Yesterday I was concerned by my lack of energy. It was a dull day which often seems to mean my ‘solar panels’ aren’t charging. Today I realised my energy was back when I began to visualise doing the gardening I’d been waiting to do when I had the energy. It was a warm, sunny day.

I made a list and completed it, except for washing the deck.

I have been transplanting worn-out plants from pots and hanging baskets into the front berm. Because of all the rain we’ve had, the soil is not like concrete as it was last summer when I planted lavender – only two of the six plants survived. This summer, a pink geranium which was looking very tired in its hanging basket is looking much healthier in the ground. A transplanted cineraria is also thriving. These plants add colour and variety to the garden strip between the fence and the grass berm. Today I transplanted snapdragons and pansies, digging out some of the over-abundant lemon balm to make room.

I tell myself that I can’t be on the go all the time and need some time to rest, ready for the next effort in the garden or whatever, but it has always worried me when I have no energy – is it creeping old age? Yet I remember in my twenties asking a friend to calculate my bio-rhythms on her phone app (did we have those then?) when I felt lacklustre or out of sorts. “That explains it!” I’d say.