This IS their week! It belongs to them. I don’t know how they got into our garden and they’re not plants I feel I own. They’re strange aliens. I had them for years before I knew they even could flower (they never did). And my pond is tiny and they threaten to take it over every year. Also they grow in water, they grow on land – what’s that about?

I’ve just looked them up and I’m going to divide the bejasus out of them once they’ve finished flowering, but this a week to look at them and love them.

(I’m see on the RHS website they’re listed as thugs and in fact large numbers of the plants that I’m pleased with myself for managing to cultivate (Japanese wood anemones for example) are on this list.

I tried to draw them! I think I’m going to try this more often because it made me really look at them. I thought…

• They look even more alien when you study them! Like little dragons.
• The pattern that draws bees in is incredibly beautiful (and effective! I like the way bees disappear inside them).
• The leaves are really beautiful and vigorous and strong.