What has MIL done to my garden?

[UnrelatedToElephants]

My lovely MIL has been on a bit of a gardening jaunt while visiting, and has bought and planted out some mystery plants, kindly tagged with her own name - fab.
I think she thinks I'm a lot more expert than I am with this gardening lark!
Can anyone help me identify these?

I thought elder for second one too. But I can't see pics very well on phone.

Nah we've got two astilbe - they're knee high and wide. This chap is a gangly shiulder high creature. Definitely planted by her, but it could be a weed she brought me!

If its furry, 3 could be sorrel. Crush a bit in your hand - is it lemony?

They look like weeds

Is she a nice mil?

I've got a bit of a reputation for beig a useless clumsy oaf around PILs so don't really want to ask - I will if I have to, but I'm enjoying the illusion of pride. Plus, this IS more fun. I'm hoping they will reveal their true form soon enough!

Off to go crush some No. 3 (sounds like Chanel! )

Does your mil secretly hate you and they're all weed?

leaves conversation ashamed to admit I know NOTHING about gardening

Sorbus?

*weeds NOT weed. If it was weed I would be waiting for the police to call.

I thought the middle one looked like elder, but thought it might not flower til bigger? Anyway you can make elderflower champagne with the flowers and elderberry port in a few years time if it is! The last one I thought might be dock - rub the leaves on nettle stings and they take the pain away... do you have an abundance of nettles?

Maybe MIL secretly hates me and is using me as her drug mule. Who knows.

No 3 doesn't smell of lemon (more of a wet grass smell). And actually isn't hairly on the leaves, just the stems.

No2 definitely looks more like elder than spirea.

They were all planted a month or so ago, and she's topped them with the clay soil. They are composted underneath. Has she really used compost to plant me a dock leaf?

Does it help to know number 3 is covered in blackfly?

I agree that number 2 looks like a sambucus/elder. 3 looks like a weed, have you done something to upset your MiL?

I think 2 could be a Rodgersia.

1 definitely a hellebore.

3 is a weed IMHO

Just to explain my theory - it seems to look a bit like this.

Hard to tell without the flower spikes though.

3 doesn't look like sorrel but I don't know what it might be . Why did she tag them with her name?

2 agree spirea, though the photo isn't very clear is it definitely not a hydrangea?

Number 3 I think is Persicaria
Persicaria

I have it in my garden, but have had to search high and low for the name!

Oh, and number one is def. a hellebore. It should flower around January. DH loves them.

Number 2 looks like an elder, but I'm surprised she planted it, if it is one.

Isnt elder a weed

No 3 is a primula denticulata, they normally flower early summer.

No2 looks a bit like a spirea, but the flower head looksee like and elderberry. Hope you've got plenty of space around it, if it is an elderberry'

Why would she plant a common elderberry, though?

Hellebore, Astilbe and bistort
all long lasting reliable flowering perennials

a bit silly of her to plant them without the seller labels though

the first one is a slightly sick looking peony - not a helibore
the second is angelica
and the third is dock ( probably a weed covering whatever she planted)

Ahhh bistort

that is the one I was thinking of for no 3 too Talkin.

Sorry darkness I think you are wrong on all three.

I see why you think it's angelica, darkness, but I think the leaves are wrong - angelica's quite fleshy & sappy whereas in the pic they're deeply grooved and defined.

I'm still sticking to Rodgersia!

Where are you, OP?