The lovely heatwave of the last two weeks in July only lasted another two days! By the 3rd, it was all change to cool, damp conditions. Only a few sunny days for the first two weeks, and quite a lot of showers, some of them heavy and prolonged, with sunny periods. The 11th was dull for the whole day, and the 12th saw heavy showers. I suppose we shouldn't complain - the garden desperately needs the rain at this time of the year. The rest of the month was mostly fine and dry though, and warm, until the last two days, when there were showers. Maximum temperature in the garden this month 27°C (81°F) Minimum temperature 9°C (48°F).

A fascinating shrub in flower this month is Itea ilicifolia. It has evergreen holly-like leaves (though not as spiny!), and these beautiful long tassels of white flowers, which smell gorgeous. The racemes on my plant are around 18" long, and although the plant is only small, it is covered in flowers. The shrub is not very hardy, so needs a sheltered position. It survived in my garden last year against a south facing wall, but it's in a pot, so I can move it about during the summer to see the flowers at their best.

My husband called my attention one day to a sorry sight outside the conservatory! It was a little finch, which was lying on his back with his legs in the air...... I went out, thinking he was dead, but as I picked him up, I realised he wasn't. I think he must have flown into the glass door of the conservatory and knocked himself out. Good job the local moggie population weren't on patrol! I held him in my hand and fed him some water. He sat in my hand, dazed, for some time, but you'll be glad to know that he made a good recovery, and finally flew off into the bushes. I looked him up in my bird book, but couldn't identify him. I think it was because he was a juvenile, and hadn't got his proper colours yet. I know he was a finch from his beak. If you can identify him - let me know!

You may remember in April that my sister gave me a small prefabricated pond which she was throwing out. We installed it, and planted the surrounding area. Here's a view of the pond now - I think it looks great - the water is now crystal clear, and I can see all the wildlife in there - daphnia, water beetles, snails, tapdpoles....... The pond is edged with slate and large stones, and there are plants thriving in the water and in the surrounding area.

Hydrangeas are often considered too vulgar by some people. Call me vulgar if you like - but I love them! There are few plants which can produce such a wonderful show of colour, and which get better and better the bigger they grow. This one was a small plant I bought from a florist about four or five years ago because I loved the colour. It was in flower when I bought it, but after planting it in the garden, it never flowered again until last year, when there were three or four flowers on it. This year, though, it has been magnificent. I put this down to the wet spring we had, and no shortage of water since! Even a cutting I took from a piece which broke off has produced one large flower this year! If the flowers are wanted for drying, then they should be left on the plant until they have a papery texture, then they will dry very well. If picked too soon, then they will just shrivel.

Bet you can't guess what this flower is!! Well, it is around 1cm wide, by around 0.5cm deep, and belongs to a water plant. Still don't know? It's Pistia stratiotes - the Water Lettuce! This is a tropical floating water plant, with fascinating ribbed leaves arranged like a lettuce, and its roots reach far down into the water. The flowers are borne in the axils of the leaves, and are more fascinating than showy! In its native land, it is considered a menace, as it spreads incredibly fast and blocks waterways. In England though, we don't have these problems - though the plant still spreads quite fast! I bought two smallish plants from the Hampton Court flower show in June, and already each plant has produced five or six babies radiating out from the parent. The plant gives a lovely textural and tropical look, but of course it is not hardy in this country, so I shall save a few of the best ones and keep them in a bowl somewhere warm and bright over the winter.

Just had another foray to the local garden centres and came across this lovely plant, Vitex agnus-castus var. latifolia. It is a deciduous shrub with palmate leaves and these lovely blue-violet flowers. Plants which flower at this time of year are valuable additions to the garden, and this plant will flower through August and September, possibly beyond when it gets bigger and has more flowers. Other plants on view in this picture are Phormium tenax purpureum, with purple, strap shaped leaves, and in front of that, Eucomis bicolour, the Pineapple Lily.

Here's a sight guaranteed to strike terror into the heart of every fishkeeper! This Heron was spotted on the lake which is only a few hundred yards from my garden - I hope he stays there and doesn't come to my garden pond for his breakfast!

Butterflies seen this month - Peacock, Fritillary, Large White, Common Blue, Ringlet and Gatekeeper.

Birds seen (s) or heard (h) in or around the garden this month - Blackbird (s), Blue Tit (s), Bullfinch (s), Chaffinch (s), Collared Dove (s), Crow (s), Goldfinch (s), Heron (s), House Sparrow (s), Long-tailed Tit (s), Magpie (s), Robin (s), Rook (s), Seagull (s), Starling (s), Swallow (s) Thrush (h), Tree Sparrow (s), Wood Pigeon (s), Wren (s).

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up by itself.
Tom Wilson