Watering Your Garden: Tips for Rainy Scottish Summers and Dry Spells

Seasonal Garden Care for Rainy and Dry Spells 

Scotland is known for having a lot of rainfall, so do we really need to think about water-saving gardening strategies? It might surprise you, but the answer is yes. It is still important to be conscientious in your watering practices, because even with all the water we get, it does not necessarily translate to availability at the right times or in the right places. Sometimes, gardens become waterlogged in the rainy season, and excessive rainfall washes away important nutrients. In other cases, dry spells during unseasonably warm weather can result in drought conditions in your garden. Another element to consider when creating an irrigation strategy for a garden is that drinking water requires treatment and distribution, which produce a significant amount of  carbon emissions. Even in one of the most water-rich countries in the world, we need to be smart about watering our gardens. Whether it is the wet season or the dry season, water conservation, environmental protection, and the needs of your own garden should spur you to use sustainable watering practices to help your garden thrive. 

General Garden Watering Tips

Plants need water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to germinate, grow, and thrive. Water allows them to take in nutrients from the soil, bringing it through the roots to the stems, and then to the leaves, fruit, and flowers. When a plant doesn’t get the right amount of water, it will not be able to remain healthy. Different plants have different watering needs, and your watering practices need to change based not only on those needs, but also on the season. In the spring, it is important to keep the soil moist, allowing seeds to germinate and grow into healthy plants. Collecting rainwater to water your plants is an effective practice, because rainwater has nutrients that plants need to survive. When you have seedling trays, setting them into a tray of rainwater is a good practice, because it allows them to absorb the water from the bottom up, enabling their roots to grow strong while protecting new growth from damage caused by watering them from above. This technique can also be used for indoor plants. When you transplant seedlings outside, keep them well-watered for a week or two so that they can establish themselves in their new location. When you are watering a lawn and shrubbery, though, do not go overboard. While tender plants need plenty of water, grass and well-established shrubs can do with much less. Keep the cut height on your mower raised, to encourage, stronger, more resilient grass, and mulch around your plants to help them retain moisture. 

Rainy Summer Gardening Advice

Our abundant rainfall is wonderful for lush, vibrant gardens, but if you are not careful with your garden, all that moisture can also be problematic. To keep your plants healthy and thriving, use some common-sense tactics. Collect rainwater for use during dry periods. Not only is this an environmentally friendly, water saving practice, but it also allows you to water the plants without “ cold shocking” them, as can happen with water from the tap. Another benefit of collecting rainwater is that it reduces the amount of runoff, and this can help prevent flooding. The right garden design is important year-round, but when you are thinking about a garden that tends to hold water, it is particularly important to make good decisions in your planning. Aerate your soil, to allow water to penetrate it, and you will have fewer issues with moss and waterlogged soil. Working organic material into your soil can also help improve drainage and aeration, and if you have an area prone to waterlogging, consider a raised bed. Be sure to space your plants far enough apart to allow appropriate air circulation and prevent the damp from accumulating and causing fungal issues. Perhaps most importantly, choose the right plants. Look for hardy, moisture-loving native plants, which will grow beautifully in damp conditions, adding texture and colour to your garden. 

Drought Resistant Garden Techniques

During dry spells, cut your grass less than you normally would. Do not worry about watering it, as this discourages deep root growth. Even if the lawn goes brown, it will eventually grow back, once the rain returns. Remember, too that your soil’s ability to hold water has a major impact on plant health. You can improve the soil by adding organic material, and you can help prevent your soil from drying out by limiting the number of hard surfaces in your garden. If leaves fall in your garden in the autumn, let them stay. Pile them up in a corner so that they can rot just a little bit, then they will provide you with free mulch. Not only will this help your garden retain the water it needs, but it will help keep weeds under control, as well. 

For Garden Planning that Includes Effective Irrigation, Trust North Hill Gardens

Water-saving garden strategies are part of intelligent, sustainable garden design, and North Hill Gardens is skilled at designing gardens, using eco-friendly practices and promoting biodiversity. Whenever you need help with your garden, whether you want to completely transform it or you need expert maintenance assistance, we are committed to delivering the highest standards of workmanship to bring out its full potential. Our mission is to create beautiful, sustainable, and functional gardens, and we believe that every garden can be an exquisite, tranquil sanctuary that brings joy and inspiration to the world. We are a well-educated team of enthusiastic, skilled garden designers, landscapers, and horticulture experts that has been serving communities in the UK for many years. Working closely with our clients, we strive to tailor each project to match their unique vision, in a way that is both creative and practical. Whatever you envision, our goal is to use our wealth of knowledge and passion for gardening to help bring it to life in your garden. Whether you are seeking landscaping, garden design, or maintenance, contact us to find out how our experienced team can help.