Kate Joynes-Burgess

Hopelessly overgrown topiary presents a challenge for perfectionists. This week’s mission, as garden volunteers at the National Trust’s Chastleton House, was to bring back a bloated, bushy, box hedge to its former state as a strutting peacock. We would have had better luck transforming Mr Blobby into Kate Moss.

Simon turns stylist for the Chastleton peacock

In this case, the only way forward is to exercise your imagination. Think of it as horticulture’s answer to cloud watching, a whimsical art-form eloquently explained by Britain’s eccentric Cloud Appreciation Society. Allow your mind to grant these misshapen forms another life as a bald eagle, a moor hen, or a generous-hipped bumble bee. No wonder Chastleton House’s best garden is always such a talking point.

Don’t forget to stroll along the vegetable patch where foodies visualise summery recipes for succulent cabbage, marrow, brussels sprouts, yellow courgettes and all manner of loveliness springing from the soil. Plump peaches line the lichen-clad walls of the kitchen garden that is fringed by fruit trees bearing apples and plums. Combine that with delicately-scented English roses, and a little birdsong, and your senses have really sampled the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of this potent season. Peruse this selection of photographs to get your creative juices flowing: