This weather! A heatwave is really unexpected in late May – but it does make lockdown more bearable. However, it's not quite so bearable for our garden plants – and if you can't get out to water yours as often as it needs, or if you're anticipating a hosepipe ban later in the year (we are), it's good to be prepared by planting hardy blooms.
Making contingency plans for different types of weather (see our guide to preparing a garden for a heatwave, for instance) is the first step to a healthy garden whatever the weather, but there are plants that are particularly good at adapting to unpredictable weather patterns – from heatwaves to rain showers.
Try these seven plants if you're worried your garden will wilt in the next heatwave/rainstorm. To find out where to buy plants online, go straight to our guide. For more garden ideas, go to our hub page.
- Find more of the best drought loving plants in our guide
1. Euphorbia Characias
Commonly known as the ‘Mediterranean spurge’, this bright green plant is fast growing and will quickly reach over a metre in height. The foliage looks fresh throughout the year, but the flowers appear at the start of summer. It will keep any garden looking full and green no matter what the weather. Just a note: cut the plants and the sap will give you blisters, so avoid if you have young, curious children.
- Browse Euphorbia Characias to buy at Amazon (opens in new tab)
2. Hydrangea Arborecens ‘Annabelle’
Hydrangeas are natural wood dwellers, and they love lots of water, so don't mind a rainy English summer. However, they will tolerate some heat, too, and periods without water; if your hydrangea has dried out in a drought, give it a thorough soak (a 20-minute watering session, at least) and it will come back to life.
- Browse Hydrangea Arborecens ‘Annabelle’ to buy at Crocus (opens in new tab)
3. Rosa ‘Wedding Day’
As a David Austin rose, 'Wedding Day' has great genes – it's disease-resistant and tolerant of a wide range of soils, positions, and weather conditions. This one is a very vigorous rambling variety and will quickly establish itself over a wall. So long as it's watered every once in a while, this rose will tolerate dry, hot conditions – but it will really come into its own during wilder, wetter spells, with tons of flowers.
- Browse Rosa ‘Wedding Day’ to buy at Crocus (opens in new tab)
4. Iris Pseudacorus
Iris love rain – and growing near ponds and lakes. However, established iris plants are also drought-tolerant and don't mind a bit of hotter weather.
- Browse Iris Pseudacorus to buy at Crocus (opens in new tab)
5. Geranium Phaeum
Geraniums are a tough native plant, used to fluctuations in weather. They will die back during a drought, but come back when it rains again.
- Browse Geranium Phaeum to buy at Crocus (opens in new tab)
6. Primula Vulgaris
These flowers have an extremely long flowering period: some starting blooming as early as December. Undemanding in terms of soil and weather conditions, and very wildlife friendly. The primrose provides food for caterpillars, so if you put in your garden, expect to see some butterflies as a thank you.
- Browse Primula Vulgaris to buy at Crocus (opens in new tab)
7. Hemerocallis ‘Burning Daylight’
The large, orange flowers give this plant its name. The ‘daylilies’ flowers last no more than 24 hours, with most opening early morning and withering at night. A flower on the same stem can replace them the very next day.
- Browse Hemerocallis ‘Burning Daylight’ to buy at Amazon (opens in new tab)
