How to repair your garden after the most popular 12 months on file: Wickes reveals important suggestions and methods
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As the UK recovers from its fifth heatwave of 2026 and with 27 million of us under restrictions of water use, the chances are your garden is looking worse for wear. But Wickes has revealed some emergency DIY hacks to save your garden in the heat.
Our gardens are bearing the brunt. Lawns are turning to straw, plants are wilting under the scorching temperatures, and even the most resilient borders are starting to look worse for wear. But before you resign yourself to a scorched garden, Wickes have shared a few simple tips and tricks you can do to help your plants and lawn survive the heat.
Charles Bentley Steel Pergola Gazebo – Grey
The Charles Bentley Steel Pergola Gazebo provides shade from intense sun and shelter from heavy rain or wind, helping nearby shade-loving or delicate plants avoid stress.
Creating the perfect shady spot it also is a winner for offering sun protection for barbeques or family gatherings.
Wickes have shared a few simple tips and tricks you can do to help your plants and lawn survive the heat
According to Wickes, searches for ‘plant protection’ and ‘garden shade’ have increased by 2.4K, while ‘creating shade in the garden’ has been trending over the past month.
To help frustrated gardeners, the hardware giant has shared some clever solutions to revive scorched gardens this summer. And it doesn’t involve water.
Clair Albone, Senior Category Manager for Gardens at Wickes says: ‘A summer heatwave doesn’t mean sacrificing a lush, green garden. Easy shade solutions, like a DIY shade canopy, is an easy and effective way to shield plants from the scorching sun and it offers instant protection.’
First things first, a brown lawn isn’t necessarily a dead lawn. Often brown or even straw-like grass can just mean it’s dormant with many experts suggesting it will return after a period of rain.
That being said, by adding shade you can help shield the more vulnerable plants in your garden. And it doesn’t have to cost the earth.
Wickes have shared some top buys to help fix your lawn and garden borders, and with solutions from just £2.50.
Wickes garden solutions
Smart Garden Plant Stix – 45cm – Pack of 25
One of the easiest and most effective ways to protect delicate plants from extra strong rays is by using a lightweight netting or shade cloth and using stakes around them.
This will help to block out harsh rays while still letting light and air through, helping to keep gardens protected.
Wickes has suggested that improving soil health is another key tactic to helping plants thrive in the hotter conditions.
By ensuring grass and lawns retain moisture, gardens stand a better chance of surviving during heatwaves and one way to do this is through affordable bark chippings. Applying a generous layer of mulch, using Wickes Bark Chippings, helps the ground retain moisture by reducing evaporation.
A Wickes bestseller, the Water Butt Kit has proved an invaluable source of water over the heatwaves.
This butt kits collects and stores up to 210L of rainwater for you to use in your garden – a clever way to water your plants during a hosepipe ban.
Wickes Peat Free Multi-Purpose Compost – 50L
The sooner you take better care of your flower beds the better and Wickes suggests this can be done early in the year to take advantage of showers.
Helping gardens stay moist and look greener for longer, enriching the soil with Wickes Peat Free Multi-Purpose Compost could be a clever hack to creating a healthier foundation for plants to withstand the summer heat.
Strata Amesbury Ash Decorative Waterbutt – 120L
If the hosepipe ban has played havoc with your gardens progress then this decorative waterbutt is a clever hack.
A great way to water your plants during a hosepipe ban, the Amesbury Decorative Waterbutt collects and stores rainwater saving money on waterbills. Plus, it’s been integrated with a flower pot so is much more attractive than a lot of others on the market.
Gro-Sure Smart Lawn Seed Bag 80m2 – 3.2kg
While lawn weed killer isn’t advised after a drought, Autumn is a good time to start helping lawn repair with some lawn seed over sparse areas.
The Gro-Sure Smart Lawn Seed Bag is a popular buy with Wickes shoppers encouraging lawn to grow in the toughest of conditions. Featuring a unique mix of grass with aqua gel technology it significantly boosts germination success for quicker lawn establishment.
