the first is a hellebore

Hi Pamsco, here are my best three guesses! :) The top one is Helleborus Argutifolius, the middle one I am really not sure, but it could be Gunnera Magellanica, try googling that and see what you think...I also think it may be a creeping campanula..does it have blue flowers at all in the summer? And finally, I believe you have a daphne there...does it have a beautiful scent Pamsco?

I was thinking that the third photo was a redbud. They tend to look dead when they are dormant, and to lose their leaves early in drought.

You might be right, but my redbud has very dark, almost black stems. Could be a different kind though, but this pale stem looks to me like daphne mezereum, which to me, always looks dead for ages before it flowers.

This is my first winter in the garden (new house) so I don't know about flowers and scents yet.

Thank you all for the iDs.

Karensusan I did a bit of googling from your post and I reckon number 2 is Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) the leaves look identical. I'm not sure I'll leave it in place to find out about flowers as it looks invasive.

Number 3 has looked like like a cloud of bendy branches for so long. I'll post a photo when the buds are fully open.

The first would be H. argutifolus as Karen says, I don't recognise the second and the third looks like one of the prunus family, say a flowering cherry?

Thanks bulbaholic - no 3 is not a great picture for context. There is no trunk in this shrub, growth is from the base.

All so think 2nd pic to be campanula, we've got it in our garden have not found it to be invasive, nice as a rockery plant and grows in old walls etc.

Campanula rapunculoides is an invasive plant. It grows tall and must be dead headed before it self seeds. If you feel there is more than you want and you would like to plant something else dig it out and pot it up.I should warn you though if it likes the soil and it seems to, then you may need to use tumble weed on it to get rid of it as a small piece of root will grow in to a plant. I saw this in a cottage type garden in Dunbar but could never find one to buy. I now know why it is not widely available as it is spreading through a border like wild fire. I still love it as it is very tall and has lots of flowers.

It is spreading pretty fast and smothering other seedlings so if there is a break in the rain this weekend I'll clear back - carefully!

I think it is the tallest campanula available it is a pity it is an invader. It is also very effective in a perennial border. The bees love it.

This campanula is awful to clear! The roots are really delicate I think I'm stuck with it.

What would anyone say to a suggestion of Doronicum for number 2?

The leaves don't seem as pointy at the end - but not sure.

The buds have opened on no. 3 and it is daphne mezereum and it looks like rubra. Very pretty but very leggy as well.

The flowers are on the ends so I will see what it looks like after flowering and will maybe give it a light prune.

If this is campanula rapunculoides I am surprised that it is spreading through the winter. Mine can not be seen at the moment. I do not think you will have long to wait for flowers and then we may all see what it is.