How to keep garden cool in hot temperatures

• Create natural shade areas. Plant suitable tree/ large shrub so the dappled shade brings temperatures down. Combining different heights of plants and creating layers of shade is most effective for reducing temperatures.

• Cover house walls with suitable vines, ornamental or edible, to cool the areas by as much as 7 degrees and providing cooling places for insects.

• Reduce any hard no permeable surfaces like macadam and substitute with permeable materials like wood or mix paving with grass or other low planting.

• Increase rate of evaporation of the site by introducing water feature or using drought tolerant plants like rosemary, lavender, Echinacea or Yarrow.

• Apply additional layer of mulch of compost around the roots of plants in the autumn to improve water absorption.