I cut back the lace cap plant next to the bay tree to buds on stems that flowered last year. It’s clear that flowers are forming on the stems that these buds are growing into this year. Is this old or new wood? Either way it looks very promising, but I could have cut a bit lower to make a more compact shape.

The white mophead is also showing flowers coming on similar stems. This has had fewer, bigger flowers the last two years.

The three pots of tulips planted last autumn have done very well.

But so have the three planted 18 months ago. They’ve certainly done much better than those planted in the beds.

The pond is doing well. The London pride, bleeding heart and epimedium are particularly good.

Some santolinas, salvias, agastaches and erysimums look as though they might have been caught by the frost this last winter. I’ll give them another three weeks to show signs of life before replanting.

The thalictrum in B1 and B2 grew to about 8′ last year, which was too tall for B2. In about three weeks time I’ll give them a Chelsea Chop and see what happens.

See also May 17

The euphorbia melifera is smelling strongly of honey this year. The symphytum is rather rampant, but easy to control. The hydrangea petiolaris is starting to stick to the wall, and the ivy surely can’t be far behind.

This path is really rather too wide. The pots help, and I’ll try to plant some more overlapping edging this summer. If that fails I’ll enlarge the beds by making a new border, probably with rows of bricks. The metal edging would be hard to move, even though I’ve got some spare pieces, but it shouldn’t be difficult to get out.

Both my clematis montana plants are looking good. I’ll put up a few more wires on the front wall, and some ropes at the back so the plant can climb onto the back wall. The back clematis seems to have survived the heavy pruning last autumn.

The new bamboo in front of the garage seems to have survived the wind, snow and cold, to the extent that it’s thrown up new shoots which are growing a couple of inches a day.

This has a reputation as a bit of a thug. but I find it easy enough to control.