I love summer, but it can be crazy warm at times - especially when you are growing plants in containers as they dry out so quickly. I water mine every morning as they are in full sun all day and cannot survive if I leave them for longer.

My peppers handle things better as they enjoy the very hot days. In addition to the heat, we have the wind which also dries out the containers - many people seem to forget this fact and then wonder why their plants are suffering.

Mulching is a must in order to assist the plants to survive and must be renewed as it breaks down. Some garden centers sell clay urns which can be buried into the soil with just the top of the neck protruding - this is then filled with water which will gradually seep into the soil to water the plant roots. These pots are not glazed and so allow the water to get into the soil.

When you see the leaves of plants closing, this is a sign that the plants need water. Just like the plants need water during very hot weather, so do the birds, so always make sure that the bird bath is full and wherever possible, place some shallow containers filled with small pebbles and water for the bees and lizards to drink from without the danger of drowning in the water.