A Season That Put Our Gardens to the Test

If there is one thing that stands out about this past year of gardening, it is the weather roller coaster we experienced in Quebec. I wonder if our readers in other parts of the world had similar experiences?

The Long-Awaited Spring

Despite temperatures slightly above normal, May was deceptively cool, especially in the southern part of the province. As my father taught me, I kept an eye on the weather forecast before planting my warm-weather vegetables—tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. My rule is simple: if the nights don’t drop below 13 °C (55°F) for two weeks, it’s time. This year, I waited a long time, almost until mid-June, when I sometimes plant as early as the end of May! Just a few weeks later, as the young plants were beginning to take root, the first heat wave hit between June 22 and 24.

A Summer Like Never Before

July continued the trend with two more heat waves. Temperatures exceeded or came within two degrees of seasonal norms, and regional contrasts were extreme. Officially, Quebec received only 7 mm (0.28 in) less rain than normal, but the reality was quite different. For some, it was drought, with a deficit of 30 to 72 mm (1.18 to 2.83 in) in southern and eastern Quebec—particularly in Montérégie, Estrie, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Charlevoix, and Gaspésie. Elsewhere, it was a deluge: Quebec City received 269 mm (10.59 in) of rain, 148 mm (5.83 in) more than normal, breaking an all-time record for precipitation for any month, all seasons combined.

August then combined record heat with a severe lack of rain. From August 7 to 13, Quebec experienced one of the most severe heat waves ever recorded, while precipitation reached historically low levels. On average, the province received 24 mm (0.94 in) less than normal, but some regions broke records: in the Eastern Townships, half of the territory had a deficit of 100 to 115 mm (3.94 to 4.53 in).

And that wasn’t the end of it. September 2025 was the ninth warmest on record, with an average temperature 1.4 °C (2.5 °F) above normal, but more importantly, one of the driest. Several stations broke minimum precipitation records: Petit-Saguenay 16 mm (0.63 in) (–80 mm / –3.15 in), Ville-Marie 19 mm (0.75 in) (–62 mm / –2.44 in), Rimouski 21 mm (0.83 in) (–68 mm / –2.68 in) and La Tuque 28 mm (1.10 in) (–75 mm / –2.95 in). The prolonged heat and drought even led to the first open fire ban in the fall, starting on October 4, in most of the southern part of the province—unprecedented for this time of year.

Lasting Traces

The cool spring delayed the growth of several plants. Warm-season vegetables—tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash—absorb less water and nutrients when the soil is cold, slowing their growth from the outset.

During the first heat waves, the plants closed their stomata to limit water loss. But by closing these pores, they no longer absorb the CO2 needed for photosynthesis. Growth therefore stopped abruptly. Several flowers aborted before bearing fruit. Some perennials had to draw on their reserves to survive, which could reduce their flowering next spring.

The prolonged drought of summer and early fall then dried out the soil and slowed microbial activity. When water is scarce, there is less decomposition, fewer nutrients available, and less fertility. Shrubs planted in the spring and newly installed perennials did not yet have deep enough roots, making them more susceptible to winter damage and more difficult to revive in the spring, even if they were watered.

Conversely, in regions that received exceptional rainfall, the problem was suffocation: soil saturated with water lacks oxygen and the roots can no longer breathe. Paradoxically, plants can lack water in soggy soil as well as in dry soil, due to root rot. This results in reduced and browning foliage, drying branches, and slowed growth. And sometimes, the effects will not appear until next year.

What Now?

The most resilient plants will survive, while others may not. It’s a loss to be mourned, yes, but also a natural step in the evolution of the garden. Each difficult season leaves behind a different landscape, often stronger and better adapted. What remains are species capable of enduring drought, heat, or excess water—plants that, over time, form a more autonomous ecosystem that is better prepared for the vagaries of the climate. It is also an opportunity to rethink our choices: favoring perennials and shrubs that require less water and nutrients, tolerate temperature and rainfall variations better, and, once well established, require little care.

Growing With Our Garden

But beyond plants, it is also our gardening methods that need to evolve. If you don’t already do so, start mulching: it is one of the simplest and most effective ways to help your plants survive heat waves and droughts. A simple 3–5 cm (1–2 in) layer of shredded branches, leaves, or straw acts as a protective blanket on the ground. It retains moisture by reducing evaporation, limits temperature differences between day and night, and prevents roots from overheating during heat waves. As it slowly decomposes, it enriches the soil with organic matter and nourishes microbial life, making the soil more fertile and resistant to climatic variations.

Why not go a step further and adopt living mulch? This simply involves planting low-growing ground cover plants that form a renewable vegetative mat under other plants. These plants protect the soil continuously: they retain moisture, limit erosion and temperature variations, and compete with weeds. Their roots maintain soil structure, promote underground life, and, by partially decomposing over time, enrich the soil just as much as organic mulch.

Above all, avoid over-cleaning your garden: dead leaves, stems, and plant debris left on the ground will slowly decompose, improving both drainage and water retention.

Over time, by leaving debris in place at the end of the season and adopting a living mulch, there is no longer any need to add mulch: nature produces its own mulch, as in a healthy ecosystem.

Being Laidback in the Face of an Uncertain Future

Perhaps a laidback approach in the garden is ultimately the best response to an uncertain future. With a little observation and patience, we can not only build a more resilient garden, but also a gentler, more sustainable way of gardening that is deeply in harmony with the changing world around us.

Being laidback in the garden is not a lack of effort. It is choosing to observe before acting, to collaborate with nature rather than control it. It is accepting that not everything is perfect, that some plants disappear while others take their place, and that the beauty of a garden comes from its balance, not its symmetry.

In a world in turmoil, the garden reminds us that resilience comes from respecting the rhythms of nature: those of the soil, of fauna and flora, of the seasons—but also of humans. By slowing down, we rediscover the cadence of life. We learn to conserve our energy, to welcome change, and to recognize that true progress may not lie in always doing more and faster, but in doing better, in harmony with the world around us.