When the lawn has faded to straw and the borders are beginning to droop, it’s tempting to reach for the hose and try to revive the whole garden. Yet dry summers call for a gentler, more considered sort of gardening.
A hosepipe ban needn’t mean losing the plants you’ve carefully tended. With a watering can, a little shade and a closer look at what genuinely needs your help, you can guide the garden through the heat while using far less water.
The aim isn’t to keep every corner looking lush and green. It’s to work with the season: looking after vulnerable plants, watering where it will make a real difference and trusting established plants to be more resilient than they sometimes appear.
Check the rules before you begin
A hosepipe ban is formally known as a Temporary Use Ban. The restrictions — and any exemptions — can vary from one water company to another.
Using a hosepipe to water a domestic garden is generally prohibited during a ban, while watering with a can or bucket is usually permitted. However, don’t assume that a hose attached to a water butt, an irrigation system or a newly planted area will automatically be exempt.
Check your water company’s website for the rules in your area before you begin. Water UK’s hosepipe ban guidance is a helpful starting point, but your own water supplier should have the final word.
Not every plant needs rescuing
One of the hardest things during a dry spell is deciding where not to water. A wilting leaf can tug at the conscience, but watering the entire garden little and often is rarely the best use of a limited supply.
Begin with the plants most dependent on you:
- newly planted trees, shrubs, hedges and perennials, particularly those in their first year
- seedlings and young plants with small root systems
- fruit and vegetables that are flowering or developing crops
- plants in pots, window boxes and hanging baskets
- moisture-loving plants showing clear signs of stress
- plants growing beside walls and fences, where the ground may lie in a dry ‘rain shadow’
Recently planted trees and shrubs deserve particular care. Their roots have yet to spread into the surrounding soil, so even a reasonably large plant can struggle without regular, thorough watering.
Established plants are another matter. Many mature trees, shrubs and hardy perennials can withstand a dry spell surprisingly well. They may wilt during the hottest part of the day or shed a few leaves to reduce moisture loss, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are dying. Check the soil and look again in the cooler evening before deciding whether to water.
The lawn can usually be left alone. Brown grass may look alarming, but an established lawn will normally recover once rain returns. Letting it rest saves a considerable amount of water for plants that cannot manage without your help.
Make every watering can count
A brief sprinkle may settle the dust, but it does little for a thirsty plant. Water left near the surface quickly evaporates and encourages shallow roots, making plants more vulnerable when the next dry spell arrives.
It’s far better to water fewer plants thoroughly.
Remove the rose from the watering can and pour slowly onto the soil around the base of the plant. If water begins to run across the surface, pause and allow it to soak in before returning with the rest. The aim is to moisten the root zone rather than simply darken the top layer of soil.
For a young tree or large shrub, spread the water around the area beneath its canopy rather than pouring it all against the trunk. A shallow ring of soil around a newly planted specimen can help hold the water in place while it sinks into the ground.
Before watering, check whether it’s truly needed. Push a finger into the compost of a pot, or gently scrape back the top few centimetres of soil in a border. The surface may be dusty while the soil below remains cool and damp. If it does, wait and look again the following day.
Water in the cool of the day
Early morning is the best time to water. The soil and air are cooler, less moisture is lost to evaporation and plants have time to take up water before the heat builds.
Evening is a good alternative, especially for pots that have dried out during the day. Aim the water at the soil rather than over the leaves. This reduces waste and avoids leaving foliage damp overnight, when fungal problems are more likely to take hold.
There’s no need to follow the clock too rigidly, though. If a plant is badly wilted and clearly in distress at midday, don’t leave it suffering until dusk. Move it into shade if possible and give the roots a slow, careful drink.
Keep pots cool and close together
Plants in containers need more attention than those growing in the ground. Their roots are confined to a small amount of compost, which can heat up and dry out quickly. Terracotta pots, hanging baskets and small or dark-coloured containers are especially vulnerable.
Moving pots can make an immediate difference. Gather them together in a place that receives morning sun but is sheltered from the fiercest afternoon heat. Grouped pots shade one another and create a slightly cooler, more humid pocket of air.
Where suitable, stand containers on saucers for a short time so they can take up a modest amount of water from below. Don’t leave them sitting in water indefinitely, and remove the saucers before heavy rain.
Water each container slowly. Very dry compost sometimes shrinks away from the sides of a pot, allowing water to rush through the gap without reaching the roots. Give it a little water, wait for it to soak in and then return for a second pass. A small, badly dried-out pot can be stood briefly in a bucket of water, then removed and allowed to drain thoroughly.
A layer of grit, fine bark or peat-free compost over the surface can help slow moisture loss. Apply it only after the compost beneath has been properly watered.
Mulch while the ground is damp
Mulch is one of the most useful defences against dry weather. It shades the soil, slows evaporation and discourages weeds that would otherwise compete with your plants for moisture.
Well-rotted garden compost, leaf mould and composted bark all make useful mulches. Spread a layer about 5–7.5cm deep, leaving a little space around stems and trunks so they don’t remain damp and begin to rot.
There is little benefit in placing mulch over ground that is already dry and hard. You risk trapping the dryness beneath it. Wait until after rain, or water the ground thoroughly before spreading the mulch.
For future summers, the best time to mulch is usually in spring, while the soil still holds its winter moisture. It’s one of those quiet gardening jobs that pays for itself when hot weather arrives.
Don’t let weeds take their share
Weeds draw water from the same soil as the plants you want to keep. Remove them while they’re small, before they establish deep roots or begin to set seed.
Hoeing on a dry day is an easy way to deal with young weeds, which can be left on the surface to shrivel. Larger weeds are best pulled by hand.
Try not to dig or cultivate the ground more than necessary during a drought. Turning the soil exposes its cooler, damper layers to the air, where their moisture will quickly disappear. A light touch is enough.
Borrow a little shade
Strong sunshine and drying wind pull moisture from leaves faster than roots can replace it. Tender plants, leafy vegetables and containers can all benefit from temporary shelter during the hottest part of the day.
A piece of horticultural fleece, shade netting or an old cotton sheet can provide welcome relief. Keep the covering above the foliage so air can circulate, and secure it firmly enough that it won’t flap against the plants.
A garden parasol can be surprisingly useful too. Moving a pot into the light shade of a tree or placing it beside a wall that receives only morning sun may lower the temperature by just a few degrees, but that can be enough to reduce stress.
Save the water that would otherwise go to waste
Water butts are invaluable during a dry summer, particularly if they collect rain from more than the house roof. Sheds, garages and greenhouses can all provide useful collecting areas. If space allows, two linked water butts will store considerably more from a brief spell of rain.
Keep lids securely fitted for safety and to discourage mosquitoes and debris. Even during a drought, the occasional shower can provide enough water for a surprising number of pots.
Useful water can also be gathered indoors. Keep a bowl in the kitchen sink to catch clean water used for rinsing fruit and vegetables. Collect the cold water that runs while you’re waiting for a tap or shower to warm, and empty unfinished drinking water into a pot rather than down the sink.
Cooled cooking water may be used if it contains no salt, oil or other additives. Clean household grey water can sometimes be used on established ornamental plants, but it needs care. Avoid anything containing bleach, disinfectant, dishwasher salt or strong cleaning products. Use it promptly rather than storing it, and keep it away from edible leaves. If in doubt, check current advice from your water supplier.
No single saving will transform the garden, but together they can make each watering can go a little further.
Give crops water at the right moment
Fruit and vegetables are worth prioritising because an irregular supply of water can affect both the size and quality of the harvest.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, beans and soft fruit need steady moisture while they are flowering and producing crops. Water at the roots and concentrate on productive plants rather than wetting every part of the vegetable patch.
Pick beans, courgettes and cucumbers regularly. Leaving them to grow oversized uses water and energy that the plant could put into its next crop.
Leafy vegetables may appreciate some afternoon shade, particularly when young. Keep the soil around established plants free from weeds and mulch it while damp. If you were planning to sow more salad leaves, it may be better to wait for cooler weather or raise a small amount in a container kept out of the strongest sun.
Sometimes the kindest thing is to wait
Dry weather isn’t the time to push plants into fresh growth. A few jobs are best put aside until cooler, damper days return.
Don’t apply fertiliser to dry soil. Most feeds need moisture before plants can take up their nutrients, and encouraging soft new growth will only increase the need for water. Container-grown crops may still need feeding, but always follow the instructions and make sure the compost is moist first.
Avoid large planting projects if you can. New plants need regular watering while their roots become established. If you’ve already bought something, keep it in a lightly shaded holding area and plant it once conditions improve.
Postpone heavy pruning too. Heat-stressed plants need their healthy leaves. Gentle deadheading is fine, but major renovation work can wait.
And don’t worry about making the lawn look immaculate. Raise the mower blades, mow less often and leave some areas uncut. Longer grass shades the soil and provides shelter for insects and other wildlife.
Prepare now for summers to come
A garden that copes well with drought is rarely created in a single season. It develops gradually, as the soil improves and plants are matched more closely to the conditions they prefer.
Adding homemade compost and other organic matter helps soil hold moisture while still allowing air to reach the roots. Mulching in spring protects that moisture before the hottest weather arrives. More water butts mean a better reserve when rainfall becomes scarce.
Plant choice matters too. Lavender, rosemary, thyme, cistus, nepeta, salvias, eryngiums, sedums and many ornamental grasses are well suited to sunny, free-draining places. They will still need regular watering during their first season, but once established they are generally better able to cope with dry conditions.
Consider reducing the number of small, thirsty containers in favour of a few generous pots, which dry out more slowly. Group plants with similar needs together, so that water can be directed efficiently rather than scattered across the garden.
These changes needn’t happen all at once. Each one makes the garden a little more resilient — and often a little easier to care for.
A quieter way to garden
On a hot morning, take a watering can and walk around before doing anything else. Look first at new planting, productive crops and pots. Feel the soil. Water only where it’s needed, slowly and close to the roots. Move a vulnerable pot into shade, pull out a few thirsty weeds and leave the lawn to its summer rest.
Then step back.
A garden doesn’t need to look perfect to be healthy. Longer grass, ripening seed heads and a few tired leaves are all part of its response to the season. They may also provide food and shelter for wildlife while the dry weather lasts.
With thoughtful choices and well-placed water, most plants can do more than simply endure a hosepipe ban. They will pause, adapt and wait — ready to flourish when the rain finally returns.
Further Reading: My Garden Journal & Notes
