Heatwave special - how to garden when it's HOT, and some tips from Italy

Top tips for planting in hot weather: How to garden when it's hot

Jo Thompson
Jun 24, 2026

How to garden when it’s hot, and a great accessory for the weather

It’s a hot one, and I’m one of those annoying people who love the heat. I soak it up and it’s the best sensation. But I do manage it Italian-style: I walk slowly when I’m out, I don’t go out between 12-4pm, and I definitely don’t garden beyond 8am and until 8pm. I wear ‘house dresses’ intended for grannies, bought from Italian street markets (I mean the proper actual markets selling vegetables and saucepans and mosquito zappers, not the markets selling pretty bits and bobs).

I’m in Rome this week and here’s my view from a terrace I worked on a few years ago:

You’ll find some more Rome terraces below, along with the most excellent garden accessory spotted yesterday:

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If you haven’t quite decided what style of garden you like, or want, but you want to do something to your garden, there are lots of previous posts to read through which I think you’ll find helpful. There’s the Small Garden Design course to follow, Garden Design Case Studies and Garden Dilemmas. There are sections on City Gardens, Planting Design, Country Gardens, and Wildlife Gardening. You’ll find lots of ‘before and after’ examples, too, which I’m hoping will help show you what’s possible.

But first, the heat. How are you doing? As above, basically don’t do too much in the garden, and if you do go out there, make sure it’s early or late. Not in the day. Sit in the shade and try to enjoy the roses who are absolutely loving it: