Make gardening less stressful by growing plants that withstand the tough conditions thrown at them!
WITH GARDEN EXPERT HAZEL SILLVER
THIS MONTH BULLETPROOF PLANTS
DROUGHT
In our warming climate, long periods of summer drought and heat are becoming normal. Thankfully, there is a huge range of plants that grow without much rain and don’t require watering. They include poppies (such as vivid-red and black Ladybird), sage-leaf mulleins (for instance, woolly pink Amazone), lavenders (including the intermedia forms, which bees favour), and stonecrops (such as Matrona, which looks good for months). Plant them in very well-drained soil or a dense layer of gravel.
FROSTPROOF
In colder regions and localised frost pockets, the hardiest plants make it through winter unscathed. They include the enchanting spires of white foxglove, which glow in dappled shade and feed bees; geranium Rozanne, a mass of blue- purple flowers from May to November; small, bright cinquefoil Gibson’s Scarlet; and Japanese anemones such as Königin Charlotte, which look soft and pretty but are as tough as old boots.
SLUGPROOF
Although slugs and snails are capable of decimating some plants, there is a wide range that they will slide past.
Anything with tough foliage is a safe bet, inclu
