What to plant

You want plants that can thrive during hotter, drier summers, and support wildlife by providing food or shelter. The plant list below should provide you with some ideas to get going.

• Lavender - needs sun, warmth and good drainage
• Rock rose - small evergreen shrubs that are covered in flowers in mid-summer. They relish the warmth of town and thrive in clay soils
• Rosemary - flowers attract bees and butterflies
• Geranium - tender plants that actually dislike wet soil and are an ideal choice for pots and hanging baskets in the full sun
• Yucca plants - very hardy and love the sun, light and heat. Their spiky leaves shed little water
• Bay trees love the shelter and warmth of the city and make great specimen plants for containers
• Periwinkle is perfect for dry, shady areas - its evergreen foliage and cheerful blue, violet and mauve flowers will brighten up any garden
• Sedum - great for creating a living roof
• Aralia
• Hibiscus plants
• Evening primrose
• Storksbill
• Michaelmas daisies
• Mugwort
• Ivy
• Vegetables - including chicory, dwarf peas, globe artichoke, mini lettuce, shallots, French beans, beetroot, carrot, sweetcorn, asparagus, rhubarb, pumpkin, baby turnip
• Fruit - raspberries, mulberries, apples, pears