With being incapacitated this month, I have reaped the benefit of previous mulching and have been able to wander about in and gaze out onto a lovely garden. However 15 hours gentle work has been carried out this month. The weather seems to have fluctuated tremendously from hot sun to cold rainy spells. Consequently everywhere continues to be in lush growth. It has been a joy to entertain friends in the garden.

Patio area The blue theme has continues with heavenly blue spires of an expanding patch of veronica spicata (from cousin Martyn) in the gravel bed, with the low mat forming blue pratia at the base of the rockery. The blue/white lupin turned out to be a star in the end making a bold statement by the pond. Another gift from Martyn turned out to be a pink Linaria purpurea 'Canon Went' Purple viola cornuta makes a bold statement at the top of the rockery and I intend to take cuttings this summer to proliferate this colour. At the bottom of the rockery a yellow rockery flower from the past reappeared by the quiet white erigeron drawing the eye to this area. My new blue pot a Mother's day gift from daughter and son in law has been planted up with dark purple 'Lord Bute' pelargonium (I've remembered not to call them geraniums!) and a lighter 'angel' type. We have decided this area will have makeover next year, cleaning the pond, installing a water feature and building a deck - ideas are starting to flow already.

Left hand Border Bed 1 This is very lush under the purple Prunus with a white - edged hosta (not a hole in sight), silver leaved Lamium, light green oregano, white viola cornuta, stripy grass of Gardeners Garters and new growth of the Euphorbia Characias. The magenta geranium 'Anna Folkard' is struggling to emerge over the vegetation. White Campanula loom at the back of the border.

Bottom bed 4 The very large starry mauve balls of Allium Christophii intertwined with magenta Lychnis with white feverfew near by dominate the bed this month. A quieter arrangement of a white/pink Lychnis with a frilly feverfew backed by the now magnificent Fatsia japonica is also looking good. A row of spires of purple foxglove back the fence and a couple of self seeded white foxgloves grace the opposite side of the bed. Bright magenta geranium sanguinea and when the sun shines pink oxalis fiddle around at the front of the border. The huge white clematis 'Madame Le Coultre at the front of the pergola completes the scene - nice!

Heather bed 3 This month the bed has filled out with different coloured foliage, especially the central purple leaved Cotinus coggria, contrasting nicely with the yellow/green foliage of Erica vagens 'Valerie Proudley' and a new heather Erica carnea 'Sunshine Rambler'. The bright magenta flowers of Erica cineria 'Mrs Dill' created a focal point for the bed. Sparse mauve flowers appeared on the Hebe 'Red Edge'for the first time this year.

Woodland Stars this month are white and purple foxgloves, white scented flowers of the Mock orange shrub and the ferns around the waterfall.

All the pest control and cossetting has finally paid off and I could hardly believe my eyes to see the white curds of 5 cauliflowers. We are also picking peas, courgettes, cabbage and lettuce and digging early 'Formost'potatoes. The buckets of 'Dunluce' potatoes in the greenhouse are yielding very modest tubers but they are most delicious for salads. Sweetcorn are rocketting on interplanted with sunflowers.

WILDLIFE

Birds During the latter half of the month the birds reappeared in the garden and seemed very hungry, emptying the seed feeder in a day. A family of 5 baby Great Tits clung to the feeder at one time. The magpies are still attacking the collared doves and crows and the their babies are evident, although I don't know if they used the nest in my tree. The more unusual varieties that have been sighted are House Martins, a Grey Wagtail, a Spotted Flycatcher and one female Great Spotted Woodpecker. Last year I watched a male woodpecker feed himself and baby at close range from the nut feeder constantly for 3 weeks. At one stage both were on the feeder and the adult was pecking nuts and feeding baby until he learnt the process.

Squirrels With binoculars I watched 3 babies playing 'chase me round the branch' high up in the adjacent garden trees.

PondSuddenly over 4 days all the 18 goldfish died after 10 years. At first I thought it due to lack of oxygen as the pond is very silted up, but they still went even when lifted to different water. The water was tested and found to be OK and I was told they tolerate very low levels of oxygen, so it could have been a build up of bacteria or parasites. As the water is very clear with no algae for the first time in years we are able to see frogs and newts swimming around.

GARDEN VISITS

Trinder's at Alsager This was part of the National Garden Scheme, but I had visited it in early spring a few years ago with my Garden Group. It is a very long elongated town plot with lots of 'rooms'. Although there were many unusual varieties, I felt the owner had let too many plants self seed so you couldn't appreciate their beauty. However it was a lovely visit and I couldn't resist buying a Geranium robustum and a mauve Viola cornuta.

Rode Hall Who could resist a visit to my favourite garden in June with my Garden Forum friends and conducted tour by Lady Baker Wilbraham. When it threatened rain she even lit a fire in the library for us, but being intrepid gardeners we were soon out into the Kitchen garden greenhouses sniffing aromatic pelargonium leaves until the rain passed over. Then it was a gentle amble discussing plants along the herbaceous border with blue Vipers bugloss in flower. The irridescent blue Delphiniums were spectacular and a pretty little rose called 'Pretty Polly' surrounded by red campion caught my eye. We had a laugh at the 'Wood Nymph' statue in the rose garden as a foxglove had draped itself over the 'naughty bits', as in the 'gauze' in famous paintings! I was disappointed not to see the Kifsgate rose in flower, but it looked very promising entwined in the huge evergreen. It wouldn't take much enticement to visit again next month!

Stapley Water Gardens We paid a visit to gather inspiration for our proposed new water feature for the pond and information on garden pumps and filtration systems.