Busy in the garden

The Silver Sebrights helping as I dig the border: they are very fond of small snails.

With the weather having finally turned for the better it is at last a pleasure to be outside and working in the garden. There re lots of things to be done, but the task taking most energy is digging the big border that runs in front of the house. It was generously planted in a pastel scheme by my predecessor in the house, but had not been effectively gardened for some time before I moved in last August. In consequence the weeds had begun to get established, so a thorough digging is needed to rid it of nettles, couch and creeping buttercup before they get too rampant. As many of these are interwoven between extant plants it is easiest to get rid of these too -and I certainly don't want square yards of Stachys byzantina or Geranium renardii, however pretty they may be. I'll keep a few bits of each though, and there are other things to work round in situ, but in general the bed is being emptied and thoroughly turned over. The soil is good brown loam with very few stones, but evidently alkaline. It should grow most perennials very well - and they're waiting to be planted.

A peony that remains in situ in the border - is it going to turn out to be P. mlokosewitschii?

A tray of Campanula latifolia divisions from clumps in the border; they will look well under trees in the arboretum.

The succulents and clivias in big pots have all been given a thorough soaking to rejuvenate them after the winter. I keep them rather dry to prevent them growing much indoors in winter.

The guard is changing: the early daffodils are now more conspicuous than the fading snowdrops. This is Narcissus perez-chiscanoi.