In-season plant will blossom if fed with secret ingredient every two weeks

Our summers are only getting hotter, so it makes sense to populate your garden with plants that are sun-loving blooms that can tolerate drought. Agapanthus, also called African Lily, is a great, low-maintenance choice.

They thrive in even quite poor soil and confined spaces - such as pots and narrow borders actually suit them because they actively like to build up a dense root network and to feel restricted.

Agapanthus is a hardy perennial and can be planted directly outside once the last of the spring frosts have gone but, according to Gardeners' World expert Joe Swift, now is the ideal time to add one of these sun-lovers to your garden. He told The Times: "I try to buy plants when they are in flower, so now is a good time.

"That way you know what colour the flowers are because they can vary enormously, even within named hybrids," he added. "It's also the best way to choose particularly healthy plants and avoid any telling signs of virus. Look for lush foliage and avoid any plants with pale blotches or lines on the foliage."

In terms of care, Joe says, it couldn't be easier: "Water your agapanthus regularly but sparingly and feed it with a high-potash feed such as tomato feed or liquid seaweed every two weeks or so during the growing season."

It's a good idea to soak the roots in water for a few hours prior to planting, and if the plant you've bought has leaves or shoots, take care to ensure that all of the leaves are well exposed above the soil surface.

Think twice before re-potting an Agapanthus. They really do enjoy a tight squeeze and putting them in too large a container will encourage them to build on more leaves to help create a larger root ball and they'll delay flowering until that work is done.

Don't be tempted to over-water an Agapanthus. Once the plants is fully established - after the first year or so - it will prefer to be dry most of the time.

If your Agapanthus is going into a flower bed, ensuring that tight root ball isn't so easy. Joe says choosing your plant's neighbours wisely is the answer: "Root competition from surrounding plants should encourage them to flower," he explains, "so grow them with other perennial plants with strong root structures such as crocosmia and rudbeckias which will compete for space."

In springtime, surround your Agapanthus with some well-rotted manure or mulch, taking care not to completely cover the crown.

If you're feeling brave, Joe says, you can divide your Agapanthus: "Every few years, during the spring months, the clumps can be divided by lifting the entire plant, cleaning off their roots and teasing them apart or chopping through them with a sharp spade, then replanting them back into enriched soil."