Good afternoon! I write this from one of the hottest days of July, think its sitting at about 26 degrees in Edinburgh at the moment. You really feel the UK’s lack of air-conditioning in these summer months!

But, the one benefit of July is the explosion of life around you.

For me, one of my favourite places to experience this is actually my local graveyard. As many graveyards only cut back vegetation minimally, the really old ones can often have this really lush, natural feel to them. Mine has this amazing patchwork of different species, mostly dominated by large swathes of nettles and brambles; with the odd gravestone breaching from the ocean of green.

Where nettles are not dominating there are clusters of rosebay willowherb. Also known as fireweed in America, which perhaps feels like a more apt description. There is so much colour and variety when you take the time to look for it.

And not just plants, but with all the insect life attracted by the plants, and the natural shelter provided by the brambles, you get many species of birds; such as dunnocks, wrens, blackbirds and blue tits; among many others.

Head out to your local graveyard with an ID book; can also just snap a few pictures; and see how many plants you can identify! This alone can go a long way towards building back that connection to nature and realising that all plants (even ivy!), serve an important service.