But even if we have a different set of problems from gardeners in the south of England, where bleached blooms and hosepipe bans are a more typical problem, the basic elements of preparation for those hopefully sunny says ahead is the same as ever.

In Scotland, particularly, it’s wise to protect tender plants even in supposedly good weather, as they’re vulnerable to late frosts.

If you’re into vegetable gardening, as so many people increasingly are these days - it tastes great and saves money - now’s also the time to earth up potatoes and plant any that still have to be placed.

Except in the coldest parts of the country now’s also the time to plant our summer bedding and where practical mow the lawn every week (because while you may not notice it at first we’re entering the rapid growth period that can turn “untidy” to “jungle” very quickly.

Since we do get a lot of rain, it’s a good idea to actually collect that rainwater and find ways of recycling the water for irrigation, and, although it seems obvious, another pre-summer chore worth keeping on top of is to hoe off the extra weeds that sprout at this time of year, again to save yourself a great deal of hassle later.

When you get the chance, in between rain squalls and other unseasonable weather diversions, lift and divide any spring flowering bulbs and clumps of daffodils that are starting to look overcrowded - and, while being generally happy about biodiversity, watch like a hawk for viburnun and lily beetle grubs.

A blether with regular shoppers at a gardening centre and most towns have a well-equipped Tesco within easy reach - will give you added inspiration for finding the best ways of gearing up for the “good” season that’s just around the corner, while also helping you to keep up enthusiasm during the seemingly never-ending “rainy season”.

You’ll find yourself considering ways of doing things that may seem purely theoretical at the moment, but which will come into their own later - for example deploying your most exuberantly flowering plants in areas of the garden that catch most sunlight, and putting those less flashy plants in shaded areas where they won’t be shrivelled by any sudden burst of warm weather.

Generous watering is advised once that proper summer weather does arrive, but don’t overdo it or the foliage will start to overwhelm the blooms, and the plants may be less able to cope with a long spell - unlikely although it may seem - of dry weather.

Fewer waterings but with plenty of water allows roots to go deeper, allowing plants to be more resilient and able to stand up to sudden changes of weather, which of course is a particular Scottish speciality.

Get the right elements of preparation in place now, and with average luck everything in your garden will ultimately be lovely - even if those deck chairs never quite make it out of storage.