Drought Resistant Plants

11th September 2022

This summer's unprecedented heatwave has been a steep learning curve for me, as I'm sure it has been for all gardeners who thought they knew their onions. Over the years I have adhered to the Right Plant Right Place principle, selecting perennials that would thrive in both the dry shade under the apple tree, to the full uninterrupted sunny border, and part shade in between. Pulmonarias and brunneras thrived in the shade, providing lovely blue flowers in the spring and a tapestry of foliage well into autumn. Rudbeckias, phlox and crocosmias pumped out bold colours in late summer. I pride myself on my careful choices to promote the survival of the fittest, I mulch the beds every spring religiously. In addition to our irrigation system, I water either early morning or in the evening, aiming the flow at the roots so as not to waste water, I apply the appropriate fertiliser, I deadhead regularly. What more can a keen gardener do to nurture her plot?