If the answer is yes, you may not be alone. With the heatwave set to continue for a while yet have you thought about your garden? Can it survive this hot dry weather for much longer without a concerted effort on your part to give it some help and support?

Prolonged hot weather can be of genuine concern to the gardener, with lack of water being the main worry. And the thunder storms that are often generated by high pressure humidity do little to alleviate matters. With the ground being so hard – deluge watering has a tendency to run off rather than soak in, so you may find that your garden may not benefit much from one of those.

Plants especially tend to get stressed when water is scarce. They will save whatever energy they have left by shedding leaves, especially at branch and stem extremities. So you’ll find that a stressed plant will look dead in some places, with curled up and browning leaves. Yet towards the centre of the plant you’ll still find evidence of survival, with greener leaves using whatever energy is left.

The solution is obvious, your garden needs to be watered during periods of hot, dry weather. But the secret to success is consistency. An occasional watering may do more harm than good, with plants putting all their efforts into coming back to life, only to find that the water-source isn’t reliable. That could shock plants into a more serious shut-down.

When you start watering during a hot, dry spell you must continue to do so, once a day, or twice a day if the temperature exceeds 30º Centigrade (86º Fahrenheit).

And don’t worry too much about your lawn. Providing it is on a fairly level plain* it’ll come back to life when the weather changes. Far better to concentrate on plants and shrubs. They’re the ones that’ll need most of your loving attention during a hot, dry spell.

*Your lawns may need weeding after a hot, dry spell – and lawns on a slope may need watering.

Need any help with your garden? No problem, give Simon’s Landscaping a call on 01508 470674 and talk us through your needs. We’ll be more than happy to give you some no-obligation advice – and maybe even come and help you to get your garden through this hot, dry spell with desert planting and/or a moisture retainment landscaping.