My gardening DIARY

MONDAY On the way down the steps from the kitchen is a phygelius (pictured) with cream-coloured bells touched with apricot.

We've no memory of planting it but it makes masses of flowers. We’re taking cu ings because we may have to move it as the magnolia behind it has forced it out towards the edge of the bed.

TUESDAY There are too many tomatoes! We were slow off the mark when sowing them but they’ve all caught up. Neil uses lots in his cooking so making passata seems the obvious solution. I love growing tomatoes, though I should stay away from eating too many. They’re not good news if you’ve got arthritis!

WEDNESDAY We’ve had ideal growing conditions recently, which has meant everything is burgeoning, including the weeds. Horrifying to round a corner and come face-to-face with a giant sow thistle or willow-herb. Vital to pull them up before their parachutes set out on the next invasion.

THURSDAY As we’ve pulled out potatoes, they’re being replaced by some of our dahlias. It’s a relief to get some of them into the open ground where they can grow and flower properly.

FRIDAY Steeling myself to prune back hard a few of the shrub roses that haven’t performed well. Roses are tough plants and they’ll recover quickly, especially if we give them a dose of liquid seaweed fertiliser.

SATURDAY Growing your own veg is an excellent idea and we may need them even more this coming winter. It’s important to think ahead so Dean has brought me some young leeks, purple-sprouting broccoli, kale and a few cabbages.

SUNDAY One of the pre iest plants we’ve grown from seed this year is an agastache with pale apricot flowers. It makes a branching plant with soft, greyish, aromatic leaves and seems to be perfectly at home in the border or in containers as long as it has full sun.