The headline is a bit misleading. I do start by planning a new border and stick to the planting plan. However as time passes shrubs and perennial plants die and leave spaces. Sometimes those specimens are replaced by something similar but at other times there is this eureka moment! OK, sometimes that eureka moment turns out to be the wrong thing to do but at others it is a bit of wonderful inspiration. Never be afraid to experiment in your garden. After all it is just that, your garden.

For example, this year I have had a wonderful show of red poppies. I put the seed into the ground a few years ago and just one or two straggly plants made an effort. But early spring I had to move a few things around to fill spaces where the cold winter had struck and it was a good excuse to reorganise anyway. Poppies are famous for thriving on disturbed ground and these superb little beauties are no exception proving a block of red blocks dancing in the breeze. Don’t worry I am not turning into a poet!

I find the same principle applies to tubs and containers. Take this season for example; I have grown a number of coleus from seed. As usual I sowed too many seed and could not bear to dispense with those surplus to my requirements, after all they can always be give away to friends. I also had a standard fuchsia that needed to go into a larger pot and there sat a pot too large for it but ideal if it was joined by coleus. Result? Looks great!

This year I have planted my tomatoes into my own home made compost rather than buy proprietary compost. An awful lot cheaper of course but for someone who not only enjoys growing tomatoes but loves eating them there was the temptation to put half the tomato plants into proprietary and half into my own as a safeguard. I am pleased to report that I have the best crop of tomatoes for years. The problem is that I can never replicate that compost, kitchen and garden waste was added for months and then left for months. No scientific formula here!

We have the first hosepipe ban for years imposed. It has been very dry this year but as soon as the ban began down came the rain. My back lawn has not fared too badly but the front had some brown patches. The rain should revive the rest soon. That is the thing with grass; it is sensible and knows when to close down so that it survives in the long term.

In spite of the lack of rain the salad crops are doing well. Admittedly they have put on a spurt since the rain came but it is so rewarding to walk out into the garden and pick lettuce that will be eaten less than thirty minutes after being harvested. The first cucumber will be cut this week which is worth waiting for. My local market gardener is seeing less and less revenue from us as the summer season progresses.

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