Help, I've run out of space! Such a stop-start season has meant that I have not moved on the more hardy plants and mostly have kept the greenhouse doors closed. This has resulted in drawn, very soft growth, with greenfly taking full advantage. I have had to use a bug gun on several occasions. Erratic weather can be quite damaging - a sudden heatwave after a very cold spell means nothing has acclimatised. It is the same for us I guess, although I am not complaining, even if the plants do!

During inclement weather I try to organise as much as possible. Trips to the garden centre to stock up on everything I need in the coming season always saves lots of time, and often I get a bargain too. The ponds have been cleaned before the 50 (last year) courting couples deposit their frogspawn. They seem late this year too. They obviously don't like the cold, but hopefully the wet summer should have suited them.

Tidying up has continued and we have made a start on the evergreen hedges and topiary. It is surprising just how much they have grown with such copious amounts of rain, compared to other years.

One of the warmer days saw Geoff checking the soak hoses which we installed for last year and then could not use. They are still very visible, but within two months they will have disappeared completely. We needed four new connectors which isn't too bad. Last year the foxes were fascinated with them, and included them in their diet, as part of their five a day!