The RHS Chelsea Flower Show was stunning this year, with thought provoking high rise gardens, formal gardens with shady hideaways and comforting natural artisan gardens reminiscent of childhood like this delightful Dylan Thomas inspired Postcard from Wales.  Green walls and green roofs remain popular.  The former strike me as contrived high maintenance glamour suitable for the elite but not applicable to most of us.  The latter on the other hand is low maintenance and very achievable for anyone who wants to make something of a shed roof or flat roof extension.  Plant wise plume thistles seem to have taken over from alliums as the purple spike of choice.  I’m tempted to give them a go, but will they stay put or wander to where they’re not wanted?

I’m one of those people who like to have favourites of things.  I have gone over my carefully chosen list of desert island discs many times, which is why I was chuffed to hear this morning that we can now all nominate the 8 tracks we would like to take with us. 

I also have a favourite bird.  Not an easy choice.  My father’s favourite was the lapwing or peewit, I think because of its distinctive flight, but it may have been its crest or its call that he took a particular shine to.  For me its between the little owl, robin, yellow hammer and goldfinch.  The little owl because we frequently spot them in our garden at dusk and have twice had them down our chimney.  The robin because it keeps me company in the vegetable garden.  The yellowhammer because it accompanies me on my run in the morning and has an irresistible call.  And the goldfinch because of its beauty and playfulness.  A close call, but I think I’ll plump for the latter.  The pair of goldfinches we currently have flashing round our garden are mesmerising.

My own anecdotal evidence suggests that red squirrels are making a valiant fight back against invading grey squirrels.  Every Easter for the past 30 years I have spent a couple of days watching squirrels at Ainsdale National Nature Reserve which is near Southport, north of Liverpool.  They hit an all time low in 2008/9 when I didn’t see any squirrels at all.  Since then we have seen lots of them cavorting and chasing each other and this spring we saw more than I can remember for a very long time.  Its not easy to tell whether they are young kittens enjoying their first spring of if they are courting adults, but either way they are captivating to watch.  They chase around the canopy with daredevil confidence, very seldom leaving the safety of the trees.  They do reduce the bird life, as they will eat bird eggs, but for me its a price worth paying.