Drought tolerant plants that cope with extreme heat

Originally grown in the Mediterranean, Lavender – Lavandula ‘Hidcote’ is both heat and drought tolerant that's become a staple of the UK garden. Enjoy its wonderful scent by planting near a pathway. Additionally, Lavender is popular with pollinators, so expect lots of bees and butterflies to flock to its distinctive blue-lilac flowers. The flowers can be dried to create a wonderful potpourri. Or you can use the fresh flowers in cookery to make confectionary.

Customer review: "Use this to line our border around the patio. Hardy, keeps it shape well and always puts on a fabulous display with good scent. And the bees love it."

Passion Flower – Passiflora 'Caerulea' is an exotic climbing plant that thrives in the hot summer and can cope with a lack of rain. The spectacular white flowers, with rings of purple, blue and spiky filaments bloom from July to September. Autumn brings the gift of a small orange-yellow fruit. Because Passion Flower will grow anywhere, you can bring a touch of the tropical to your garden. It's a semi-evergreen plant that comes into its own during the summer. Just like the sun you can derive a sense of wellbeing from its beautiful flowers. There's something to be said for its holistic benefits as Passiflora is widely used in natural health remedies.

Customer review: "Yes, you get sent a tiny plant, but I've had my little Passiflora for just over four weeks and as you can see it's already tripled in size."

With stunning pink flowers Pelargonium 'Pink Capricorn' is a treat for the senses in the summer. Deriving from the Geranium genus, Pelargoniums are just a little bit softer with sprays of small pink flowers. The three-lobed leaves have silky hairs and produce a rose and lemon scent when slightly bruised. This gorgeous Pink Capricorn is a must for a cottage garden and its hardiness will see it through the most extreme summer sun.

Customer review: "Fabulous candy floss pink looked marvellous in a pale blue pot. Lots of blooms and continued to flower in an open porch up until Christmas."

Commonly known as Sea Lavender, Limonium ‘Dazzle Rocks’ is a pollinator plant that attracts bees and butterflies throughout the summer. It's heat-resistant and drought tolerant. It can be seen all along the North Norfolk coast and cliff tops during the summer (take it from someone who knows!) and it's the most beautiful shade of mauve. As Sarah Raven writes, it naturally grows in thick swathes, but it can also be planted in pots to enjoy in your garden.

You may have noticed this growing, because of the distinctive flower spikes, but not know its name. Hebe 'Champagne' is a foliage plant that's drought tolerant and because it's evergreen it provides year-round interest. It's a shrub that doesn't grow any larger than a metre in height and spread, so it's a great option for a small urban garden. In summer the flowers provide pollen for bees, whilst in winter the foliage deepens in colour to a purple hue which gives it year-round appeal.

Customer review: "A nice healthy plant growing well and flowering attractively."

Verbena ‘Bonariensis’ produces a wonderful display of purple flowers from late summer into autumn. Verbena is a drought-tolerant perennial that's hardy and low maintenance. This Verbena grows tall, almost two metres, and gets covered in butterflies when the sun comes out. It's a hugely popular plant and a must as we move forward with more climate-conscious planting choices.

Customer review: "My Verbena Bonariensis arrived from Sarah Raven as strong, healthy, robust plugs and have been flowering from summer until the recent frosts in November. Very happy."

A mesmerising blue Sea Holly, this Eryngium ‘Picos Blue’ thrives in plenty of sunshine and free-draining soil. The plant has wiry stems and spiky blue-hued leaves with teasel-like blooms. This Amazon deal is amazing value: 150 seeds for less than £3. If you enjoy growing plants from scratch this Sea Holly will make a wonderful addition to your garden.

Customer review: "Very pleased with sea holly seeds which are growing well."

A real statement plant, this upright palm has green sword-like leaves. It's a hardy plant that's drought tolerant and flourishes in full sun. Expect fragrant, white blooms from mature plants during the spring. Receive two Cordyline Australis for a great price from Amazon. Be aware that although this is one of the hardiest types of palm it may need a little protection from frost.

Customer review: "Delivered in a sturdy box, plants are exactly as per other reviewers' photographs, they are approximately 60cm tall and seem to be very healthy. They have been watered and potted on in a considerably larger container which will be their home until next spring when I intend to plant them in the garden."

This woody-stemmed perennial is a type of wormwood that has spreading fern-like silvery leaves. Artemisia 'Powis Castle' looks enchanting as part of a border, mixed with other textural foliage. It's one of the hardiest of the wormwood species and can withstand hot and dry temperatures. Whilst this isn't the wormwood Absinthe is made from, Artemisia 'Powis Castle' produces small yellow flowers in the summer and the foliage can be dried to make attractive flower arrangements.

Customer review: "Foliage is very fragrant when touched and beautiful silver colour. Will withstand drought and hot sun and still look good. If cut back quite hard in Autumn, will stay in shape and produce new foliage quite quickly for the next year. Indispensable in my chalk garden."

Gaura ‘Lindheimeri’ or The Bride – 'Whirling Butterflies' produces masses of delicate white-tinged-pink flowers. It looks so ethereal it could belong in Middle Earth. It goes by many other names, including Beeblossom and White Gaura. Plant in a border for cascading masses of blooms from May to November. Alternatively, it can be planted in pots, which makes it a super choice for any size garden.

Customer review: "I recently bought seven Gaura plants of three types including The Bride. I was very pleasantly surprised at how large the plants were and how beautifully they were packed for safe transit. I soaked them overnight and they are now thriving since planted. I love these plants."

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