We've finally had our first prolonged deluge of rain in months here. After a dampening down yesterday I'm hopeful it's being soaked up by the plants. How's everyone else doing?

Moist

Hard to say. Lots have lost their tree ferns after last winter. To give yours a chance you need to completely remove any dead or damaged Crozier's in the crown to allow any new growth to push up. Keep very well watered and everything crossed.

Heatandhumidity

Hi Tom, I am good thanks. I hope that everything is okay with you. Thanks for the outlook. As long as the weather doesn't go the same as it did in late July last year I will be happy. Cheers Adam Doing well thanks Adam. Could do with an early retirement so I had some time but maybe in another life ...

It's been too much for too long. I'd probably enjoy it on a tropical beach in the middle of a British winter, but not as an all-summer-long heatwave in the city. It hasn't rained here for 2 months (?), the only good thing about it is the grass is not growing. Oto I thought you loved living in subtr...

Ask away. No silly questions here, everyone is happy to help where they can.

Roasting

Perfect

Welcome. Good hardy plants to give you a backbone and an evergreen one at that are Trachycarpus, bamboo (avoid Sasa and none clump forming varieties), fatsia, phormium and ground ferns. Many other less hardy plants will survive with some protection in an average UK winter so decide what you like and...

What is the outlook for the next few weeks Tom? Hi Adam. Hope you're well. It's looking less hot and Northern and western areas of the UK might see some rain But most areas are going to I have to rely on the odd shower. After this weekend Temperatures look set to fall back into the low to mid twent...

Definitely Nigel at Hardy palms. Personal favourite of mine for Trachycarpus and waggies is http://www.thepalmhouse.co.uk Bought a very nice tree fern from Seagraves online a few years back. This year I've had lots of poor plants via online orders. Most from private sellers but also surprisingly fro...

Mine is doing well but has never flowered. In fact I'm going to pot it on this weekend to try and give it a boost.

We are often dry in East Yorkshire but this spell is proving to be exceptional! Very hot again this weekend. I must have used thousands of gallons watering my relatively small garden and I'm on a meter. I don't mind though and love this heat. I just hope it persists through the summer holidays.

All my tenders are in pots so I either pot on or leave them be rather than put in the ground. The only exception is my ensete hiniba which I'm trying to grow on but nearly lost it in early summer due to root rot so it's not doing much again.