I think I've been stuck in a time warp. I went away for one week's holiday (not far, just camping in Scotland) but when I returned, my garden had put on a month's worth of growth.

I had made sure to cut the lawn the day before departure, and had left everything neat and tidy. Now, the buttercups, daisies and dandelions give the garden that rustic Spanish meadow-like feel, but it's not really the look I have been working towards.

The alliums have turned from dazzling purple globes to floating green bobbly balls. The tightly budded rambling roses that were neatly framing the front window and door have drooped down with heavily petalled trusses restricting light and entry. Faded crimson petals litter the soil underneath the oriental poppies, and the hardy geraniums have decided to hijack the borders.

It's not all bad, though. The foxgloves have pushed their way through the dark undergrowth of the 20 foot tall Christmas tree, the sage is showing a most alluring display of soft purple in the border and the apples have started to form small fruits in the orchard. The unkempt areas can all be remedied in a weekend of work.

My break away, even though it was less than 250 miles away, has given me some fresh garden design ideas. I particularly marvelled at the way nature throws different combinations of plants together. There are large tracts of oak forests and, because these Scottish oaks have smaller leaves and less stocky trunk growth, there is enough light and moisture reaching the floor to allow swathes of bluebells and wood anemones to form a stunning undercover. A similar effect could be achieved here by using birch trees.

It was the rhododendrons that really caught my eye. Huge banks of dark glossy leaves smothered in all shades of purples, magenta and pink lined the roadsides, filled the rough meadows, peeped out from under forest cover and shouted out from behind garden walls.

The rhododendron seemed to act as a subtle blending agent that disguised the transition from cultivated ground to untended wilderness. This made the gardens sit more comfortably into the surrounding countryside, and somehow brought a sense of calm to the area.

I visited a new initiative that had been created by the Forestry Commission. It was still under construction, but was nearly finished, so I could see that it was going to be spectacular.

The time had come for the trees to be harvested, but instead of sawing them down in big blocks (thus denuding the hillsides) they had skilfully cleared a ten kilometre section of meandering roadway into one of the huge pine forests. Smaller paths were made into interesting walkways. All signage was made using local material.

Stone quarried out to create two fishing ponds was sculptured into monolithic way markers, steps and seating areas. Left-over stumps were carved into mushrooms, identifying a selection of walks.

It was a sensitive approach to invite people to explore and enjoy the wilder, more remote areas of the countryside, without causing excessive destruction or disturbance. It also allowed the forestry commission to generate income without having to spoil or alter the appearance of the area.

Unfortunately I shall not be so considerate when I get the lawn mower out and attack the rural meadow that was once neatly mown turf.

JOBS THIS WEEK

Begin cropping

Broccoli heads and pea pods may already be starting to form on the plants. In order to keep them cropping, they must be picked as soon as they reach an edible size.

Dead head in the borders

Perennials such as poppies, hardy geraniums, roses and irises will have flowers that have now gone over. Tidy the plants up by dead-heading them, and in so doing lengthening the flowering time.

Water pots

Even though it has now rained any plants that are in pots will need constant monitoring and frequent watering. If you are making up new pots or containers you can make maintenance much easier by incorporating a water retaining gel into the compost before the plants go in.

Published: 14/06/2003