Garden expert reveals the things you need to do now to ensure your plants survive the upcoming heatwave

Only just recovered from the last heatwave? Well, the bad news is that there's another one on the way, but the good news is we've got the tips and tricks from a gardening expert to help you prepare your plants for the hot weather.

Even when you've been keeping up with your summer gardening jobs all season, one heatwave can easily come and leave all your plants withered in its wake. And whilst it's not advised that you water your outdoor plants every day in hot weather, when particularly high temperatures hit, there are some things you will need to do immediately to keep your plants happy and healthy.

To ensure your garden survives the next heat wave, we asked garden design expert and garden influencer Ish (@gardening.with.ish on Instagram) what you can do for your plants to prepare them.

Things you need to do to prep your garden for the heatwave

There's no escaping it: summers are getting hotter each year, and that means our gardens need more help coping with the heat. Luckily, there are steps you can take to ensure you won't have to help your garden recover from the heatwave.

"Modern garden design needs to take plant spacing and mulching far more seriously. Planting some species a little closer together not only shades the soil, reducing moisture loss, but also helps suppress weeds," starts Ish.

"Likewise, while peat-free compost is much better for the environment, it doesn’t retain moisture as well as peat-based alternatives. A generous layer of mulch helps compensate for this, keeping the soil cooler and reducing evaporation throughout the year—not just during heatwaves," he continues.

If you struggle with keeping up with the best timing to water your garden during these hotter temperatures, or don't want to be out in the heat, then having automated watering systems is a great idea.

"Direct-to-ground irrigation has become an essential part of my own garden. I collect rainwater in large storage tanks, which are raised off the ground and connected to a timer and a network of soaker hoses," explains Ish.

"Each evening, the system automatically runs for around 15–20 minutes, thoroughly soaking the soil where it’s needed most. Because the soaker hoses are buried 2–3cm below the surface, evaporation is dramatically reduced, the plants receive a deeper watering, and I have much more free time," he adds.

When it comes to keeping cool in the garden during summer, both for you and your plants, incorporating garden shade ideas in your space has to be a top priority.

"Finally, we need to think about shade and mobility. One of the biggest complaints I hear is that large pots are simply too heavy to move. Fitting castor wheels beneath containers and planters makes repositioning them much easier when the sun becomes intense," Ish suggests.

"We should also consider incorporating sliding shade screens or retractable canopies into pergolas, porches and other garden structures. Most modern homes are designed to retain heat, which is fantastic during winter but far less welcome in July," he says.

Shadescaping your garden is a real saviour when the heatwaves hit and can make a huge difference to the overall temperature in your outdoor spaces.

"By shading windows and outdoor spaces before the sun reaches them, we can help keep both our gardens and our homes cooler without having to shut ourselves away behind closed blinds," finishes Ish.

As much as we can avoid making common summer garden mistakes, ensuring our plants survive these rising temperatures starts with prevention.

"Heatwaves are quickly becoming a normal part of the British summer, and it’s time we started designing our gardens to cope with them, rather than simply reacting when they arrive," explains Ish.