I am writing to you from our home in Normandy in France. For new readers, we bought our house in a small village seven years ago.

Our work in the garden has paused while we, like many others around the country, are having lots of rain. It’s a good time to reflect and plan more.

In Canterbury we have been enjoying a late ‘summer’ with days going to 20°C or more, making it ideal weather for raking autumn leaves, weeding, cutting back the perennials and planting out.

We are having the most gorgeous days, with chilly nights, which make the days even more appreciated.

Over the past few weeks, Oxalis ‘Ken Aslet’ has had a few flowers and each time I look at it I think of the late Malcolm Shearer, my dear friend, who, along with his wife Anne, shared so many inspirational times with me in our garden and theirs.

An exciting thing happened last week. One of my plants, Kirengishoma palmata, came in to flower for the first time for me.

For forty years I have been visiting Ship’s Cove at Endeavour Inlet in the Marlborough Sounds.