Summer Update from the Gardens 2026
By Andrew Humphris, Head Gardener
Well, what a summer it was. Record temperatures, very little rain and conditions that continued for many months gave us the hottest summer on record. This has made gardening particularly challenging, for the plants and gardeners alike.
The biggest question has been about watering. We have been watering, but it has been very targeted, with spot watering for certain plants that were suffering. We have also been taking note of these plants and will be replacing some of them with varieties that will cope better with hot weather.
Some areas have needed a little more watering, such as the vegetable garden and cut flower area, where we needed to establish new seedlings and plants as they went in.
The summer has also highlighted the plants that will tolerate these conditions going forward. Nepeta, Salvias, particularly the shrubby varieties which originate from Mexico, Perovskia, most grasses, Phlomis, Euphorbia and, perhaps quite surprisingly, roses seem to have coped really well with the heat.
Another aim is to plant as much as we can in the autumn, so these plants can establish over winter and be well rooted by spring. This will reduce the need for watering and the challenge of trying to establish plants when conditions are drier in the spring.
Our aim is still to maintain the look and feel of the garden, whilst adapting some of the planting to cope with changing weather conditions.
Overall, the garden has held up well. We are always learning lessons as we go and will be implementing new strategies to cope with the changing conditions.
