Is your garden ready for increasingly dry summers?
Yellow grass, hard soil and plants that start to droop more quickly: one look outside tells you it’s dry. A good downpour would be more than welcome right now.
The figures tell the same story. In July, the Netherlands received an average of just 13 millimetres of rain, compared with the usual 78 millimetres. Following a dry spring and an exceptionally dry July, the precipitation deficit had risen to 248 millimetres by the end of the month.
What does such a dry spell mean for your garden? And what can you do to retain rainwater more effectively and help your plants through dry periods?
Why is it so dry at the moment?
This summer’s dry conditions are caused by longer periods with little rainfall combined with high temperatures. Warmer weather also causes more moisture to evaporate from plants and the soil. As a result, the ground can continue to dry out, even if there is an occasional rain shower.
The KNMI explains that the current drought in the Netherlands and large parts of Europe is being intensified by climate change: higher temperatures lead to more evaporation, resulting in drier soils.
What does prolonged drought do to your garden?
When there is little or no rain for a longer period, the top layer of soil gradually dries out. Young plants and seedlings are particularly vulnerable because their roots do not yet reach deep enough into the soil. Plants in pots and containers also dry out quickly.
The way your garden is designed makes a difference. In a garden that is largely paved, rainwater has difficulty soaking into the ground. A green, planted garden allows the soil to absorb water and retain it for longer. More greenery therefore helps your garden cope better with both drought and heavy rainfall.
Turn your garden into a little sponge
A garden that can cope better with drought doesn’t mean you’ll never have to water it again. But you can make sure that as much rainwater as possible stays in your garden.
The idea is simple: keep rainwater where it falls.
- Fewer paving stones, more greenery
Rainwater quickly runs off paved surfaces. In a green garden, it can soak into the soil. Even replacing just a few paving stones with a planted area gives rainwater more space to soak in. - Collect rainwater
A rain barrel allows you to save rainwater for dry days. You can then use it to water plants in your garden or on your balcony, without using tap water. Have more space? You can also direct rainwater towards a lower planted area or a small rain garden, where it can slowly soak into the soil. - Keep the soil covered
Bare soil heats up more quickly and loses moisture more easily. Plants, ground cover, compost or wood chips can help keep the soil cooler and reduce evaporation.
Watering? Do it smartly and efficiently
During prolonged dry spells, plants sometimes simply need some extra water. But watering a little every day isn’t necessarily the best solution.
Milieu Centraal recommends watering less frequently but giving a larger amount each time. This allows the water to reach deeper into the soil. Ideally, water early in the morning, when less water is lost through evaporation.
Water as close to the roots as possible, use collected rainwater whenever you can, and give young or newly planted plants a little extra attention. It’s also worth checking the weather forecast before reaching for the watering can. Sometimes, rain is already on its way.
And what about sowing flowers when the soil is bone-dry?
Flowers are a wonderful way to bring more colour and greenery to your garden, while providing valuable food for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. But to germinate and grow, flower seeds need enough moisture.
The same goes for Blossombs. If you scatter a seed bomb onto very dry soil and there’s little or no rain afterwards, the seeds won’t have the best conditions to get started.
Want to sow during a dry spell? Try to keep the soil moist while the seeds are germinating, or wait until some wetter weather is on the way. Especially if you can’t water regularly, waiting for a little rain can make all the difference.
Want to know more?
Start by growing a seedling indoors
Want to get started even though the soil outside is very dry? You can give your plants a head start by growing them indoors. In a small pot, it’s much easier to control the moisture level and give the seeds time to germinate.
That’s exactly how our Grow Kits work. Start your Blossomb indoors in a small pot with coco coir and keep it nice and moist. Once the seedlings are strong enough and the flowering season has begun, you can plant the pot outside in your garden or transfer it to a larger pot.
Of course, your young plants will still need enough water afterwards, but this way you can give them a more controlled start.
A drought-friendly garden needs a variety of plants
There’s no single flower or plant that can make your garden drought-resistant overnight.
Variety is what makes the difference.
A mix of different plants, taller and lower-growing vegetation, sunny and shady spots, and as little bare soil as possible all help create a garden that can cope better with changing conditions. It also helps to choose the right spot for each plant, based on what it needs to thrive.
More greenery also provides food and shelter for bees, butterflies and other insects. So you’re not only helping your garden cope better with dry spells, you’re giving biodiversity a helping hand too.
What can you do today?
You don’t have to transform your entire garden all at once. Start small and see what works for your garden, balcony or patio.
- Replace paving with plants wherever you can.
- Collect and reuse rainwater.
- Avoid leaving large areas of soil completely bare.
- Water thoroughly where it’s needed rather than giving plants a little water every day.
- Give young plants some extra care during dry spells.
- Avoid sowing in bone-dry soil. Wait for wetter conditions or make sure you can water regularly.
Will you join us in making our gardens greener? Every step counts!
Of course, we can’t solve drought from our own gardens. But what we can do is make sure that when rain does fall, it doesn’t simply disappear straight away.
Removing a paving stone, installing a rain barrel, keeping your soil healthy or simply watering a little smarter: small changes can help your garden cope better with dry spells.
And when the rain finally does arrive? Let your garden make the most of every drop.
