My garden in the heatwave

ClicketyClick

My clematis are struggling in the heat but the marigolds are thriving.

We began focussing on Mediterranean plants a few years ago. There was a great article on bbc website about a couple who have created a jungle in the garden of their 3 bed semi and it’s absolutely thriving.

Nell82

I noticed this afternoon my son's hydrangea in a pot looked very stressed despite being watered. The side of its tub was too hot to touch so the roots inside were literally being poached.

As many of my plants are in containers I've been looking online for ways to insulate them against the heat. There are some suggestions, like using thin cork. However I mainly try to put a pot inside a larger one so there is a gap. Also, wooden half barrels are better than plastic or terracotta. More expensive, of course.

I also put the planted pot inside a larger decorative one, for three reasons. Firstly it does insulate from heat and cold, next it’s easier to move them round ( I have a big courtyard and like to change the plants through the seasons) and thirdly it takes less compost to plant up a smaller pot.
The heat has just shrivelled my blueberries, they were doing so well!

I've lost several pots of plants this year. Notably, petunias, and also fuchsias. Just keeled over and died, in spite of all my watering efforts, like never before.
But the begonias and geraniums have coped just fine so i will stick to those next summer. And I'll do some research to see what else will survive the heat.

The geraniums, zinnias, and multi colored marigolds are thriving, petunias are pitiful, impatiens seem to be requiring more water than usual. Our Hibiscus are lovely but need daily watering.

Not to worry, the heatwave is over here in Denmark, so I assume it won't last much longer for you, either.

We plummeted from lovely hot 32 degrees to 12 or 14 with icy strong winds and rain!

And I was so enjoying the heat, and now I am frozen stiff.

our forecast is not good for lower temperatures AuntieE..

I am in Swindon, north of the South West is how I describe my position

I had a whole hanging basket of fuchsias just died on me, despite watering..

Love this thread and thanks for the photos.

Everything except the passion flower is showing heat stress. I am watering daily. Think I have lost my corkscrew willow altogether.

Geraniums, begonias, lavender, bougainvillea and oleander (but be careful with that as it's poisonous). All are surviving for me in a very open, exposed location on a farm. TBH I find the wind worse than the heat because it dries out the soil in the tubs just as much as the sun does. When I had a holiday home in the Eastern Mediterranean, I used to water at different times of the day but unlike at midnight when the sprinklers came on and watered everything above ground, I directed my hose towards the soil around the plants (even in the sunshine) and then added a handful of compost to prevent the roots becoming exposed or scorched. I've been doing this here for the past couple of years.

I have grown sweet Williams this year for the first time and they’re looking great, the heat seems to suit them. I’m growing them in with cucumbers and they’re giving them shade.

My plants being munched

wonderful!

I have felicia, simple white geraniums (pelargoniums), scented leaved geraniums with lighter green leaves mid pink flowers, and a very pretty bright blue creeping Veronica which I’ve previously only used in beds. I’ve also put in a compact phlox to see how it gets on, but it needs more water I think. I usually have more traditional bedding plants but last year only my verbena did well.
My troughs are on the ground, so nothing needs to trail much, otherwise I’d probably have gone for white ivy leaved geraniums.
I’m looking forward to see which plants others have found to do well in the heat.
I’ve also got coriander, rocket and basil in little self watering troughs and they’ve done brilliantly.

Even our vegetable plants are withering and actually dying

I killed my Dill pot plant which was being nurtured against the heat. Looked up what killed it. Overwatering.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

My plants were doing well while I could get plenty of water to them, but the butts are empty and there doesn’t seen to be any prospect of rain. I shall have to grit my teeth and put the hose on them. Astrantias - my current favourite plant - and delphiniums have gone over early and my pentstemons are struggling. Hollyhocks are half the size they normally are and other plants too are not making the grade this year. Lavenders are thriving though, even the little hedge of plants that DH grew from a packet of seeds he won at a church fete! I told him he was wasting his time. I eat my words every year! Perhaps we’ll all be growing Mediterranean plants soon.

I've gone to the effort of putting irrigation hose through all my beds, I've spent a fortune on new plants so I don't want to lose any and you can still use them when there's a hosepipe ban.

Yes, absolutely. Heatwaves do not suit alot of "traditional bedding plants." Plants that will do well are those which we find in arid countries, such as the wild herbs, Fennel (tall), Sage, thyme, mint (invasive), and feverfew...Rockrose, (Cistus), brooms, Potentillas, Osteospermums, ..we do need to adjust what we plant. Roses are quite tough, especially groundcover Roses can tolerate heat, so they can add colour... This has been a fantastic year for the roses at least. You could look for information online. (I would give up on bedding plants though.) The RHS have a good website. Good luck.

Lobelias were a waste of money, but here’s something strange - the dianthus (new ones this year) in pots are thriving but the ones in the ground are really suffering. And after the heavy overnight rain almost two weeks ago my butts should be full - but the pipe feeding the butt by the greenhouse somehow got disconnected and it’s now empty. Infuriating! And they tell us that gardening is good for de-stressing. Distressing on occasions.

We have an oregano plant thats huge and flowering - there were 5 or 6 small copper butterflies on it yesterday. Hydrangeas are struggling but salvias, guara and geraniums are doing well. We have a number of “jungle” plants - banana, tetrapanex , and some other big leaved things which like a bit of heat.

We bought impatiens and lobelia from Morrisons on a three for two offer and they are doing magnificently. They do get a to of watering.

This is a useful thread. Good tips for future plantings.

ClicketyClick your marigolds made me laugh out loud

ClicketyClick

My clematis are struggling in the heat but the marigolds are thriving.

Love your marigolds! They certainly raised a smile!

I live in the southeast and many of my plants have struggled through the heat.
Fuchsias are struggling, roses were doing well but seem to have given up and the same with clematis.

I spent a lot on bedding plants in the spring and despite much watering they haven't thrived.

I'm not looking forward to the expected heatwave coming my way this week.