Just a note about the weed matting that I mentioned...

I've just had a gate and a small area of bamboo screening put up and a retaining wall fixed that had fallen down from excessive flooding earlier in the year and to get to it all some of my plants had to be removed.

I've just been out there now preparing the area for replanting. I've ripped up as much of the weed matting that I could. I've decided I don't like it at all! So I got into the earth and mulched it all out in preparation. I think the weed matting was stopping the water getting into the soil actually. hmmmnn