Low maintenance plants that love a heatwave

Uk summers can be tricky for our plants. We don’t have any rain for a month and then suddenly we have a deluge that basically floods the garden. Sometimes, it feels like all or nothing, and this can be hard to deal with.

But, you can make your garden easier to maintain (and better to look at) by choosing varieties that cope well with hot and dry conditions.

The Met Office has confirmed that the UK’s average summer temperatures have risen noticeably over the past three decades, with record-breaking heatwaves becoming increasingly common. For gardeners, this shift brings both challenges and opportunities. The right plant selection means less time with a watering can and more time simply enjoying your outdoor space.

Below, I’ve done my research into the best drought-tolerant, low-maintenance plants (organised by colour, of course), so you can design with intention and build a garden that looks cohesive throughout the summer.

 

Why drought-tolerant plants make sense for UK gardens

It might seem counterintuitive to plant for drought in a country known for its rain, but UK weather patterns have become increasingly unpredictable. Hosepipe bans, water restrictions, and prolonged dry spells during summer are now a real possibility in many regions, particularly in the south and east of England.

Drought-tolerant plants have evolved clever strategies to cope: deep root systems that chase moisture further into the soil, waxy or silvery leaves that reflect heat and reduce evaporation, and the ability to enter a kind of dormancy during the hottest periods before bouncing back when conditions improve. These are plants that work with the weather rather than against it.

Pairing the right plants with well-draining soil (or improving your existing soil with grit) dramatically reduces the effort required to keep your garden looking good.

In most cases, these plants need very little intervention beyond occasional deadheading or a light trim once they’re established.

 

Purple and blue plants

You can rely on plants like lavender, Russian sage, and agapanthus when the temperature climbs.

 

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of the most versatile plants you can choose for a UK garden. ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’ are particularly well-suited to our climate, producing dense, fragrant spikes from June through to August.

Plus, there’s nothing better than brushing past a lavendar plant and releasing its amazing smell. Pollinators flock to it, and on a warm day you’ll hear the hum of bees before you even see the flowers.

Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) is often underused in UK gardens, yet it’s one of the most reliable performers in a hot, dry border. Its silvery stems and hazy violet-blue flowers create a soft, impressionistic effect from midsummer right through to autumn. It grows to around 1.2 metres, making it useful for adding mid-border height without blocking smaller plants behind.

 

Agapanthus thrives in containers as well as borders, which is a highly useful quality if you have a patio or terrace. ‘Headbourne Hybrids’ are among the hardiest varieties for UK conditions, producing tall stems topped with globe-like clusters of blue or white flowers. They perform best when their roots are slightly restricted, which is another reason they suit pots.

 

These plants establish strongly when you give them a controlled start, and a polytunnel greenhouse helps you protect young growth before moving them outdoors. Position them in well-drained soil and avoid overwatering, as they perform better when their roots stay relatively dry.

If your soil is heavy clay (like ours is), improve drainage before planting by incorporating horticultural grit or sharp sand. Raised beds are another practical solution, giving you complete control over the growing medium and drainage from the outset.

 

Pink and red

Echinacea, gaillardia, and verbena give you reliable colour without demanding constant attention.

Echinacea (coneflower) has become a garden staple for good reason. Beyond its striking, upright blooms in shades of pink, coral, and magenta, it offers remarkable drought tolerance once settled in.

 

Modern cultivars like ‘Magnus’ (a deep rose-pink with a burnt orange cone) and ‘White Swan’ work with both classic and contemporary planting schemes. The seed heads that follow the flowers are attractive in themselves and provide food for birds through autumn and winter, another reason to delay cutting back until early spring.

Verbena bonariensis is a brilliant space-filler for late summer colour. Its tall, wiry stems carry clusters of tiny purple-pink flowers that seem to float above other plants, creating a layered effect. It self-seeds readily, which is definitely a useful quality in a low-maintenance garden, as it fills gaps without any effort from you. The only management needed is removing plants that appear in unwanted spots.

 

You’ll notice these plants continue flowering even when rainfall drops, which means you don’t need to step in as often with a watering can. Deadheading occasionally encourages more blooms, but they won’t suffer if you miss a week.

 

Yellow and orange

Coreopsis brings brightness to your garden while coping well with heat and dry conditions.

Coreopsis (tickseed) is one of the longest-flowering perennials available to UK gardeners. Once in bloom, typically from June, it barely pauses until autumn. ‘Sunfire’ and ‘Early Sunrise’ are dependable varieties with golden-yellow flowers and a compact habit that suits both borders and containers. Unlike many yellows, coreopsis doesn’t look brash.

 

Gaillardia (blanket flower) is one of those unsung heroes that earns its place even in the most challenging conditions. The vivid, fire-toned blooms (typically a combination of red, orange, and yellow) sit atop long, slender stems and flower prolifically from June through to the first frosts. Crucially, gaillardia actually prefers poorer, sandier soil. Enriching it with too much compost can reduce flowering and cause the plants to become floppy.

 

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a true workhorse. Available in everything from cream and soft yellow to deep burnt orange and terracotta, it provides flat-topped flower heads that are invaluable landing pads for hoverflies, ladybirds, and other beneficial insects. Its aromatic, feathery foliage is also deeply drought-resistant, remaining green and attractive even during extended dry spells.

 

Green and silver

Foliage plants like sedum and rosemary hold everything together when flowers come and go.

Sedum (now reclassified as Hylotelephium in many varieties) offers season-long interest. The fleshy, glaucous leaves look architectural from spring onwards, and the flat-topped flower heads (typically pink, burgundy, or white depending on cultivar) open in late summer and persist into autumn. ‘Autumn Joy’ (Herbstfreude) remains the classic choice, but ‘Matrona’ with its deep purple stems and dusky pink flowers brings a more sophisticated palette. Both are magnets for late-season butterflies.

 

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus — yes, it’s been reclassified) is one of the Mediterranean garden’s greatest gifts to UK gardeners. Its tolerance of poor, stony soil and reflected heat from paving makes it ideal for hot spots where other plants struggle. Beyond the familiar upright forms, prostrate varieties like ‘Prostratus’ drape beautifully over walls and raised bed edges. The pale blue flowers that appear in spring provide some of the earliest nectar for bees emerging from winter.

 

Silver-leaved plants deserve a special mention for their heat-coping abilities. Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ears), with its soft, velvety silver foliage, acts as a natural drought indicator and it only begins to look stressed in the most extreme conditions. Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ provides a dome of finely cut, silver-grey foliage that looks stunning against purple lavender or deep red roses, and it never needs watering once settled. Both are invaluable for tying a border together and maintaining visual interest between flowering periods.

 

You create a more balanced garden when you mix these textures with flowering plants, as they maintain visual interest even during the peak of a heatwave. Trim rosemary lightly after flowering to keep its shape and encourage fresh growth.

 

Building a garden that works for every summer

The shift toward planting for heat and drought is all about working with nature rather than against it. The plants in this guide cover a full spectrum of colour and form, from the airy informality of verbena and Russian sage to the bold structural statements of agapanthus and sedum. Together, they can create a garden that looks genuinely beautiful through June, July, and August without demanding daily attention.

Start with two or three varieties from different colour groups and see how they perform in your specific conditions. Notice where the hot spots are (south-facing walls, gravel paths, exposed beds) and target those areas first with the most drought-tolerant species. Once you see how effortlessly these plants cope, you’ll likely find yourself extending the principle across more of the garden.