Perennials That Flourish in Wet Winters & Dry Summers!

Summary

In this video, Rosie Hardy discusses the challenges of choosing the right plants for UK gardens due to changing weather patterns, including wet winters and dry summers. She emphasizes that Mediterranean plants may struggle with the UK's wet winters and suggests considering alternative plant species better suited for these conditions. Rosie highlights plants that thrive in spring, go dormant in summer, and revive in the fall. She advises gardeners to focus on naturalistic designs, prioritize deep-rooted plants, and avoid excessive watering during hot months, stressing the importance of conserving water for shrubs and trees.

Takeaways

• 🌦️ The UK's changing weather patterns with wet winters and dry summers are making it difficult to choose the right plants for gardens.
• 🌿 Mediterranean plants, such as lavender and rosemary, struggle in the UK's wet winters despite being able to handle colder temperatures.
• 🌻 Gardeners should consider using plants that thrive in the spring and early summer, as dry summers may lead to a shift in how gardens are designed.
• 💧 Plants with deep root systems are better suited to cope with hot, dry summers, as they can access moisture lower down in the soil.
• 🌷 Certain spring bulbs like snowdrops, daffodils, and muscari thrive in wet conditions and are ideal for UK gardens.
• 🍂 Summer deciduous plants, which go dormant during the hot summer months, are becoming essential for UK gardens due to their ability to cope with dry conditions.
• 🌼 Perennials that can flower in early spring and then again after being cut back are highly recommended for maintaining garden interest throughout the year.
• 🌸 Native species, especially those adapted to local climates and conditions, should be prioritized for sustainable gardening.
• 🌿 Weeding techniques should be adapted for summer months, as disturbing the soil can lead to moisture loss.
• 🌳 Trees and shrubs may need more attention and water during dry periods, as they face more stress compared to herbaceous plants.

Q & A

Why is it becoming difficult to decide which plants to use in UK gardens?

The UK is experiencing more unpredictable weather patterns, with extremely wet winters and very dry summers. This makes it harder to select plants that can thrive in both conditions.

What mistake did many gardeners make based on climate predictions from five years ago?

Many gardeners planted Mediterranean plants like lavender and rosemary, believing the warming climate would favor them. However, they overlooked that these plants cannot tolerate the UK’s wet winters.

Why do Mediterranean plants struggle in the UK, especially during winter?

Mediterranean plants can handle cold temperatures but are not suited for the UK's wet winters. The excessive rainfall causes them to become waterlogged and suffer.

What solution does Rosie Hardy suggest for maintaining garden interest through hot, dry summers?

Rosie suggests focusing on creating beautiful spring and early summer gardens, and using architectural plants to maintain visual interest during the hot, dry months.

What are 'summer deciduous' plants, and why are they important for UK gardens?

Summer deciduous plants go dormant in the summer months, meaning they die back during the dry season. They are useful because they flourish in wet winters and early spring but require less maintenance and water during the dry summers.

Can you give an example of a summer deciduous plant recommended in the video?

An example is Corydalis elata, a woodland plant that thrives in damp conditions, blooms in spring, and dies back in summer when it becomes dry.

What types of plants are well-suited for the UK's early spring and wet conditions?

Plants like snowdrops, daffodils, muscari, native bluebells, primroses, and various types of primulas do well in the UK's wet spring conditions.

What are some strategies for maintaining moisture in garden beds during hot summers?

Rosie suggests mulching in spring when plants are starting to grow to keep moisture in the soil, and stopping weeding with forks and spades during summer to avoid disturbing the soil and releasing moisture.

Why is it recommended to cut back herbaceous perennials in hot summers?

Cutting back herbaceous perennials allows them to rest during the dry, hot months, preserving their energy for regrowth when the weather cools and rain returns.

What is the importance of species selection in gardening under changing climate conditions?

Choosing the right species is key because native or well-adapted species can better handle the extremes of wet winters and dry summers. These species are more resilient and require less intervention to thrive.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Challenges of UK Gardening Amid Climate Changes

The video introduces the difficulties of gardening in the UK due to changing weather patterns, with wet winters and dry summers. Rosie Hardy discusses how predictions of a warmer climate led people to plant Mediterranean species like lavender and rosemary. However, the UK's wet winters are unsuitable for these plants. Hardy explains how the UK's maritime climate creates varying conditions across regions, making plant selection critical for gardeners. Mediterranean plants struggle in soggy winters, and the hot, dry summers make it challenging for surface-rooted plants to survive.

05:01

🌼 Choosing Plants Adapted to Wet Winters and Dry Summers

This section emphasizes the importance of selecting plants that can thrive in the UK's unique climate, such as summer-deciduous species. These plants, which go dormant in the hot summer months and bloom in spring, are better suited for surviving the UK's extreme weather shifts. Hardy highlights plants like Coralis elata and anemone blanda, which flourish in wet winters and die back when dry. Understanding plant behavior and adapting to the seasons is crucial for maintaining a healthy garden in these challenging conditions.

10:04

🌸 Benefits of Summer-Deciduous Plants for UK Gardens

Rosie discusses the advantages of summer-deciduous plants, which grow during the wetter months and go dormant in the heat. She mentions species like GM rivali and Cium cerium rivi that have deep taproots, making them resilient to the UK's summer dryness. These plants can flower beautifully in spring and early summer, then retreat when the weather turns hot and dry. The key to gardening success is understanding the plant's root structure and how they react to varying moisture levels.

15:06

🌾 Adapting Gardening Practices for Sustainable Water Use

The focus shifts to practical gardening tips, such as mulching techniques and reducing water waste. Hardy advises against mulching in autumn when the ground is too wet, as this can prevent water from seeping into the soil. Instead, she recommends mulching once the soil is saturated in spring to lock in moisture. Additionally, she suggests refraining from heavy weeding in summer to prevent moisture loss, a method her mother practiced successfully. These practices help retain soil moisture, reducing the need for excessive watering.

Keywords

💡Mediterranean Plants

Mediterranean plants, such as lavender and rosemary, are drought-resistant and thrive in dry climates like Greece and Turkey. In the video, Rosie Hardy explains that these plants are not well-suited to the UK's changing weather patterns, particularly due to the wet winters that cause them to suffer from soggy soil conditions.

💡Wet Winters

Wet winters refer to the increasing amount of rainfall during the winter months in the UK. The video emphasizes how this shift impacts plant choices, particularly Mediterranean plants, which struggle in the saturated soil. Rosie highlights that gardeners need to adapt to this climate pattern by selecting plants that can handle excessive moisture.

💡Dry Summers

Dry summers describe the hot and arid conditions experienced in the UK during July and August. The video discusses how this weather stresses plants with shallow roots, making it difficult for them to survive. Hardy suggests focusing on plants that can endure dry spells or designing gardens to look good during spring and early summer.

💡Summer Deciduous Plants

Summer deciduous plants go dormant in the summer, thriving during the wetter and cooler months. In the video, Hardy explains that these plants, such as Corydalis, are ideal for the UK’s climate, as they bloom in the spring, handle damp conditions, and die back when the hot, dry summer arrives.

💡Species Selection

Species selection refers to choosing plant species that are well-adapted to specific environmental conditions. Hardy stresses the importance of selecting species that thrive in the local climate, particularly those with deep root systems or those that are accustomed to fluctuating moisture levels, like GM rivale and Scilla alpina.

💡Root Structure

Root structure plays a key role in a plant’s ability to survive varying weather conditions. The video highlights how plants with deep roots, like Scirpus rivularis, are better suited to surviving both wet winters and dry summers because they can access moisture deeper in the soil, making them more resilient.

💡Self-seeding Plants

Self-seeding plants, such as Erigeron and Verbena bonariensis, naturally scatter their seeds, leading to new growth without human intervention. Hardy mentions these plants as examples of species that can adapt to changing garden conditions, offering low-maintenance solutions for gardeners dealing with extreme weather.

💡Mulching

Mulching involves applying a protective layer of material, such as compost or bark, to the surface of the soil. Hardy advises gardeners to reconsider the timing of mulching in light of the UK's changing weather patterns, suggesting they wait until the soil is fully saturated in spring to help retain moisture during the dry summer.

💡Architectural Plants

Architectural plants are chosen for their structural form and visual interest, particularly in times when flowering plants are not in bloom. Hardy suggests incorporating these types of plants, like grasses and seed heads, to maintain garden aesthetics during the dry summer months when many flowering plants go dormant.

💡Water Conservation

Water conservation is crucial in adapting to dry summers, and Hardy emphasizes the importance of using water wisely in the garden. She suggests focusing on watering shrubs and trees, which are more vulnerable to drought stress, while allowing herbaceous perennials to go dormant and recover once natural rain returns.

Highlights

The UK's changing weather patterns with wet winters and dry summers make it difficult to select the right plants for gardens.

Many gardeners initially planted Mediterranean plants like lavender and rosemary, but these struggle with the UK's wet winters.

Mediterranean plants can handle cold, but not the high rainfall of the UK, leading to the need for better plant choices.

The UK’s unique maritime climate causes significant differences in weather conditions across the country, complicating plant selection.

Gardeners should consider plants that thrive in early spring and are more resilient to dry summers and wet winters.

Spring plants like snowdrops, daffodils, muscari, and native bluebells are well-suited for wet conditions.

Summer deciduous plants, such as herbaceous perennials, can handle the changing climate by going dormant during dry periods.

Plants like Coralis elata and Anemone blanders thrive in damp winter soil and can adapt to dry summer conditions.

Species with deep root systems, such as GM rivali and Cephalaria gigantea, perform well under both wet and dry conditions.

Plants like Cerium rivali, Astrantia, and Seiler Alpina can flower, rest during dry periods, and return to bloom when wet conditions return.

Mulching should be done carefully to avoid trapping moisture during wet months and should be applied in spring to preserve moisture.

Avoid disturbing soil by weeding with forks or spades during dry summer months to prevent moisture loss.

Late-season flowering plants like Baptisia, sedums, and Verbascum can add architectural interest and thrive in dry conditions.

Alpine species and self-seeding plants like Arider and Verbena Bonariensis are resilient and well-suited for the UK’s shifting climate.

Focus on watering shrubs and trees during hot, dry summers, as herbaceous plants can often recover on their own with rain.

Transcripts

with the varying weather that we've got

here in the UK it's becoming quite

difficult to decide what is the right

plant right place especially as we are

getting really wet Winters and really

dry Summers so that is what I'm am going

to be discussing in this video today

hello I'm Rosie Hardy this is Rosie

Hardy gardening now it can be quite a

daunting task to realize that some of

the plant material you have got in your

Gardens now are not fit for purpose by

that I mean you will be finding because

everybody said you know about five years

ago oh we're going to get much warmer

the warming climate therefore we're

going to have to start planting

Mediterranean plants and so a lot of

people did they started putting in Gray

leafed material they started putting in

a lot of lavenders and rosemaries and

all of these things that you'd expect to

see in the Mediterranean

forgetting though that we have extremely

wet Winters now Mediterranean plants

will manage cold so they're quite happy

for it to go down to -1 -5 maybe even

lower than that but the majority of the

Mediterranean countries that people have

been thinking about like Greece or

turkey or or any of those types of

places those areas do not have the

rainfall that we have here on the island

of Great Britain the

UK is a maritime Island it has its own

natural weather patterns which are

ridiculously different in different

parts of the

country you can have it being really

bright and sunny up in Scotland and

soaking wet and cold down in England and

conversely it can be the other way

around and our patterns seem to have

changed and when we are getting the rain

has changed so we are getting very wet

from November December January February

March even into the April

Showers what plants like that well

definitely not those grayleaf plants

because they find that far too wet and

Soggy for them so we're going to have to

think about different things and then

over the last two or three years we've

sly been getting these really really hot

dry Summers July and August have become

so hot and dry it's making the area

parched and even plant material That's

Got lowlevel Roots so I'm not talking

about plant material that's got its

roots right the way down but plant

material that has just got it on the

surface are finding it really difficult

to survive through those conditions and

it's almost getting to the point where

we may have to be thinking about having

beautiful spring into early summer

Gardens and then thinking about using

things that are architectural to give us

that bit of interest and everything else

through the summer and then once we get

the rain again usually about September

time into October and November we get a

long extended lot of flowering we need

to really consider what we are putting

into the gardens when we are looking at

our springtime so not only are we

looking at the wonderful bulbs there are

loads of bulbs that you can put in and

they will all look fantastic and they

will all do really well snow drops love

it quite wet the daffodils are quite

happy you know there are other things

the muscari the uh Native blue bells do

well and then what else have you got

that you can encourage to grow well

there are things like the uh primroses

and different types of primulas that you

can grow there are the summer deciduous

plants and those I think are going to be

key for a lot of people's Gardens so by

summer deciduous I mean they go dormant

in the summer months so they are habous

perennials they are just creating their

herbaceousness at a different time that

sounds really weird most people think of

a habous border coming up into Leaf May

June flowering its Hearts off through

June July August September and then

through the winter they've died back

down again you may see a little bit of

foliage there and that's fine those are

the plants that I think are going to

suffer more through the summer periods

we have the converse lot of plants which

the ones which are summer deciduous so

they're herbaceous but they are growing

through the winter months flowering in

the spring to early well late spring

maybe early summer just and then they

die back down just as the heat comes in

just as the rain stops and those are the

things that I think a lot of people are

going to have to learn to put more of in

their garden and learn not to dig them

up in the summer months so what am I

talking about I am talking about things

like Coralis for instance so Coralis

elata is brilliant its foliage has been

making a mat for right the way through

from December January February March

we're into April now it's going to start

flowering it will flower April May maybe

into June then it dies back down again

this is a woodlander it loves damp soil

so it's really happy in The Damp

conditions and then as it's coming into

flour it's quite happy for it to be

sunny and then it doesn't need much more

rain on it or water until it dies back

down again and then it is perfectly fine

you have a lot of things like the an

enemy blanders like this again they love

it because they are corns so therefore

they absorb all of the water through the

winter they come up into Leaf now they

flower their hearts off die back down as

the ground gets dry so the corns dry up

they're happy that's what they want to

do so it is understanding how these

plants work and what you need to do so

those are the ones which are summer uous

and they're going to die back down and

be perfectly happy you've got your other

forms and probably one of the things

that I'm trying to say here is that

we've got to look at species and

especially wherever you are in whichever

country you are you need to look at the

species that are best for your ground

for your area I can't give you a blanket

um full name and list of what there is

because if you're in the southern parts

of United States it's completely

different I'm talking generally here

about what I'm seeing Happening Here in

the UK and that is what I'm trying to

say you need to look at what is growing

well what is coping with the different

types of weather that you are getting

and then find varieties within that look

at the species first species are really

really good at coping with all sorts of

things so GM rivali that is our native

GM you can always tell it because it has

the drop head flowers on it like this

this one happens to be a named form this

is tals of hex has much bigger beautiful

flowers really strong grower loves the

water and wet in the spring grows really

well and then as soon as it gets hot

it'll put up lovely decorative seed

heads and then it will just go a little

bit dormant if it gets wet again it will

come back and give you a second

flowering so that is a really useful one

also

cium cerium rivi of the river so these

are things which have got long roots

their tap Roots get down that's another

thing to think about what is the root

structure like of the plants that you're

putting in this is just putting on its

beautiful thistle head and it's going to

be really tall but this loves the damp

weather through the winter months and

then coming up and then it will do

perfectly well until it gets to about

June July and then it may find it a

little bit dry it will die back down you

can give it a cut back once it gets wet

again it will then grow back up again so

this is something else to look and think

about what plant material will do really

well until it gets warm you can give it

a haircut it can sit there and be just

keeping ticking along through the hotter

months and then as soon as it gets rain

again it's back up into flour this is

the consideration that we've really got

to think about with all of this material

if you live in the UK and any of these

plants are of interest to you then

please do have a look at my online plant

shop our search feature makes it easy to

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Hardies plants. co.uk now back to the

video there are lots of perennials that

will grow really well in the early

spring flower really nicely give them a

haircut and they flower again so those

are the sorts of plants that you need to

be thinking about using I've mentioned

the cerium will do that a straner or

another one they are great and again

they like it quite moist if it gets dry

in the summer they tend to have a little

rest and then again once it gets warmer

later on they will come back up so you

have to think about these plants that

you are considering and putting in as I

said species are good and of the species

that I've got here I've already

mentioned one or two there there are

some later flowering species such as

sephilia

Alpina and Suiza pretenses which are

both quite happy now SE sephilia Alpina

this brings me on to another lot of

plant material that will cope the Alpine

plants will cope really well just choose

them carefully though not all alpines

are this height this one Seiler alpineer

gets up to probably 5T 1 M 20 1 M50 with

its flour but because it has less

foliage at the bottom it doesn't require

as much summer moisture it also puts its

roots down quite a long way it comes

from a moister area in the Alpine

regions which then dry out and then get

wet l on so they are used to the

extremes and the Heat and everything

else so consider where the plants come

from what their natural growth habit is

that will help you consider and I am

thinking that a lot of stuff which has

got much deeper route is going to be

better because there will be moisture

lower down so they will be able to keep

on going but I do think we've got to

think about this fact and plant for July

and August and think do you know what

we're not going to have as much flower

then if we try and push these plants we

keep on trying to water them that is not

going to do them any good and we do here

at Hardies suggest to people once you

get to a really hot summer give your

habous perennials a chance by giving

them a cut back and letting them have a

rest because that is what they would

they need they just need that rest don't

keep on trying to water them it's a

waste of water just give them a haircut

allow allow them to just die back and

then once we get natural rain again they

will Sprout back up and give you a

wonderful color which means we're going

to have fabulous late August September

Octobers maybe into November beautiful

plant material something like this the

Suiza pretenses native to the UK it is

fabulous it loves a damp area flowers

its heart off and it will have a double

flowering as well the species are tough

they are able to cope with the

conditions so once you found the species

that are doing really well in your

neighborhood or speak to Garden clubs

you know that's a very good source of

getting local information find your

local gardening club these gardening

clubs will not keep going unless you go

out there and actively go there help

them you know they will tell you what

they are having success with it's

brilliant go and look at open Gardens

see what they're having success with

talk to people don't just wander around

and go I like that plant speak to the

gardener who's looking after it and say

why is that successful what have you

been doing to make it look so good at

this time of the year and you may find

that they've Chang their regimes from

what they used to do and this is another

thing that I would like to talk about

because it is getting so wet in November

December January February March if you

have got gone and mulched in October

you've almost put a layer where the

water cannot get through so please think

about mulching at a different time or

just putting a little bit of winter

Mulch on because the idea behind putting

mulch on earlier in the year or over the

winter months is that it gets a time for

the worms to work on it and and that

sort of thing but I am considering now

thinking of telling people really wait

until the soil is saturated now stuff is

starting to grow up you can see where

the plants are and mulch at this time of

the year to keep all that moisture into

the beds but do not while the plant

materials coming up cover that plant

material and then mulch around that will

be much much better and your borders

will stay much moister for a lot longer

right the way through and the other

thing to do is do not do weeding with

forks and Spades through the summer

months every time you cut into the top

soil and you open up a crack you let out

a lot of moisture so weeding I'm going

to say to you weed right the way through

the spring once you get to about may

stop pulling out weeds and stop digging

up weeds if you see them cut them down

do not disturb the soil do not break

that surface of the soil because that is

keeping the moisture into your beds

that's just a little thing my mother

used to do that in Yorkshire she's been

she hadd been doing that for the last 10

15 years she had very very light sandy

soil and she knew perfectly well if she

went and dug or tried to pull out big

weeds she would get a really dry patch

where she had done that so instead she

just used to cut it off off the top not

breaking the soil and that that way you

you know your plants survive far far

better all right so the last couple of

things that I wanted to talk about are

things that are going to flower slightly

later or things that are going to be

taller baptisia are great again they

love a damper area come up look great

you can leave the seed heads there this

is one of those plants which will flower

and look fantastic in June then in July

it's starting to go over leave it there

as the architecture natur piece because

the seed heads look fantastic seed heads

of this with grasses this is what you're

going to have to be thinking about

because they're Bluey black and against

the grasses they look fantastic and the

grasses will be up and doing their thing

and they are loving the conditions that

are there flowers which come out later

things like hyot tum sedums they will

love it because they're great they're

growing away now they're coming on they

love dry conditions they will just sit

there looking really good beautiful

foliage and then start to come up into

flow so late season plants that's

another lot of plant material that you

can think about really good other than

that maybe think about species that self

seed around things like arider and

Carvin anus for instance this is a

fantastic Spanish Daisy to you and me I

love it some people think it's an

absolute nightmare some people can't get

it to grow in their Garden you know

vinaa Bon arianis another one all of

these self seeders

verbascum they are great you will get

them popping up left right and Center

giving you some if you don't want them

to seed around it's easy cut off the

seed heads or just get the seeds out as

and when they come through but those are

something that people are going to have

to learn to live with the more

naturalistic we are the more we will

find that our Gardens will look

fantastic because you can go out into

the landscape during the times when it

is dry and it is baked it still looks

beautiful there will be little low

plants that are looking great there will

be taller seed heads looking good the

grasses will be giving you structure and

although the and what I'm trying to say

here is the things that need your

watering which are finding it more

difficult and get under more stress than

the herbaceous are your your shrubs and

trees save your water for the shrubs and

trees because the herbaceous have very

good at coming back once the actual

weather changes shrubs and trees get

under real stress and it's those that

are going to need your help more than

these just change what you put in have

that idea of the more naturalistic and

have the idea you don't do any gardening

in July and August just have a wonderful

time enjoy what you've created and I

think that's the way that we need to go

ahead now some people will not agree

with me on this and maybe you've got

your own well and you're able to water

quite freely but I do think we are going

to run into that situation we have to be

collecting water we have to be using it

wisely and for me personally trees and

shrubs will need more water than the

herbaceous stuff and just remember you

want to be looking for species you want

to be looking for things that are Alpine

but check where they're coming from more

late season plants more summer deciduous

plants and more plants that flower early

you cut them and they flower again later

that's where we need to be heading with

these wet Winters and dry Summers thank

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