Gardener Kornelija reveals trick that cools plants by 12 degrees
Kornelija Benyovsky Šoštarić shared key techniques for saving gardens from heatwaves on the show 'Good Morning, Croatia', from mulching and shading to choosing resilient plants.
Kornelija Benyovsky Šoštarić shared key techniques for saving gardens from heatwaves on the show 'Good Morning, Croatia', from mulching and shading to choosing resilient plants.
Prolonged heatwaves and scorching sun don't just affect people-they also take a toll on our green oases. While many gardeners panic and water daily, author and host of HRT's gardening series, Kornelija Benyovsky Šoštarić, warns that this is no longer enough. During her appearance on Good Morning, Croatia on August 11, 2026, she shared proven methods that can literally save plants from extreme heat.
Caring for potted plants on a balcony requires special attention. Kornelija advises moving them out of direct sunlight first. "First, you need to move the plants out of the sun, into a corner where we know there will be shade," she said.
Immediately after, it's crucial to group them. "You need to group them so they can create a small microclimate that is more humid, preventing excessive drying," she explained. She also warned against a common mistake with plastic pots, which heat up significantly in summer and prevent the plant from cooling down, recommending terracotta instead. "My recommendation is to plant in terracotta during the summer, and generally, because clay is an eco-friendly material-it's porous, breathable, and always cooler," she stated.
When it comes to gardens and vegetable patches, the situation this year is extremely critical, according to the gardener. Many are on the verge of giving up because their crops are drying out despite watering. Kornelija insists on two techniques she has been advocating for years.
"We really need to forget about bare beds, because we lose moisture quickly and they heat up terribly," she emphasized. The first technique is mulching, which makes the soil under the mulch layer 5 to 7 degrees cooler. The second is shading, i.e., placing a protective net or shade over the plants, which lowers the temperature by an additional 5 to 6 degrees. "When you add that up, it's already a lot and makes a huge difference," concluded Benyovsky Šoštarić.
Beyond immediate protection, the gardener stresses that it's essential to change the garden concept and choose plants that can withstand extreme conditions, from spring floods to summer droughts. "You really have to choose a plant that will withstand spring floods and summer drought, and there aren't many of those," she said.
It will be the current generation of gardeners and experts, who monitor garden conditions daily, that will compile a list of plants for the future. From her own experience, she highlighted various types of sage, such as perovskia or Russian sage with purple flowers, succulents that store water in their leaves, ornamental grasses, various mints, and daylilies. "There are plenty of plants; we just need to change the concept of our garden and maybe forget about those that need a lot of water and can't handle these conditions," she urged.
