In summer, gardens smell wonderful, especially if there is a lime tree to provide a backdrop of scent all day long. At dusk, honeysuckle starts to dominate, and the sun-loving bees make way for the night-flying moths. As evening begins to fall, yet more perfume is produced by nicotiana, night-scented stocks, and the self-seeded evening primroses.

This is also the month when a new generation of bats start hunting for their supper. Watch them swooping over the scented flowers, snapping up unsuspecting moths. Some species fly all the way from Africa. It's rather sad that after this epic journey on such delicate wings they could end up as supper for a bat.

These are mischievous characters, well known for raiding bird tables and foraging in gardens. July is quite a challenging time for foraging grey squirrels. The young buds of sycamore and other trees that are a favourite source of energy in spring have become fully grown leaves. However, it will be a while before garden fruits, berries and nuts are available to take their place. To make matters worse, the squirrel population now contains a great many more individuals, as the young have been weaned and are competing with the adult squirrels for food. So in mid-summer insects become an important part of the squirrel's diet. Don't be too surprised then if you come across one chewing on a beetle or making a snack of a passing butterfly.

By far the best garden scent in July, apart from the smell of an early evening barbecue, comes from the blossom of a huge lime tree. The commonly cultivated lime, Tilia x europaea has one main drawback. By mid-summer the leaves are alive with aphids that produce sticky honeydew. This is disastrous for cars or garden furniture. Nevertheless, the lime is still a tree that looks stunning and smells great. The limes in city streets and parks are one reason why urban beekeepers are so successful. Pollinating insects love them. In eastern Europe people harvest the blossoms each July to make lime flower drinks or jellies.

The seedlings of lime trees are rather a surprise. The seeds that the mice fail to find all seem to germinate. The first two leaves on each seedling are deeply cut, very pretty, and quite unlike those of the mature parent.