Isn't it just typical? The hottest, driest spell that this country has seen in recordable history and my body's defences have decided to give in to the ravages of natures biological warfare. I have a cold.

At first I blamed my workload. I had been going non-stop for a month with no break and, just like when I used to come home for the holidays from university, I immediately became ill at the first opportunity to rest. I later found out that it was something that my brother had picked up on a flight, but discovering the cause didnt alleviate the pain.

Not wanting to go straight to the bathroom medicine cabinet, I turned to my herb garden for some soothing remedies. I started with sage. Sage is a very long-lived shrub with soft, pungent leaves. It can grow up to three feet high and the same again in width.

As well as having a distinctive flavour that combines well with various meats and vegetables, it also makes an excellent decorative specimen for use in the ornamental kitchen garden.

The leaves are usually grey green in colour, but there are pretty purple and yellow varieties. The flowers are bright blue and appear in late summer, attracting honey-making bees.

Sage is one of natures chemical factories. It has natural antiseptic and astringent properties within its oils. These can be released simply by placing the herb in a mug of hot water and either breathing in or drinking when it cools slightly. It can also boost memory and reaction times by increasing blood flow to the brain.

It is often used in fatty meat dishes because it helps the body to break down and digest fats. Women going through the menopause take sage tea to help calm night sweats, as sage is an excellent anti-perspirant.

I drank mugs full of my sage tea, and after a few days the symptoms have started to ease.

Whether it was simply nature taking its course, or the magic of the leaves I don't know, but I shall continue sipping away until I am completely cured.

Then again, perhaps it was the odd tot of Irish whiskey that happened to fall into my cup that helped calm the cold? After all, sage tea isnt the most pleasant tasting of drinks.

Maybe I should just drink the whiskey. I think further investigations may be in order!

READERS QUESTIONS.

Barbara writes that she was visiting her friend in Newton Aycliffe who pointed out a problem she was having with one of her hydrangea bushes. She has three bushes, the outer two are healthy, but the middle one is not. The leaves are healthy, but the flowers appear to be dying as soon as they bloom. They are brown and crush when touched. It is not in full sunshine. What is causing this problem?

The two outer bushes will be thriving because they have easy access to any water and nutrients put on the land. The middle bush may be suffering from the competition and is being squeezed out by the two on the outside. As they get stronger, they deny the middle one sustenance, so it gets weaker. Make an extra effort to put water down at the roots of the middle one and give it a good feed.

Wilfred is having problems with ivy coming through from next door's overgrown garden. He has tried ordinary weed killer, but with little effect. What can he try next?

The leaves on ivy have a tough, almost waxy, coating. It can withstand onslaughts of sun, rain and snow. It repels most insects and herbivores. All this makes it adept at preventing weedkillers from penetrating the plants vital transportation systems.

Do some preparation before applying the weedkiller. With a spade or a rake, give the ivy a good bashing. This creates openings in the tough shell and gives the poison an inroad. Constant clipping back with shears and covering with black polythene will keep it at bay, but a few repeated applications should eventually get the problem under control.

Mrs Robinsons daughter bought her two different coloured magnolias a couple of months ago. Both started growing really well but have been ravaged by a bug. She has tried spraying them but it doesnt appear to be working. Do I have any suggestions as to what the bug might be and what can be done?

Before I can answer the question I would need more information on any sightings of the bugs and what type of damage they are doing to the leaves. If the holes in the leaves are irregular and around the edge, then it may be vine weevil, which needs either a chemical control or biological nematodes.

Neat, elliptical holes indicate the ginger-bellied leaf cutter bee, which chews out the pieces and stitches them together to make a cigar-shaped nest. The damage is purely cosmetic and limited.

Leaf miners leave little tunnel-like trails in between the layers of the leaf. Pick off the infected ones. Aphid infestations may cause the new growth to shrivel and distort and are controlled by spraying with an insecticide. Small holes are sap suckers and capsid bugs.

I hope I have covered something that resembles the problems on your leaves, Mrs Robinson, and that you have some idea of what is causing the damage and what to do.

* Brigid presents Ask about Gardening every Sunday on BBC Radio Cleveland 95FM from 1-2pm. Questions will be answered on the day by e-mailing Cleveland.studios@bbc.co.uk, texting 07786200995 or phoning (01642) 225511. Alternatively, send questions to brigidpress@hotmail.com or The Clow Beck Centre, Old Spa Farm, Croft-on-Tees, Darlington, DL2 2TQ