Gone are the days of returning from a nursery with a particularly unusual specimen, planting it, and after a quick check to memorise the name in the naive belief that it will stick, throwing away the label. I have learned that grey cells never quite work in the way they were meant to, especially when it comes to botanical names. It helps when there is a common name, say marigold for tagetes, because not only is it easier to keep hold of but there is twice as much chance of recalling at least one of the names, and then the other can be looked up in one of the many gardening encyclopaedia currently available. That is if it is listed! There are so many new or previously unfashionable plants appearing on the market that slightly out-of-date volumes, although otherwise excellent books, often do not list them.

The real problem arises when there is only a tongue twisting botanical name that bears no relation to anything else. An immense effort is required to find a new spot in a rather disorganised mental filing system. Having learnt by my past mistakes I now leave name tags attached to new plants for as long as possible so it is possible to check and re-check until it sinks in. One treacherous tendency of the memory is to come up time and again with the correct name and then when you need it most it is gone. On a regular basis the words "Oh God what's the name......I know it.....it's on the tip of my tongue" etc etc come out in response to a request to identify a plant. For some reason this problem, in my case at least, is associated with similar plant names. Recently when trying to name cordyline I blurted out corydalis and I am forever thinking pittosporum whilst saying potentilla. Maybe my brain has run out of storage space and just spends time reshuffling what is there. I think this matter can easily be summarised by saying that when putting in unusual plants discard the tag at your peril, otherwise it will just become "that nice foliage plant by the acer", or "that exquisite flowering perennial that has something wrong with it".

This month I visited the RHS garden at Wisley in Surrey which is little short of spectacular, with a breathtaking diversity of healthy plants, mostly with a handy name-tag, and superbly organised for visitors. The large cafeteria was doing tremendous business thanks to the hot weather and the well-stocked plant centre is a fatal attraction for the keen gardener with money to spend. I bought a clematis 'Duchess of Albany' (even I should be able to remember that one!) which is a late flowering variety with tulip shaped blossom. A number of clematis on the market are very similar, with prominent pink flowers, but I wanted one that would look slightly different to go on my new fence. One feature at Wisley that is looking particularly good at this time of year is an extended archway carrying a number of different wisteria above the great canal. It is unusual to have the chance to directly compare types in this way and the effect is stunning.

It has been a good year for the wisteria on the farmhouse. The flower clusters resemble lilac bunches of grapes, drenching the garden with exquisite scent. The view from indoors is also pleasing because it is trained along the wall above the window lintels and the flowers hang down into view, painting a sort of framed picture of the garden. The downside of this of course is that for the rest of the summer the vigorous shoots grow over the window and whilst looking pleasant to start with soon block the light and require regular chopping. The two main problems with our wisteria are firstly vulnerability to frost as the flower buds are formed, which will dramatically reduce the May show of flowers - the only compensation being the July display - and secondly the need to ensure a firm fixing for the stems which can in no time get very thick and heavy. It also has a tendency to grow out away from the house which increases the strain on the fixings, but this is no real problem if reasonable pruning is maintained.

Although the wisteria survived late frosts this year, annoyingly I lost all my annual salvias and bedding dahlias to a very mild unexpected frost. There was no frost warning and in the morning there was no indication that there had been one except the pathetic sight of the affected plants. I started to harden off a number of young bedding plants and the rest, whilst taking a knock, have survived. The leonotis, which I am trying out for the first time this year, suffered the loss of about two thirds of their leaves but are making a great comeback.

My pergola still has not been finished, largely due to, er, how should I put it...artistic differences in the design! Since the rest of the project is completed, except for a small section of fence around my new paving and the top part of a granite wall, it is decision time and the rival factions will have to be reconciled. In the one corner we have plan 1, a pergola on one end and a roof the other - both dappled shade and full shade as well as protection from the rain if required. In another corner we have plan 2, a pergola from end to end. In another corner we have plan 3, a roof from end to end. I shall keep you posted! The good news is that I have another bed ready for planting. The new bed is quite small and will be shaded for most of the day but will be in quite a prominent position so I am looking for fairly dramatic shade-loving plants. Any suggestions are very welcome.

The new bed created along the length of the garden when the new fence went in is now full. There is a mixture of specially purchased plants - most notably a watsonia that I have been meaning to get for some time (rather like an exotic, short gladiolus) and a golden elder which is a great foliage plant - and favourite cuttings looking for a home. There are also a number of plants presented by friends and acquaintances which have been given pride of place and a number of climbers from various sources.

This time of year is tremendous for the gardener because all the plants so carefully nurtured indoors during the winter are now going out into the garden, along with the seed grown bedding and plants new to the grower, whether bought or from other enthusiasts. In some ways the luxury of buying new varieties is a reward to the gardener justified by the hard work done in maintaining the current stock. I admit that sounds like a good excuse for extravagance!! The long evenings facilitate leisurely rather than hurried gardening, and the opportunity to sit out and enjoy the fruits of sweated labour.

Another month has passed. Spring bulbs are only left in position to regenerate for next year, having lost their flowers, and are now making way for an extravaganza of growth and display from early summer specialists like perennial candytuft, saxifrages, aquilegia, hardy geranium and so on. One eye is always cast back in order to learn from past experiences but the other should always be focussed firmly forward in expectation of future gardening success, and if there are some setbacks, like slug attacks, don't worry because in gardening there are always far more successes than failures.

You can find more articles in the archive under Soiled Hands.

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