struggling with IDing some of our new plants

We've just moved to a new pad, and this means new plants!

To help, the garden is mainly on sandy soil, with some clay patches near the bottom of the garden (on a slope) It has been neglected for last 5 years, but seems to be evidence of "proper" planting in the past - eg fancy conifers, Quince, old roses, etc.

Here goes



big red blousy thing (about 2 metres across). Leaves look like dock. Normally swarming with honey-bees.

close up of the flowers


bushy thing, about 2.5 metres tall. Thought possibly a Hibiscus, but no sign of flowers.

...again, a close-up of the leaves. Doesn't look so sycamore-like in the flesh - especially next to the sycamore sapling!


Finally, a strange floppy plant, about 50cm high, 2 metres across...

 

1. and 2. Looks like Persicaria amplexicaulis.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Persicaria amplexicaulis&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=rcs&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=-YE3UL3YMYqe0QXfooGYAg&biw=1184&bih=594&sei=_IE3UI3ZJqrI0QXi-IGIDw

3. and 4. Look like Viburnum sp.
Would be easier if it had flowers/ berries.

5. Please can you add a good close up pic to this thread. Am I seing flowers?

 

5. Please can you add a good close up pic to this thread. Am I seing flowers?

 

Thanks for your swift reply!

Persicaria amplexicaulis - there's a mouthful to remember! Red bistort as the normal common name?

I've just checked the plant in 3 and 4. No sign of any flowers or berries. However, it is in an over-grown grouping with Photinia Red Robin, a Skimmia and some Rhodedendrons - all apart from the Skimmia over 2 metres high.... Oh, and a struggling rose, being squeezed out as you watch!

Here's a close-up of the flowers on 5. When I took 5, just a few days ago, they looked like pale green berries - now they've opened up...

 

Many thanks for new pic.
You mention pale green berries... these are the flower buds!
That is Euonymus sp.
Very difficult to say which one.
Next will come the seed capsules, which will be very distinctive and MAYBE of help with the id.
It reminds me of Euonymus myrianthus... but cannot be positive.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=euonymus+seed+capsules&btnK=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=KJI3ULbPAsW00QWKyoGQCQ&biw=1536&bih=776&sei=KpI3UJ-JOum70QWC2oGQBw

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=euonymus+myrianthus&um=1&hl=en&biw=1536&bih=776&tbm=isch&tbnid=UlVJSVt-wgSDZM:&imgrefurl=http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/winter-berries/index.html&docid=cDMO43m_L-sphM&imgurl=http://hgtv.sndimg.com/HGTV/2006/01/13/gby1204_3f_euonymus_lg.jpg&w=615&h=462&ei=TpM3UNf3JcPH0QWug4CYCA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=933&vpy=293&dur=3391&hovh=196&hovw=260&tx=130&ty=117&sig=105050878957448920657&page=1&tbnh=127&tbnw=196&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:12,s:0,i:106

If Viburnum very crowded by other stuff maybe that explains lack of flowers/ berries.

 

Deep blush!

 

I've just found an old photo of the plant in 3-4, which the previous owner sent me.

Looking at the rest of the plants, I reckon this was taken soon after they moved in, 3 years ago...
you can also see the photinia to the left, the skimmia tucked in to the right of the viburnum, and also the 2 rhododendrons...