People often talk about good blossom years when the combination of prolific flower production and perfect climatic conditions at the time of flowering i.e. still, no hard frosts nor torrential rain or even worse sleet or hail, all come together to produce a display which is mind blowing in its intensity and over the top profligacy. When that happens you are witnessing one of the best bits of nature bling you could wish for and it's my impression that the last couple of weeks have been one of those magic moments for Magnolias.

Who remembered that days of sunshine could be quite so blissful- last summer seemed so long ago? We are actually working outdoors without wet weather clothing for the first time in ages and are really feeling the benefit.

The British have long been renowned for their love affair with the lawn, a passion with a pedigree going back at least as far as the 18th century landscape movement.

I have always had a soft spot for primulas even to the extent of making them the subject of my taxonomy paper as a student on the Kew Diploma. Surprisingly that only increased my enthusiasm!

It's official, it's been the wettest winter on record with 425mm of rain falling so far this year - about 17 inches in old money. As a consequence the mighty river Lavant is in fine form whooshing through the gardens lickety-split.