Earlier this year we had the wettest April on record but since then we have had some unseasonally hot, dry weather, with hosepipe restrictions still enforced in many areas. It makes sense for gardeners to create more sustainable gardens that, once established, need little watering.
It’s also an insurance policy and, to buy plants and attempt to garden in unpredictable times.
For many, the more Mediterranean-influenced planting schemes may be the way forward, with shrubs and perennials surrounded by gravel. This is more than just decorative, as the gravel reflects the heat, locks in moisture and reduces weeding for an attractive, low-maintenance solution. Sun, good drainage and in many cases poor rather than fertile soil are key, with sharp drainage meaning that well-chosen plants can survive sustained periods of cold. If your soil is too rich then large containers with imported soil can be used to bring these types of plants into your garden.
The plants themselves will let you know what conditions they like, with adaptations for dry heat taking the form of fine, tough foliage to reduce transpiration, and grey or hairy leaves designed to bounce the light back and trap any available moisture.
The aromatic plants such as lavenders and rosemary have built-in essential oils that ooze out in the heat as a form of cooling. These two are well known and are great plants to set the tone, with silvery santolinas and artemisias never failing to contrast well alongside. Sadly, many unadventurous gardeners stop there, perhaps adding in a few more foliage shrubs, but there are some more feisty characters — not to be ignored — that are perfect for adding in shots of mad summer colour into any garden. Here are a few ...
Advertisement
A Mediterranean planting scheme
Cistus (Rock rose)
There are many varieties of evergreen cistus, covered with white, purple or pink papery flowers in the summer, which each last around a day but are continuous for a month or two. C. x purpureus has bright, pink flowers with yellow and maroon centres, and C. x hybridus has white flowers and egg-yolk orange centres. Heights around 1m x spread 1m.
Potentilla (cinquefoil)
Shrubs or herbaceous perennials that are perfect for adding in shots of easy colour. Gibson’s Scarlet (pictured) is a perennial around 45cm tall with brilliant scarlet-red flowers against dark green leaves. P. Fruticosa is a tough and adaptable shrub, with buttercup yellow flowers, that reaches about 1.2m tall by 1.4m wide. It may be a native but will sit perfectly happily alongside more Mediterranean-based plants.
Achillea (Yarrow)
The silvery-leaved varieties can cope with very dry soil and their flat flower heads and ferny foliage help to break up more shrubby and vertical planting. There’s a vast range of colours, whether you like the punchy or more pastel shades. A. Paprika has fabulously spicy orange-red flowers while A. Terracotta is, well, more terracotta. Plenty of yellow varieties are available, such as the reliable and easy to get hold of A. Moonshine or even bright lipstick-pink, such as A. Cerise Queen, if you like that sort of thing.
Phlomis (Jerusalem sage)
The spreading habit of this plant, with its soft hairy leaves and whorls of hooded flowers, is one of my favourites for this type of planting and is also ideal for breaking the harsh edges of paved areas. Mainly yellows such as the sulphur-yellow P. fruticosa or the more lemony P. russeliana or light pinks such as the tall (1.2m) architectural P. amazone or softer more lilac-pink P. cashmeriana. With Phlomis, leave the flowers on for as long as possible, as they’ll dry out on the stem and help the autumn and winter garden along nicely as they decay.