Liz’s Allotment Life: Reflections on a summer of heatwaves

This summer was tough – there’s no doubt about that. Now I’ve had a chance to step back and reflect, I wanted to share some thoughts on how I’m adapting to the increasingly hot, dry summers we’re experiencing, and how I plan to keep my enthusiasm for growing food alive in the face of these challenges.

I freely admit that I struggled with the relentless heat this year. I’m a northerner born and bred, and the endless rounds of watering, both at work and on the plot, started to feel like too much. In situations like this, I think it’s important to remember why we love gardening in the first place and recognise that we need to work with our changing climate, rather than fighting against it.

Liz watering on her allotment

For me, that starts with thinking carefully about what I grow. While some crops struggled this summer, others thrived, and there are two groups of plants I’m particularly keen to focus on in future.

Perennial vegetables

I’m a big advocate for perennial vegetables . Their greatest asset in a changing climate is their established root systems, which allow them to access moisture in the soil that the roots of annual crops can’t reach. Although they need regular watering while they establish, once their roots are well developed, many can cope with longer dry spells.

They aren’t completely drought-proof, of course, and different crops have different requirements, but I see them as an important part of making my allotment more resilient. They can also provide fresh food at times of year when other crops are in short supply, making them valuable for more than just their ability to withstand dry weather.

Heat-loving annuals

The annual crops that did particularly well this summer were those that thrive in warmth but can’t tolerate frost: cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes, sweet potatoes and even more heat-loving options like okra and Padrón chilli peppers .

Okra 'Burgundy'

They still required consistent watering, but the plants I was able to keep hydrated produced well. Going forward, I’m going to give these crops more space in summer and move away from traditional salad crops, which have struggled in the heat.

Varieties matter, too. For instance, my plum tomato varieties suffered badly from blossom end rot – which is often linked to inconsistent water availability – so I won't be growing those varieties next year. By contrast, my heat-resilient runner bean cultivars like 'Firelight' cropped really well despite the conditions where other varieties struggled.

The lesson for me is that choosing the right crops – and the right cultivars – can make a real difference. I want to grow more of what thrives on my plot, rather than spending the summer trying to persuade plants to cope with conditions they clearly dislike.

• 10 crops that beat the heat at RHS Hyde Hall, Essex

As well as adjusting what I grow, I’m rethinking when I sow and plant. My new strategy is to concentrate most of my sowing in spring and autumn, avoiding June, July and August as much as possible. While some crops will need attention during summer, if next year brings similar conditions, I want to reduce the amount of sowing and planting I do during the hottest months.

There are plenty of crops that can help bridge the gap: 

• Long-standing crops: Swiss chard, and beetroot sown in April, are still producing harvests now in October. 
• Early establishment: getting tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes in the ground by late May (here in Surrey; it may need to be a little later if you experience late frosts) gives them time to establish before the peak of the summer heat arrives.
• Short-term crops: Fast-growing or less heat tolerant crops like lettuce, spinach, spring onions and radishes will now be confined to spring and autumn windows, hopefully reducing the summer watering.

This change in timing applies to fruit and other perennial

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

plants, too. I’m planning to plant new fruit trees and perennials in autumn or early winter, giving them months of cool, damp weather to establish a strong root network before summer arrives. I currently have several perennial vegetables and currant bushes on order for delivery in November; I’m looking forward to getting those in the ground and seeing how they develop next year.

I know several gardeners who found this summer so discouraging that they decided to give up their allotments. I don’t blame anyone for making that decision – it was an exceptionally difficult season.

For me, though, the joy of growing and harvesting fresh, homegrown food still outweighs the difficulties. I’d certainly have liked to spend less time watering during the peak of the heatwaves, but reminding myself why I fell in love with food-growing helped. Keeping in mind that a period of extreme weather will eventually pass – even if hot, dry summers become an increasingly familiar challenge – and taking proactive steps to lighten next year’s workload have helped rebuild my enthusiasm.

Artichokes earn their keep in the garden, returning year after year to deliver striking foliage and a bountiful harvest season

If this summer left you questioning whether you want to continue growing your own food, I encourage you to try a few of these adjustments:

• Grow more perennials: once established, many perennial
  

  Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

  vegetables can offer reliable harvests with less intervention, as well as providing food early in the season.
• Make room for heat-loving crops: pay attention to what performed well in your own garden or allotment, and consider growing more of those crops next year.
• Rethink your timing: where possible, concentrate sowing and planting in spring and autumn, so there’s less to establish during the hottest months.

None of these changes will remove the challenges of extreme weather, and every plot will behave differently. But I hope they’ll help me make my allotment more resilient, reduce the summer workload and keep growing food enjoyable.

There’s still time to get crops established to keep the plot productive through winter. My focus now is on planting onions, broad beans and garlic, alongside adding a few more perennial vegetables . It’s a reminder that even as one growing season

The period of time when an individual plant is in active growth. This will depend on the local climate and light levels, and can vary between different plants, although it is broadly from spring to autumn.

draws to a close, there’s plenty to do to prepare for the next.