From frazzled to fabulous: bring your garden back to life with expert advice

With a summer of relentless heat and lack of rainfall, many gardens across the UK are looking worse for wear. Many Brits have been left with brown, straw-like lawns, dry, cracked soil, and dying plants, but early autumn is actually a great time to repair.

With this in mind, MyBuilder.com, the reliable way to hire tradespeople, has compiled a list of simple ways to restore your garden to one full of life. It encourages Brits to tend their gardens, with autumn providing the perfect opportunity to restore. The advice also provides tips on what to do over the winter to prepare your garden for next summer, whether that's installing a patio or planting trees and shrubs.

James Lewis, a gardening expert from MyBuilder.com, explains that the cooler temperatures of autumn provide the perfect time to restore.

“Over the summer our gardens have been put through hell, with the hosepipe bans, hot weather, and lack of rainfall making this summer hard to keep our gardens full of life.

“The key this autumn is to give your garden time, don't make any rash decisions. It will take time for your garden to regain strength. Some plants may take weeks, while others may take much longer, depending on the plants and how severe the damage is.”

Here are MyBuilder.com tips on how to restore your garden after the summer heat:

Jobs you can do for your lawn:

Give it time: Making your grass green is desirable for most homeowners, but it's important to be patient when it comes to restoring your lawn this autumn. Your grass needs to regain strength and energy to grow and regain its original colour.
Rake: Rake out dead material, such as dead grass roots, stems and debris (thatch) that has built up over summer just below the surface, which will block moisture and nutrients from getting into the roots of grass.
Deal with compacted areas: Areas that have been walked over repeatedly will have become compacted, meaning water cannot soak in. Use a fork or aerator to spike the ground and create holes 10-15 cm deep will open up the soil. This will allow water and air to reach the soil, helping your grass grow and strengthen.
Reseed: After raking out the lawn thatch, your lawn may look sparse or have bare patches. Adding grass seed and keeping the soil moist while the new grass establishes will create a thicker and greener lawn in just a few weeks.
Keep mowing: Don't store the mowers away just yet, keep mowing until the growing slows down. Aim to raise mower blades and cut your grass higher to protect the soil and let grass roots recover, and with the shorter clippings, let them fall as they return valuable nutrients back to the soil.

Helping the rest of your garden:

Mulch: Improve the soil by adding compost or well-rotted organic matter. Then add two or three inches of mulch around plants to protect the soil and help it retain moisture. This helps keep it damp during drier periods.
Water wisely: Some water bans are still active, but if they have been lifted in your area, it's wise to water early in the morning and later in the evening to prevent evaporation. This consistent moisture is key to help your plants recover, but ensure you don't overwater them, as you can risk drowning them.
Removing dead plants: Don't immediately remove plants even if they have brown leaves or look wilted, as they may still recover. Instead, wait, and check for new green shoots before deciding something is dead. Once you're confident it's dead, consider replacing with varieties that cope better with dry conditions

Autumn garden jobs to prepare for the heat next summer:

Don’t ‘overclean’ your garden: As counterintuitive as this sounds, giving your garden too much of a tidy can actually sweep away vital material that retains moisture for your lawn. Fallen twigs and leaves, for example, act as a natural mulch that traps water in the soil, keeps away harsh sun rays and improves the soil nutrients as it decomposes. Instead of removing every bit of dirt and debris, clear anything that looks like it could cause disease, while retaining enough cover to help protect your garden down the line.
Install patio: Besides its aesthetic value, the use of a patio can offer your lawn relief during a heatwave. Walking or sitting on the lawn can sometimes indirectly cause even further damage during a heatwave, whereas a patio gives us a more convenient place to enjoy the sun. It also doesn’t require watering, which helps you save water during threats of a hosepipe ban. For the best results, install your patio in shaded areas, which will stop it getting too hot during peak heatwave hours.
Shade your garden using a pergola: The use of a pergola blocks scorching sunlight before it reaches you or your home. Bookings to install one may be tricky by summer next year, so call a tradesperson now, before it’s too late.
Choose a tougher lawn: Traditional grass, while attractive for your garden, can struggle during a heatwave. During high temperatures, moisture evaporates quickly from our lawn’s soil, damaging our grass during the process. Clover, creeping thyme, and sedum matting are effective alternatives which are better equipped to handle extreme heat. Artificial grass, however, is strongly advised against, as it heats up dangerously during summer, alongside damaging wildlife habitats
Choose drought-tolerant plants - the ‘Mediterranean approach’: Many of our plants find it tough to cope during a heatwave, so it’s worth adopting a ‘Mediterranean’ approach to planting ahead of next summer. This involves choosing drought-tolerant plants that rely on far less water to thrive. Lavender, rosemary and camomile are widely available at garden centres and cope well with dry spells, while olive trees are surging in popularity in the UK thanks to their ability to thrive in the sun. Salvia and sea holly are great choices for sunny, dry spots, as both are well suited to periods of heat and limited rainfall.
Plant trees and shrubs: Trees and shrubs are further examples of plants that provide vital cover that blocks out heat during sweltering periods. They essentially act as their own gazebo, as they’re able to cast large shadows over our garden’s more vulnerable areas. These plants usually take a few years to fully develop, so start growing them now to receive their full benefits as soon as possible