I used to think of this corner of the garden as a difficult one. Tucked in between a west-facing wall and a porch, it is dry, and in shade much of the time. I planted bergenias here not because I like them much (I don’t – they’re loud and somehow vulgar) but because they were among the few things I could think of that would survive here.

In the spring sunshine (not yet shaded by the large cherry tree nearby), teamed up with daffodils and with the red, still-nude branches of a dogwood bush, they actually look really good. A bit brash and vulgar still, but whatever.