Time to plant perennials
If you need herbaceous perennials to fill in gaps in your borders, the best advice in drought conditions is to plant as early as possible. We have a huge range in stock now and the ground is so far still moist, giving your new plants time to establish before the summer.
Grow Your Own
Vegetable plants are available now. Many small plants to grow on, from tomatoes to cucumbers, peppers, sweetcorn, the list is endless (bear in mind that you will need to keep these young plants free from frost so be careful when planting out). Tree fruit is winding down now, but there is plenty of soft fruit available – strawberries, blueberries, all sorts of berries and currants, plus some unusual items such as Aronia (choke berry).
Get Mulching!
Mulching of various kinds can not only retain moisture below (assuming the soil was wet before mulch application) but also deter weeds. Our Country Natural composted manure will do this as well as feeding plant such as roses. Strulch is a straw-based product that has found great success in the vegetable garden at Wisley and can be effective on your borders as well. Ornamental bark is another alternative. For containers, a mulch is especially useful as moisture is quickly lost otherwise; grit is often a good option here. If you have particular weed problems, weed-suppressing fabric is also available.