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Create My Garden

Drought-ready garden

Plants survive dry spells with far less watering and less summer loss.

A damp oak woodland with moss-covered trunks and moss-draped rocks among leaf litter
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Who it is for

Gardeners facing hotter, drier summers or water restrictions.

Conditions required

Any sunny garden with soil that dries out or a restricted water supply.

Time

A weekend, plus planting time

Difficulty

easy

Cost band

Low to medium

Seasonal timing

Best in autumn or early spring, before heat arrives

Step-by-step

  1. 1.Assess your soil

    Dig a 30 cm hole and check how quickly water drains and how deep the roots go.

  2. 2.Improve soil structure

    Add 5 cm of well-rotted organic matter to raise water-holding capacity.

  3. 3.Mulch deeply

    Apply 7–10 cm of bark, compost or gravel mulch, keeping it clear of stems.

  4. 4.Capture water

    Fit a water butt to a downpipe and note its capacity against your bed area.

  5. 5.Group plants by water need

    Put thirsty plants together near the tap; dry-tolerant planting furthest away.

  6. 6.Water deeply and rarely

    Use drip or soaker lines early in the morning; a long soak beats daily sprinkling.

  7. 7.Plant drought-tolerant species

    Use the drought-ready palette and plant in autumn or early spring.

Plants for this project

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.