Signs that summer is here

According to the Guardians gardening blog, today (June 1st) marks the beginning of summer for horticulturalists.

To mark the occasion, the newspaper has constructed a tongue-in-cheek list of ways of recognising the season is upon us.

At number one, it suggests a hosepipe ban is a good way of spotting the arrival of the better weather.

However, being the UK, gardeners should also recognise summer is here when they hear predictions of flash floods on the weather forecast, the article explains.

Greenhouse owners will also end up picking crates-worth of courgettes and tomatoes and, despite working tirelessly to find them all, will still discover an extra courgette the size of a marrow when they next don their gloves.

It also points out many growers will have put out their sun lounger, but rarely find the time to use it.

A number of other suggestions are made, but for gardeners the articles final note may sum up the summer.

"You just love every minute you can be outside," completes the list.

According to a recent Halifax survey, 39 per cent of people in the UK are set to invest in a garden improvement this year.