Coping with weather extremes in the garden

Has your garden survived the dry spells this summer? And what about the biblical downpours that we have had in Glasgow too?! As with everyone else, garden designers in Glasgow have had a challenging season thanks to lockdown, but the weather has actually done us a few favours. And now is actually a good time to make some strides in your list of garden jobs and to guard against future extreme weather.

Brown lawns Due to dry weather will gradually re-green of their own accord as moisture levels return to normal, and remember that you need not mow your lawn unless it definitely needs it.
Don’t cut your grass too short during any periods of stress, such as prolonged periods of
dry weather, and it’s not totally forbidden to cut your grass if it’s a bit damp! Thorough weeding done in your flowerbeds will pay dividends at the moment as re-growth will simply not be as vigorous as earlier in the year.

There are various things you can do in the garden to help prevent suffering too many losses if we do receive any more long periods of dry or very wet weather. Making sure there is plenty of organic material in your soil is crucial. You can do this by adding manure, leaf mould, or compost – it is great if you can dig this in deep, but there is no great benefit to going below the uppermost foot of soil. However, a much easier option is to gently hoe it into the surface and let the worms do the hard work for you.

Mulching flowerbeds is another great option, and you can do this with bark chips or, for a more
natural look, a composted bark chip. This should be laid over the soil to a depth of around 2-3 
inches, being careful not to let it build up too deeply round the base of plants. A good mulch not only suppresses weeds and makes weeding easier, it prevents moisture evaporating from the soil quite so readily. For when we do receive summer downpours consider setting up a water butt that connects to your gutters and collects the rain water for you.

Late summer is also a great time for planning garden jobs that can be done over the autumn and
winter. Spring bulb planting is done from August onwards, and it is a really good idea to organise your bare root hedges and trees for later in the year. Bare root planting is done from
November-time onwards, and the sooner you can come up with a plan and order the plants the
better.

Tom Angel provides garden design services in Glasgow, alongside providing plants and trees and a planting service. Supply and installation of mulch is available to dress your flowerbeds too. To find out more about Tom’s garden designs, planting plans and planting services, call or email today using the details on the contact page.

Angel Horticulture Ltd is a horticultural consultancy based in the west end of Glasgow, offering everything from imaginative garden design to independent japanese knotweed removal advice.