It's '6*' and the sun is shining, have been shopping!

Exciting times for you, Grandmage. I like your selection of plants, especially that Bergenia, very attractive. I am going to get some for my garden as I've noticed one doing very well in my neighbours garden! A lovely day here today too.

I think most of us have messy gardens at the moment, I do, lovely plants you bought, well done, good luck with the new border, bet it turns out brilliant,

You've done so well with your bargains, GM. I was looking at skimmia at B&Q and although they were only slightly bigger than the one you bought they were asking £6.99...so you've got one at a good price...well everything really...lol

You'll be much happier once your man has dug up the border for you. Then you can plant up...what fun you will have.

You little bargain hunter :o)) Some bargains and beauties you got there love that Bergenia beautiful colour, will look forward to seeing your new border hope it grows well for you.

Lovey day in East Anglia too!
That boarder should look great, we'll have think of other things to go in it.

Great choice - love the red Bergenia!!! Our Skimmia is not flowering - why I don't know - you have a great quality one there :):):) Hope all goes well tomorrow - it was cold today but at least it was sunny - cheered me up :)

lovely choice of plants you bought...nothing quite like a bit of plant retail therapy is there.....

I very much agree there Holly!!!

It does brighten things up both in the mind and garden when one gets rid of the old foliage in the borders and beds, then we all look out for signs of the new growth.
A very good shopping trip, your border is going to look very colourful.....

nice plants Grandmage and hope your new border soon comes back to life, is there anything in there you can save?

I have just returned from an outing today and found all your lovely messages on here, ohhhhh thank you all for your wonderful comments and most of all your encouragement and love. Gee, Yorks, w.lass, 6d, Driad, Paul, Holly, Lincs & San, how kind of you all to cheer me up. The garden was worrying me no end and I cannot do the digging anymore, everything has got too compact after all my border is about 38 years old and in need of a makeover. So the big dig will begin and yes San I can save some things, dont worry, I am going to post Margurites to Cristina and I will put some back in too as they were my grannies. I am also going to shift a pear tree into this border and going to dig out the spirea, its over 25 years old and got soooo woody. I also have seven Camillias along the fence and they need air! I will also put all my hellebores along there and in the autumn put some tete-a-tete in. I feel so much better now and will be even happier when I see this guy digging away!! Lol.

You sound so excited with all that planning, Grandma! And what a great shopping trip . . . lifts the spirits to get some bargains, and the purple Bergenia is positively shining. Beautiful sunny day today here too: I got a couple of dozen plug plants from the GC, then spent a happy afternoon potting them up in the greenhouse. Spring has sprung! :))

You will be one happy bunny,when you get your garden done,Grandmage..its a lovely feeling to get things moving..look forward to seeing the end result..and your new plants are lovely..:o)

I love the colour of that Bergenia! and my border looks a bit like yours! I am in the process of getting quotes to get rid of grass at top end of garden to replace with gravel and a patio. Less work for me as i'm the only one who gardens (hubby cuts the hedge) i'm finding it hard going these days so should make life a bit easier.

Sheila, spring certainly has sprung, well today it did,Lol and your bronze fennel seeds will be in there somewhere too! Bloomer thanks I am feeling much happier now, hope it all works out, it will look smart tomorrow pm, and SewK. you sound like me, my hubby is so lovely but he is not a gardener, he will mow the grass and chop down things but I do the rest and it has begun to worry me so I understand that you want life to be a little easier, I was thinking 'should we move' ? but then where do we go, we have lived here so long, we seem to be at that crossroad! Everyone loves that Bergenia, I have never seen one that colour before, have you?

That sounds lovely GG. I think pink and bronze look really good together. You will have great fun revamping this area....enjoy!

Will do Karen, thank you, I will enjoy watching my man do all the digging Lol. while I make myself look busy (doing very little except take pics.) !

Some nice plants you've got there. I like the purple bergenia :)
I wonder what you'll do with the border.

Hi Hywel have been out in the garden for five hours now and things are looking great, I should have had this done years ago!!!

5 hrs ! Your garden is imaculate now then :)

Hope you've been wrapped up warm, Grandmage, it's been cold here. Looking forward to seeing your 'new' border :)

Nice plants but I really like that bergenia.

Hywel we have only just managed 2/3 of the border and we were out there for six hours! I did get very cold Gee and am sitting here with a shawl around me and the fire on! Thanks Laura, the bergenia is in its new place and looks fab.

How exciting, a whole border to redesign, like your choice of plants.I was realy pleased with the skimmia's I planted in the tubs at the end of last year, over the winter and they are still looking great!

Sandy, I love Skimmias too, not sure where to put this one though, I have soooo much space now its a bit daunting!! Can't win Lol.

Looks as if your raring to go Grandmage, must admit to taking a shine to that bronze Bergenia.
Happy planting.

Thanks Stroller, I will indeed enjoy the planting as I now have loads of room!! I had to buy the Bergenia as I have never seen that colour before.

Looking forward to seeing your pics when you have planted up....great selection.

Dd, this is just the beginning!!!!

love ur plants madge ....... got that shimmia myself ....... love those hellerbores very pretty !!! , soon come together ..... x

Thanks Cristina, you are right it will soon come together, if only it would get warmer and stop raining!!! x Got a Ceonothus today and some cowslips and iris!!!!!!!!

ooooooooooo lovely ........ i got a ceonothus last week 2 ......... my 3rd attemt at these lol keep dyeing on me !!!.............. cowslips are so sweet x

I lost my Ceo. too so thought I would try again!!! £2 from Morrisons!! Lol xx