If the recent heatwaves in the UK have left your garden looking a little frazzled, you may be wondering what you should do to help your plants. There’s so much conflicting advice online about when to water and feed, and whether you should even bother mowing your lawn. But don’t worry, help is at hand.
Jack Stooks worked at Highgrove House Gardens, in Gloucestershire, as a senior gardener for 21 years, where he expertly shaped the landscape under the King’s guidance. Originally from Zimbabwe, he arrived in the UK in 1998 to study horticulture, and he now enjoys helping private clients, giving online talks, and regularly providing royal and gardening commentary for television.
He says one of the major issues in British gardens is the inconsistency of the weather. We may have one great summer, then the following year is a washout. While there are temporary heat spikes and heatwaves that can cause damage, the changeable weather makes it hard to plan for. “It’s not as simple as saying, ‘I’m going to plant for a hot garden or a rainy garden,’ because it’s impossible to predict what the weather will do,” he says.
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So, rather than redesigning your garden in anticipation of potential spikes in hot weather, it’s worth sticking with what works for your space and nurturing the plants you already have. Stooks knows a thing or two about keeping a garden lush in all weathers, and offers advice to help it thrive in the warm summer months.
