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tortoiseshells this summer, but hardly anything special. It wasn't until I spent a few days in the Cotswolds recently that I spotted a red admiral feeding avidly on a white buddleja. Even then it was just one solitary butterfly, hardly the numbers you'd hope for

out there that punch way, way above their weight when it comes to fragrance.As an example Sarcococca hookeriana, a sparky little evergreen shrub with deep maroony leaf stems and tiny white flowers like the tassels on a stripper. Last year I had one

. Pale custard-yellow flowers, blackish stems and great leaves.Sanguisorba canadensis - I'm a complete sucker for a sanguisorba. This was one of the first I grew and is an absolute star. Spires of sparkly clean white flowers that stand beautifully all

to the girlie in me with its two-tone red and white flowers. These beans may not fruit (I s'pose that's the right term - it doesn't sound quite right for beans somehow?) as well as other varieties with their exhibition names of 'Enorma' and 'Best of All

by squirrels. I went to great lengths to build a butterfly-proof shelter around them to prevent attack from the caterpillars of cabbage white butterfly. Fortunately, this was a great success. But towards the end of the season the squirrels moved in

mental note not to make any next year. The plants have been looking stunning for a few weeks, the flowers so densely packed along the leaf-free stems that they clothe them almost entirely in white blossom. It may be sold in garden centres and nurseries

tree is under discussion again, with only one of us voting for the chainsaw option. Today I'm determined to make that voter change his fatherly mind. You see, the tree is now in blossom, covered from head to mis-shapen toe with gorgeous white, pink

of the cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, cabbage root fly, pigeons, slugs and snails. Maybe it's just as well I've got so many.

as these lovely, helpful insects I've also got a good smattering of the not-so-helpful varieties of wildlife, such as slugs, snails, chafer beetles and assorted aphids.I've also spotted a few cabbage white butterflies hovering around my brassicas. It's hard

uncamouflaged against the white. It does not need to be hidden, its bright colours are a warning that it is revoltingly poisonous should anything be foolhardy enough to try and eat it.My garden pond has got a puncture. We were really proud of the original design