If I have a morning to spend in the garden I go out with a plan to water, weed and tidy. But I usually find myself standing still, watching something I hadn’t noticed before. It’s often small and moving, and more interesting than whatever I was meant to be doing. Like a ladybird on a leaf. Or a butterfly passing through. Or a hover fly apparently suspended in mid-air. Mr E is in awe of how good I am at wandering around the garden, just noticing things, while he gets on with the work!

The other day, while deadheading, I became mesmerized by a bumblebee fighting its way out of a foxglove, taking what seemed like forever to emerge. It eventually reversed out, covered in pollen, and casually flew off, completely unaware of the impression it had made.

If I’m anywhere near the buddleia (known as the Butterfly Bush for good reason) I have no chance of completing any tasks. I’m already looking forward to taking part in the Big Butterfly Count later this month, as standing still and watching will actually be the plan. Standing still and counting may well turn out to be harder than it sounds; but one of the things I love about it is that it does make you really look at what’s actually there.

In my capacity as a children’s nature writer, I was invited, back in April, to visit the new Elm Park Library Garden in London, just after it had been planted. As part of their focus on Planting For Pollinators, Havering Libraries turned a fairly bare strip of land in the middle of town into something that by now I imagine is starting to feel very alive.

Among other pollinator-friendly plants they had planted a tiny buddleia. It wasn’t doing much in April, but it was full of promise. A new generation of curious gardeners are being nurtured through books and small activities, and I can’t wait to hear what butterflies they find on their Butterfly Bush.

In my own garden I’ve noticed that as plants have grown taller around the bird feeders, the smaller birds seem more at ease because there’s more cover, and less exposure. Having observed this I’ve now moved the bird bath slightly closer. So they can now feed, bathe and drink all among the safety of the leaves.

In the pond, movement is noticeable when I’m not looking – a ripple, something just under the surface, a brief sign something’s going on whether I’m paying attention to it or not. By the time I focus properly, it’s usually gone again. Unless it’s a dragonfly – they really love an audience.

Now here’s a fascinating thought: not weeding the vegetable patch quite so thoroughly may be better for the insect population than anything I’ve actively tried to do. Some even say it leads to better vegetables. July’s lesson in distraction might be that the garden thrives when I interfere less. And who doesn’t love an excuse not to weed?

That leads me to think about the things I am doing, without really thinking. Some are small, everyday things in the garden, some sit slightly outside it. Like regular flea treatments for George, and what they might be doing beyond their intended job. It’s one of those things that feels completely separate from the wildlife garden, until you start to wonder whether it actually is...

In the evenings there’s lots to notice. Moths suddenly appearing in a way that suggests they’ve been there all along, the occasional flicker of bats overhead. The lingering songs of blackbirds and robins and the high pitched shrieks from the swifts. George, sniffing the air, aware of something imperceptible to us.

The happy upside of being easily distracted is that I don’t stay focused on anything for long enough to miss what’s actually there..

July Jobs

Top up bird baths and ponds

Keep pond-side grass long, as shelter for amphibians

Consider providing hedgehogs with a little home

Look and listen out for

Froglets, toadlets and hedgehog hoglets looking for shelter

Pipistrelle bats

The excited chatter of young birds

Get involved

The Big Butterfly Count - July 17 to August 9

Organised by Butterfly Conservation

Pondwatch – throughout July British Dragonfly Society

Wild About Gardens: Magical Moths – throughout July RHS and wildlife trusts