I'm not sure why I like gardening. It's a lot of hard work. But there I am, squatting among the pots in the hot sun, weeding, hunting down slugs and ugh .. aphids. These pests are the bane of a gardener's life. Yet, I keep at it.

My heart seems to blossom along with the deep pink blooms of the desert rose. The Mexican oregano fills my nostril with a balmy scent whenever I clip its leaves. As soon as the sweet basil shoots grow into a deep green hue on stems still tender, they're perfect for pesto! There's more for another day in the kitchen, a different recipe.

My garden gets unexpected visitors too. Welcome ones like sunbirds (see picture) flitting from flower to flower drawing nectar. And recently spotted, ladybirds. They eat aphids. Will they get rid of the pests once and for all?

I'll keep you posted.

Postscript added on 10 Oct 2023: Note: Thank you to those who have written to let me know you enjoy reading my column but daren't take a lesson because there are parts you don't really understand. I assure you we'll always speak at a level which suits you so that we can enjoy a casual conversation. Also, we can go through words and sentences that are difficult so that we learn together. Perhaps, they will be easy then and we'll always have something to talk about. No stress!