Yay to flowers on the bank and to revealing hitherto hidden plants!
I've just been round watering, as 2 days of sunshine are already causing the clay soil to contract. This is where not so brilliant technique with planting shows up, as one of the hellebores is being pushed up out of the soil, due to contraction from the clay around onto its relatively water retaining compost root ball. Even now I underestimate the size of the hole needed for planting, though I am much better, and with the compost mulching twice a year, the soil in general has been very improved and doesn't crack as readily as it used to.
Sarah Raven's order came beautifully packed but minus the Acanthus Rue Ledan. Oh well.
The shady white border is looking good, with silvery Convolvulus, Artemis and Stachys in among the Astrantia Shaggy (yay! 2nd year of trying!), Geranium phaeum album, Lilium martagon album, White dianthus, saxifrage, Alchemila Mollis, a white and purple lily, and of course Rose MMe Carriere going strong still, with Rose Sally Holmes as well. Later on, the Nicotiniana sylvestris, Echinacea White Swan and Hibiscus should take over with the fading Allium Everest seed heads.
My aim is to have a border of perennials rather than a border of bedding plants. Sometimes when Monty pulls things up to create a space for other things, I wonder if the distinction between bedding plants and perennials is blurred by the need for TV programmes to show action. That said, the Acanthus in his borders in the last programme looked wonderful!