WELL I have seen most of the signs now. Nature is letting us know that summer is officially here.

I have heard the woodpecker marking out his territory with his head and chiselling out grubs in the distant copses. I saw my first dancing swallows on Thursday. They had obviously just arrived and were excitedly chattering away to each other just like eager children arriving at a holiday destination. This was followed the next day by a lone swift. I admire the swifts. They spend most of their lives on the wing. They perform just about all of their functions up in the air, and avoid if at all possible alighting on the ground. Their very small, underdeveloped legs are more adapted for clinging on to the sides of buildings. They have much larger, more scimitar-shaped wings than the swallows, and use them in graceful sweeps. Whereas the swallows twitter and chatter in flight, the swifts scream like banshees on helium. Both are welcome visitors to the airspace above my garden. The more midges they snack on, the less bites I get whilst sitting out in the evenings.

The hedges too have come alive and donned their summer regalia. The hawthorn hedges have bulked up like sprouting teenagers, and, on cue with the arrival of May, are proudly displaying white ruffs of slightly pungent blossom.

Of special note this year is the flora growing at the base of the roadside hedges. Most notable is the garlic mustard, or Jack by the hedge as it is colloquially named. It grows up to two foot tall in big fluffy mounds in the poorest of soils. In early May the stems are topped with a swirl of white flowers. The have more than a decorative purpose. Try nibbling one of the younger ones. It will have a mild garlic tang, followed by a hint of faint mustard. They can be used quite freely in cooking, and go well in a leafy summer salad. Try and avoid plants that grow beside busy roads though, as they could have picked up pollutants from vehicle emissions.

I have to make a mention of the area immediately by the roadside. The flora found in this zone can vary from region to region. In the more rural areas you may find a beautifully delicate mix of cowslips, ragged robin, cranesbill, buttercup and vetches. Towns and cities often lose out in the colour stakes, but the contracted grass cutters are beginning to let road side areas grow that little bit longer before moving in with their machines. This year we saw blue flushes of speedwell, followed by sparkling white splashes of daisies. At the moment we are almost dazzled by 'fields' of dandelions. These fuzzy fluorescent yellow buttons almost link the road side verges with the bold patchwork of rape fields in the distant landscape, thus bringing the countryside into the town.

The evening breeze has the summery scent of warmed earth on it. My tree peony has finally flowered after five years careful tending. The gold fish in the garden pond have floated out of hibernation and are beginning to surface during the day. The Montana clematis is swathing next doors wall in a pink petal cloth, and I have had my first barbecue. Yes, summer is definitely easing its way in now.

JOBS TO DO THIS WEEK

Weed the borders

With all this warm wet weather the weeds are having a field day. However, with the ground remaining nice and soft they will come out quite simply with the aid of a little gentle trowelling.

Plant out seedlings

Any annuals that were sown in the greenhouse earlier in the spring should be large enough to look after themselves out in the garden now. There may yet be one or two frosty night ahead, so make sure that you keep a few back in reserve just in case.

Sow pumpkins outdoors

Prepare for the autumn (and Halloween) by sowing pumpkin seeds straight into the ground outdoors. I saved my seeds from one of last year's pumpkins and now have well over a hundred to plant (that's a lot of jack-o-lanterns).

Published: 10/05/2003