Finally, we have all had a chance to sit in and enjoy our gardens and that really is what gardening and life are all about – enjoying it. If you haven’t done this yet then now find a spot in your garden that looks great – even if it’s just a tiny bit – even if it is just for a moment – enjoy and appreciate the fruits of your labour.

I think that gardeners sometimes enjoy visiting other gardens more than they enjoy their own, and the reason being, we can appreciate all the hard work that has gone into making the garden look so good, without knowing about the jobs they still want to do, or that the rabbits ate their best plants.

For me to enjoy my garden more I have had to make it a bit of a night garden as my wife and I don’t seem to have the time to enjoy it during the day. So, we have made sure the lighting is good in the garden and all the plants that we love have uplighters around them. We have lovely rattan sofas that we can lounge on in the evening and the essential for being in a Scottish garden at night - a firepit! All of this, and a large glass of wine, allow us to enjoy our efforts at the time that suits us best.

So this week, if the weather permits, discover what you love most about your garden, and when you like to spend time in it, and what would make life easier to enjoy your garden more, and then put that all to the back of your mind for a day or two longer and sit back and enjoy your garden , and all your hard work, whilst you can – the wine is optional! Happy gardening!

PLANT OF THE WEEK: SALVIA ‘LOVE AND WISHES’

Salvia ‘Love and Wishes’ has a fantastically long blooming season from May to first frosts of October and is easy to maintain and fast growing. It doesn’t require pruning or dead heading, although removing faded flower stems will prolong flowering of these wonderfully rich, dark pink-purple flowers. It is an excellent plant for a container or in border planting and is a favourite of butterflies helping make your garden ‘butterfly friendly’.

Colin has been working in the gardening industry for over 30 years and owns 7 Garden Centres across central Scotland and is passionate about Scottish plants.