bonus episode | show notes & advice | Extreme Rain
episode description
For this extreme weather special, Sarah provides her top tips for keeping your garden happy and healthy when heavy rainfall is on the horizon.
In this episode, discover…
- Sarah’s favourite plants for a rainy climate
- The best ways to protect your garden from heavy rainfall
Products mentioned in the podcast
Perfect plants for a wet climate (0:50)
Plants that thrive in moisture:
- Primrose
- Polyanthus
- Honeysuckle
- Wild clematis
- Hydrangeas
Mulching is essential, as the heaviness of the mulch with added bark stops the soil from washing away in persistent rain and ensures roots are protected.
Advice for working with storms (2:14)
With storms becoming increasingly more common, water storage is essential. Using the maximum number of water butts, or larger storage tanks to store excess water can be really beneficial later in the year when water is scarce. The larger tanks will come with a pump, effective for managing deluge.
Bring the outside inside (2:37)
It’s a good idea to bring in precious pots, planters, and bulbs if heavy rain is forecast, as they won’t thrive if they are sitting in wet soil for 4-6 weeks. Sarah also advises covering with a cloche to keep the worst of the rain off the plants.
Make sure to secure gates and move any pots that are small or medium-sized away from exposed areas. Preparing ahead and checking the weather forecast has saved many terracotta pots at Perch Hill.
Rainstorms often come with intense wind (3:53)
If you have a small garden that’s well established, think about using a bale of straw as a shelter to protect fragile stems. It can be surprising to see the difference between the stems that haven’t benefitted from the same protection.
If you’re working with a larger space, hedges also work in a similar way. If you’re still in the design phase of your garden, a hedge is a great way to protect plants and foliage in the garden. Varieties such as hawthorn are really quick growing and are particularly good for pollinators and birds too
