In my experience August is normally a quiet month in the gardening calendar. The weather is usually settled, dry and warm. Plants and seedlings have been planted out, vegetables and fruits have been gathered in, stored or preserved. Most of the garden birds have packed their red and white spotted hankies and gone to visit friends. (Where do birds go in August?) All is well with the world. So why not sit back and simply appreciate all your hard work.

In previous years that’s exactly what we have done. Long, sunny afternoons in the garden watching the sparrows squabble on the lawn, they’re the only ones who don’t seem to go away. Just sitting, watching, thinking, planning, in fact doing whatever you fancy, but nothing in particular, or nothing at all, no pressure. August is a good month.

However, this year for me at least, it hasn’t been like that. I’ve been out of action for so long during the start of the year that I’m all behind with things. I have been doing some jobs, but to be honest at best I’ve been tinkering around the edges and not really getting stuck in. But now my knee is better and my shoulder much improved, all of a sudden I feel like I’m back on form, hence all these ‘proper’ gardening days I’ve been going on about.

As a result, August has been very busy. Hedges trimmed, grass cut, straight edges re-defined, ivy trimmed and weeding, that should have been done weeks ago, started if not finished.

Am I missing putting my feet up? No, I can do that in winter. In fact I’m loving every minute of  my new found mobility and movement. Once more bitten by the gardening bug I’m not just tinkering with it anymore. Now my shoulder is on the mend I’m going at it full tilt.

This improvement is in no small part due to the staff at the local physio department of the Great British National Health Service, to whom I am most grateful. I’ve been this morning for my 3rd session and am making good progress.

When I got home I decided to wash the car in preparation for a seaside trip we have planned for the next sunny day. The forecast for today is poor, so as soon as I’d finished I put the car back in the garage, but just left the garage door open by a couple of inches to help the soft-top dry. (We have an MX5.)

Imagine my surprise when I looked out of the window to see a small wren hopping towards the barely open door. Birds and clean cars in confined spaces aren’t a good mix, so I went out, thinking he would fly away.

On the contrary, when he saw me coming he hopped into the garage. I started to get visions of having to wash the car again. When I opened the door he was perched on the handle of my Flymo, very cute, almost ‘robinesque’. Fortunately wrens don’t panic as much as other species and as I opened the big doors wide he just flew out.

Now all we need is a nice sunny day.

Before I finish I would like to take a moment to remember Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging who died so tragically on Saturday having just finished a flying display with the Red Arrows. If you have read my accounts of the Waddington Airshows of the last 2 years, you will know I am a great fan. My thoughts are with his wife, family, friends and colleagues at this sad time.

R.I.P Red 4.