Lovely early ground cover. Self seeds prolifically but I don't really mind. It seems to put itself in suitable places.

Simply lovely, great silver peeling bark, beautiful autumn colours and now about 11m tall.

I inherited this and it is at the back of the bed. It provides lovely foliage colour variation in the bed in summer and really comes into its own in the autumn when everything else has finished and its leaves turn lovely colours. As a result it still there despite the numerous punctures I have received from it while pruning roses and the Buddleja.

In 2012 I re-created the North facing front garden, got rid of a very old privet hedge, dug a completely new bed beside my new low wall and railings and have planted things that I hope will manage with light but very little direct sunlight. This Astrantia is one of them.

In 2012 I re-created the North facing front garden, got rid of a very old privet hedge, dug a completely new bed beside my new low wall and railings and have planted things that I hope will manage with light but very little direct sunlight. This Astrantia is one of them.

Usually Aronia is a shrub but this is a tree. It has been grafted onto a tree trunk at 1m so will grow to just under 2 m. It has white flowers in Spring then red fruits in autumn and fabulous autumn colours. I bought it from the tree nursery Trees for Life/FP Mathews in Tunbury Wells.

I loved this plant. It has fabulous bark, is evergreen and has small white flowers with round red fruits hence being known as the strawberry tree. Unfortunately I thought it was a shrub and it grew too big, too close to the Cytisus batandieri.

In 2012 I re-created the North facing front garden, got rid of a very old privet hedge, dug a completely new bed beside my new low wall and railings and have planted things that I hope will manage with light but very little direct sunlight. This Aquilegia is one of those and I planted three.

This is an amazing Aquilegia. It is incredibly exotic looking but tough as old boots. It is tall (1.5m). It also flowers in spring bringing hot colours to the red bed and has come up each year since planted and flowers for a long season. I have moved it in 2012 so I hope it will forgive me for 2013. I'm hopeful - it is putting on new growth in Jan. I must propagate it and add more to the bed.

In 2012 I re-created the North facing front garden, got rid of a very old privet hedge, dug a completely new bed beside my new low wall and railings and have planted things that I hope will manage with light but very little direct sunlight. This Anenome is one of them and I planted three. Looking good in August 2013.