Gardening tips: how to cope with drought

Plant this Montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora) adds spice to a “hot” border in a sunny spot, offering sprays of orange or red flowers from mid to late summer. Bright red ‘Lucifer’ is one of the tallest varieties, at up to 120cm, while ‘Severn Sunrise’ gets up to 1m and has flowers that open orange and mature to pink.

Read this If the dry weather has got you thinking about how to help your garden cope, read Tony Hall’s new book, Gardening With Drought-Friendly Plants (Kew Publishing, £25). Hall, manager of the arboretum and gardens at Kew, profiles more than 200 plants that can cope without a regular drenching.

Try this Pick an overcast day to decamp your dusty houseplants to a shady spot outside for a deep clean. Shower foliage plants down or wipe over with a damp cloth, checking for pests and removing faded leaves. Hairy plants and cacti can be brushed with a soft, clean makeup brush to dislodge dust.