Sun and dry says Pelargoniums (Geraniums to most of us). There are varieties other than the normal zonals - angels are a type of small Pelargonium with pansyish flowers. But your pots sound big enough for zonals or ivyleafs. I am the same zone as you but the UK may not be so hot in summer. I discovered a range of new plants last year (as a relative newcomer to gardening) which I grew in containers in fairly full sum. They were Osteospermum, Diascia, Nemesia, Heliotrope, short Alstromerias, as well as short Dahlias. There are all tender perennials, but I chose them because they flowered for such a long time. They all worked very well, except that the Diascia overwhelmed the Nemesias it was planted with, and the Nemesia died. What I learnt last summer is that you can grow anything in a pot as long as you water it, and feed it every week.

Try petunias, they come in lots of colors. Portucula is pretty too, it's an annual that puts up with a lot of heat and comes in bright colors too. Succulents are great for full sun, but they only bloom once a year. You'd need one that has visual interest for you perhaps. Good luck!

Full-sun plants include canna, crown-of-thorns, desert rose, daylilies, pentas, iris, plumbago, crinum, plumeria, bougainvillea, periwinkle/vinca, marigolds, datura, roses, brugmansia, hibiscus. The problem with some plants - especially hibiscus - is that they don't like hot/cooked roots. In the ground, plants, even full-sun plants, have cool roots. However, in a pot, especially a dark or black pot (which is popular now in stores), the roots get much, much hotter than they would in the ground and a lot of plants will let you know that they do not like it one single bit. The leaves turn yellow and drop, people think it has to do with watering issues, and it has everything to do with hot roots. What color is your pot? Another issue: how often do you want to water? Some of those plants listed above like daily water... others, sparse water. Of the ones listed above, I think canna, pentas, vinca/periwinkle and portulaca are the easiest/hardiest for a mixed container. Good luck and post pictures! Carol in Jacksonville

If you're doing a cover crop then part of the sequence is to actually cut the crop before it comes to flower so you get plenty of juicy material that rots down quickly - and has enough fibre to not make a felted mess (like you see with heaps of grass clippings.) The roots stay in the soil and, as they rot down, add even more humus to the soil. It is really important to not bury the cover crop deeply, It can combine with clay to make a bit of a toxic brew for a while. If you live in a rural area observe how the farmers disc in the crop residue (hoping that they don't burn off.) You might also notice that some farmers turn stock onto the crop residue to clean up and add manure before they disc. You'll need to have an acceptable process to add extra nitrogen to the soil as the cover crop rots down. Something slow acting, such as blood and bone could be useful, although it can attract animals. Perhaps dried animal manure would be an alternative. Your biggest hassle would come if you have a perennial weed (like dandelions, dock, twitch grass, or whatever your local nightmare/s happen to be) growing in your cover crop. The darned things LOVE being disced. It spreads little bits of root everywhere - and, being weeds, they usually all grow. A cover crop can be highly useful in a poor soil - and to give protection if wind or heavy rain moves soil in your area. You might also want to consider growing a cleaning crop such as potatoes, or rows of peas that need regular weed control and/or hilling up. If you were to lay down a mulch between the rows, along the lines that lindac has suggested, then you could have 'the best of both worlds'. If you do decide on doing the cover crop - and leaving it over winter (a ryegrass, mustard, lupin, barley, clover, vetch crop would probably all be suitable) remember to leave enough time between the cutting back, digging in - and your planned planting date - for the material to rot down, or plant crops that will tolerate quantities of partially rotted material in the soil. Also think about any fertiliser/liming that needs to be done, too. Those additions need time to become effective in the soil for following crops - and some crops don't like them too fresh.