There is a clever step you can take in your garden to protect your plants as parts of the UK face a week of no rain with searing temperatures - and it involves a bed sheet. In August, the UK could experience two whole weeks of dry weather, and temperatures in some areas could even reach as high as 37C as weather maps turn a scorching red. Garden plants need extra care when temperatures soar and conditions become dry.

Andrew White has shared a number of tips for gardeners in the face of hot weather and dry conditions. According to the garden expert, you can use a bed sheet to shade your plants on hot and sunny days. Many plants won't fare well on hot, dry days, so you sometimes need to provide them with a bit of shade to stop them from becoming too dehydrated or even scorched. This applies to planted pots in particular. Additionally, tender plants such as rhubarb, hydrangeas, and recent transplants will struggle in the heat and intense sunshine, so it's a good idea to give them some shade.

Andrew says that bedsheets are perfect for this purpose. Simply tie an old bedsheet to poles and use the DIY cover to shade your plants.

Gardeners have shared this hack online multiple times. One Reddit user who blew through their gardening budget used this trick and showed how it gave amazing coverage from the sunshine to her plants.

One person commented: "This is great! My go-to is to typically try to use something from around the house that won’t be missed if it can be repurposed for my garden before buying new."

Another suggested: "I grabbed a bunch of sheer curtain panels at our local thrift store many years ago. They're good shade cloths and good for light frost coverage."

Gardening and preserving coach Robin Phelps explained that even hardy plants can struggle when temperatures exceed the 32C mark. She listed potential problems such as leaf scorch, burned or faded blooms and faster water loss.

As well as providing shade for your plants, you should water your plants early in the morning during a spell of hot weather.

You can also do it in the evening, as long as the sun has set and temperatures have dropped a bit. Watering when the sun is high in the sky can cause your plants to be scorched as the water evaporates due to the heat.