Have you seen as many butterflies this year? I haven't — even on buddleia plants

And one of the big changes in recent years is the appearance of exotic and decorative flowers and plants in places where they had never been seen before. In times past, gardening for most people meant sowing vegetables. 

In our village, I remember one woman for the cheery pansies she proudly grew for all to see on the borders of her front lawn. The rest of the population confined their green-fingered activities to growing potatoes, cabbage, lettuce and such vegetables.

But this more mundane, practical type of gardening also offered satisfaction, not to mention self-esteem for those who boasted, for instance, the best flowering stalks and the flouriest early potatoes. One man nearing 100 years of age grew splendid heads of cabbage up to recently.

A new survey finds that 92% of British people believe that spending time in their garden boosts their mental health. There’s increasing evidence that exposure to plants, green spaces and gardening — as well as neighbourly chats over the garden wall — benefits all-round health. A similar survey here would probably turn up much the same result. The survey, published by the lawn company Greensleeves, revealed that the people getting the most out of being in the garden were those aged between 45 and 54, with 98% saying their mental health improved.

This was closely followed by people aged between 25 and 35, and the least affected were younger age groups.

Experts emphasise that, as well as making you feel more peaceful and content and improving your attention span, gardening helps combat feelings of depression and anxiety. And, of course, there’s the benefit of exercise from tasks such as weeding, digging and raking.

Little wonder then that garden centres have become busy places and that events like the Mallow Home and Garden Show continue to pull the crowds. People are also being encouraged to allow wild flowers grow for the benefit of pollinators and other wildlife.

Finally, a personal observation: there seems to be a fall in the number of butterflies this summer. Like many other species, butterflies have been declining, but we’ve seen very few this year, even around buddleia plants which have always attracted them.