It’s not often that a gardening job involves something totally new to me, but recently I’ve been working in a large garden that is surrounded on all sides by water.   So on a couple of the recent hot days, I’ve been in waders in the river, weeding it, as the owner has a legal duty to keep the water course free of vegetation.   Luckily, the owner knows a lot about water plants, as I don’t!  I’d heard of water mint and water cress, but not water parsnip or water forget-me-not!

In my own garden and allotment, I’m doing much more conventional tasks for this time of year.  The biggest job is picking the soft fruit – I aim to get as many berries as possible into the freezer, to have with my morning muesli throughout the winter.

Other than that, all the food plants are planted, and the work in the kitchen gardens has eased off, which gives me time to admire the newly extended border in my back garden, which is pleasingly crammed with flowers, including lots of nicotianas, clarkia, rudbeckias, penstemons and cornflowers grown from seed to fill up the new space.  Gardens are such heaven in June and July!