The hypericum ‘Hidcote’ in F2 put on a terrific display, but they’d got too big and dominant. See these pictures from last year. There were originally four plants here. One I dug out in 2019. I removed another today and cut another right back, leaving just one untouched.

I had plenty of sun loving perennials in pots to plant out in the gaps.

The santolina clearly likes it here. I’ve taken some cuttings, and I’ll try to reduce it’s spread over the pavement. Perhaps it will grow a bit from the base now its no longer covered by the hypericum.

These are my 3 hydrangeas today, having been pruned at the end of March. ‘Bluebird’ and the white mophead are superb, but the lacecap in B2 seems to be all foliage and no flower.

The lacecap in B2 has looked much better in the past (August 2017), but I can’t remember how I pruned it for this effect. It’s likely I pruned it to the ground whan I made the garden in late 2015 / early 2016. Perhaps it flowers on old wood, and what I should do is cut the stems which have flowered to the ground in spring, leaving new stems to flower later in the year.

Rather earlier than previous years, even though it’s a cold Spring. Doesn’t seem to have done any harm.

White mophead on N side of house.

Hydrangea serrata ‘Blubird’ next to Bay tree. I could still go quite a bit lower, I think.

Pinkish lacecap against E fence. It was much too tall, and being used as a support for the Clematis armandii.

Much better now, and the clematis is independently supported by the rope. It would be nice if it became lower and wider, without overwhelming the snowdrops beneath.

I’ve never cut back the Miscanthus in the past, even though it’s said to be deciduous and very much obscures the Helleborus ‘Harvington Pink’ at this time of the year. Let’s hope it recovers well.

The summer jasmine which I pruned so heavily in July has recovered better than I would have thought possible, but will it ever flower?

I had a really good go at the clematis montana at the front. Perhaps too good. We’ll see.

The clematis Montana and rosa Albertine stand out from the fence rather too much, inhibiting the plants underneath. There’s another piece of rope holding things back, and I’ll keep an eye on things.

Last night half the solanum in the NE corner blew down in a not particularly strong wind. This is a more or less annual occurrence. I must keep it more in trim. The fences are hideous,.

The Jasminum officinale on the N fence was being held up by draping itself over the fence. When the neighbours cut the bit their side my side threatened to collapse, so I cut it right back to the rather attractive branches, which are now tied in to wires.

Hopefully it will recover. The birds were crosser than I was.