You don’t need a greenhouse, a watering schedule, or a degree in horticulture to keep your garden going when the UK heat hits. What you do need? A few smart, low-effort tweaks that make the most of your time and water.
These heatwave garden hacks are designed for dads who want things to look decent, survive summer, and still leave time for a cold drink on the patio.
1. Water Early, Water Deep
The number one mistake? Watering in the middle of the day.
Fix it: Get the hose or watering can out early morning (or late evening). Water deeply at the roots—plants need a soak, not a sprinkle.
Sorted Dad tip: Stick a pint glass on the lawn. Once there’s an inch of water in it, the grass has had enough. Old-school but effective.
2. Mulch Everything
Don’t skip this just because it sounds boring. Mulch (aka bark, compost, or even grass cuttings) locks in moisture and shades the soil.
Use it on: Flowerbeds, veg patches, around shrubs—even potted plants.
Sorted Dad tip: Shove grass clippings from your mower straight around thirsty plants. Free, fast, and works.
3. Move Pots to the Shade
Potted plants dry out twice as fast in full sun. Move them into light shade or cluster them together where they’ll protect each other.
Bonus: They’ll be easier to water in one go.
Sorted Dad tip: If a pot’s looking dry, submerge it in a bucket for 10 mins. Total plant revive.
4. Don’t Mow Your Lawn Short
Tempted to scalp the grass to keep it neat? Don’t. Short grass fries in the heat.
Fix it: Raise your mower blades and cut less often. Longer blades shade the soil and hold moisture better.
Sorted Dad tip: If it’s brown, leave it. Lawns bounce back fast in the UK.
5. Set Up a Quick-Connect Hose System
You don’t need a full irrigation setup. But running back and forth with watering cans is soul-crushing.
Fix it: Get a hose with a spray gun and a quick-connect tap fitting. Makes watering fast and even sort of fun.
Sorted Dad tip: Use the ‘shower’ setting to avoid blasting soil everywhere.
6. Swap Plants That Can’t Cope
Some plants just don’t love sun. If your bedding plants or herbs are constantly flopping, don’t fight it.
Try tougher options:
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Sedum
- Hardy geraniums
- Grasses like Stipa or Festuca
These can take the heat and still look sharp.
7. Create a Shade Zone (For You and the Garden)
Whether it’s a parasol, a pop-up gazebo or just pegging a sheet between trees, shade is your friend.
Bonus win: It gives plants a break and lets you actually enjoy your outdoor space without sizzling.
Sorted Dad tip: No pergola? Use an old tent footprint or tarp strung up with bungee cords and cable ties. Functional, fast, and very dad.
8. Build a Garden Heatwave Survival Kit
It doesn’t have to be fancy—just a crate or bucket with your essentials in one place so you’re not hunting through the shed every evening.
Include:
- Hose attachments or watering can rose
- Gloves for hot soil or rough mulch
- Garden scissors or secateurs for trimming wilted bits
- Refillable spray bottle (great for seedlings or reviving limp leaves)
- Bucket or trug for emergency pot dunking
Sorted Dad tip: Leave it near your main tap or hosepipe point so it’s always where you need it.
Final Word: Keep It Chill
Gardens in a heatwave are about survival, not perfection. You don’t need to out-garden the neighbours—you just need to keep things ticking until the rain returns (because it will).
Do what you can. Use what you have. And if all else fails, prioritise the shady spot and the BBQ.
The Sorted Dad 
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