It's remarkable how lush and green the garden is again following what has been arguably the hottest, driest summer since the golden days of '76. There has been a fairly modest amount of rain in the past month or so but that has been enough to refresh and revive the parched ground.
 I even got the lawnmower out, something I do about twice a year. The lawn as a feature is a bit like the privet hedge: of limited ecological value but quintessentially British. And the smell of freshly cut grass is a wonderful thing.
 The concepts and ethos of Permaculture were first formulated in the 1970s by two Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren- the initial impetus being to create a Permanent Agriculture based on ecological principles.
 Bill Mollison once remarked: "David is my friend. Even though he has a lawn."

 Postscript As I finished writing the above I heard the pitter patter of rain outside the window and dashed out to get my washing off the line. The damp air and greenery was deliciously fragrant. I was reminded of an article I read soon after the drought broke. Apparently that very particular and evocative scent of rain on dry soil is created by a biological interaction between plants, earth and rainfall.