Welcome

For me, summer in the garden is a three-act drama. Part One is the slow start in May when I’m juggling seed trays in my tiny utility room, never quite sure when it’s safe to plant the seedlings outdoors. I’m generally itching to trim the hedge, too, but can’t make out whether those noisy woodpigeon chicks have finally fledged. This year I was scratching my head about where all my alliums had gone – only to discover there’s a mouse living in the garden with an insatiable appetite for bulbs. Little blighter! Part Two is the glorious sunny period from June to July, when fresh new flowerbuds pop open daily. This year we had two solid months of outrageously hot days without a drop of rain. Massive fissures appeared in my clay soil and the mouse decided to eat all the fleshy leaves off my variegated sedum. Grr. Part Three is the crescendo of colour in August and September. Keeping the garden looking vibrant now, in spite of this year’s heat and drought, has been a real challenge. Hopefully you planted some of our Stars of late summer (p14) in your borders and they’re shining for you. Dahlias, asters, rudbeckias and geraniums (p22) will certainly keep the colour going for months. Of course the main problem with dahlias is deciding which of these glamour queens you love the most… September is dahlia festival month, so turn to our feature on p28 to find one near you. Happy gardening! Liz Potter Editor