You Can't Out-Water a Heatwave: Our Water-Wise Tips for This Summer's Drought

Sarah Mead and the garden team share what they're actually doing to cope with this summer's heat and drought.

With much of the UK now officially in drought, gardens everywhere are under pressure…ours included. As Sarah puts it: "You can't out-water a heatwave. What you can do is build a garden that doesn't need rescuing every time the sun comes out."

Here's what the team have been doing this summer, in case it's useful in your own garden too.

Watching and Recording

We've been keeping a close eye on which plants are sailing through the heat and which are struggling, and writing it down and taking photos, because by winter it's easy to forget which was which.

Get Ready for Rain

Right now, before the rain arrives, is exactly the time to prepare for it:

• Install water butts under every gutter and downpipe.

• Try making dipping tanks - a lidless water butt just big enough to dunk a watering can into.

• Collect spare containers ready to catch water in the garden.

For further heat-wave and gardening tips, trails and tribulations - please sign up to the Yeo Valley Organic Substack

And a reminder for you gardeners out there: stay hydrated, keep out of the midday sun, wear sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat…and never operate power tools in your shorts!

Join us at the Festival

We're aware that things are changing, and that gardens are going to have to adapt to hotter summers and wetter winters.

To find out more about what that means, and what we can all do to make a difference for our gardens and the wildlife that relies on them, join us at the Yeo Valley Organic Garden Festival, 17th–19th September.