Gardening has never really been our thing. Things grew here when we moved in, some things have withered and died, other things have thrived. Our dogs have dug the garden more than we ever have. We mow our little patch of lawn for the few months of the year that it grows.

Well, it’s not really true. Anna makes an effort and often succeeds, mainly in pots and cartons off the ground. Tomatoes and colourful flowers, and our honeysuckle blooms for ever…