, children's activities, floral installations and refreshments to enjoy". Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
This woman has spent 30 years building up Scottish garden
Growing in this environment is not easy, but it helps that Helen is the owner of Tinnisburn Plants, the RHS gold-medal winning nursery that lies adjacent to the garden. Helen has been growing here for 30 years and in that time she has developed a deep knowledge of plants that will thrive in exposed conditions, where low temperatures and high winds are just some of the challenges. Amongst her specialities are meconopsis and scilla, of which she holds National Collections, but these are only two of the very wide range of plants that she has persuaded to grow at Tinnisburn and over the years she has developed many different habitats, from rockeries to wildflower meadows, where visitors can see for themselves how the plants that favour particularly conditions will perform in a garden setting. Read more A bog garden that remains moist all year round is filled with lush species and waterside dwellers that love to have their roots in damp soil while the herbaceous borders, where flowers appear in successive waves, are a riot of bright summer colours. There is woodland where ephemerals carpet the ground in spring, and all kinds of hardy shrubs, while fruit trees, their crops now beginning to swell, grow in the orchard that Helen herself planted. The season at Tinnisburn starts with snowdrops, many of them rare varieties that are sought-after by collectors, and these are followed by hellebores and daffodils before flowering shrubs and early perennials pick up the show and keep it going throughout the advancing seasons, with many still putting on a vivid display well into autumn. Meconopsis 'Susan's Reward' (Image: Discover Gardens) Plants here have to be tough, but that doesn't mean that they aren't beautiful and as chair of the Meconopsis Group, which studies Himalayan poppies, Helen has become the custodian of important plant trials which assess the performance of different varieties of these much-loved plants. The trials can last for years and during that time experts will consider the growth habit and reliability of the plants, assessing them for their suitability in gardens. Many of the poppies grown here were recently on display at the Chelsea Flower Show and Helen also sells them in her nursery, handing out advice on cultivation to everyone who buys them, or packing them up carefully and sending them off UK-wide, with the other plants in the nursery, through her online ordering service. Tinnisburn is a place of inspiration for anyone who gardens in exposed or cold conditions and it continues to grow and evolve as Helen devotes more of her time to its cultivation. Details: Tinnisburn Garden and Nursery is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Tickets: £5/ under 16s free There is a small cafe on-site for visitors. Tel: 07544 373815 helen@ In association with Discover Scottish Gardens
TimesLIVE
a day ago
- TimesLIVE
A slice of the Karoo in London
Adjacent to the garden, The Newt's tent offered cider tastings, and then the tent that made my heart sing — the familiar blue logo of Babylonstoren, which provided the official rosé for the show. Sipping the 2025 rosé took me to South Africa's sunny vineyards, as hints of watermelon and strawberries delighted the palate. Congratulations were also due to landscape designer Leon Kluger and artist Tristan Woutberg for clinching both a gold medal and the prestigious Lawrence Medal (awarded to the best floral exhibit across all the RHS shows throughout the calendar year). Their impressive display of 25,000 stems of fynbos celebrated the country's biodiversity, specifically as shaped by the convergence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The overall feast of 'local is lekker' made this South African rather homesick, but equally, incredibly proud. For those who weren't fortunate enough to see the floral magic in person, the good news is that this will not be the end of the road for the Karoo succulent garden. The display will be transplanted to its final resting space at The Newt in Somerset, open to the public in a few months, where a slice of pristine Karoo wilderness will stand proudly in the UK's veritable garden of Eden.
The Citizen
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
SA flower team wins Lawrence Award at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
It was another glorious win for South Africa, when, while taking part in the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show, they earned themselves the Lawrence Medal, an award given to the best floral exhibit across all RHS shows for the year. Read more: Wits Flower Halls sustainable revival This UK-based exhibit is described as the world's greatest flower show, as it showcases awesome garden designs and imaginative floral displays. Undoubtedly, one of those imaginative displays was our country's own. The garden, the creation of which was lead by Leon Kluge and Tristan Woudberg, was created to the theme of: The two oceans, and beautifully showcased our fynbos. Even though a lot of the work done took place in the Western Cape, members of the Brixton community played their small, but mighty, part in the success of this award winning display. Also read: Enchant the garden with white flowers. Over the course of six months, and a week, a team of five Brixton locals took the time to design, cut, and sew spunbond material, which would be used to cover the various flowers needed for the display in preparation for the grand flower show. Leading the team was Elzabé Zietsman, who said the dedication shown by the team managed to produce 100 000 bags. Zietsman explained this particular material is strong enough to break the force of hail, yet soft enough to let sunlight through. The team is incredibly proud to have had a hand at helping South Africa win. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Easy five-petal paper flower craft At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
