Early Spring in the garden

While it is early Spring, there is still a high chance of colder weather up until May.   I am enjoying the early flowering plants, such as this unnamed camellia. 

Hellebore Ice and Roses is doing beautifully, with really tall stems and more upward facing flowers.

The unnamed double camellia which Mum gave me quite a while ago now is looking lovely too.  I think this may be a camellia williamsii.

The flower colour is very zingy!

The cyclamen coum and snowdrop pot has been bringing colour to the shady patio.

While cardamine quinquefolia is lightening up the shady border.  It does spread, but so far isn't trying for garden domination...yet.  

The hellebores in the garden are flowering now but seem to be a little less prominent than they were.  Perhaps they were affected by the heat and lack of rain during the last couple of summers.

These are Harvington speckled ones and you do need to lift the flowers up to see the patterns.

I think this one may be a self-seeder from the original but I am happy to leave it in the garden.  It is a joy to welcome these lovely plants each year.

Winter flowers

Although it is still quite early for a lot of plants to be flowering, there are plants to enjoy. Above is Hellebore Winter Ballet Lulu, recovered after having a snowy hat.

Here is a Hellebore Credale double with just one flower so far, but a beautiful looking pink picotee edge to the petals.

Hellebore Hello Ruby just starting to flower.

Hellebore Ice and Roses Red looking very glamorous.

Cyclamen coum with its silvery leaves and pink buds.

Snowdrops, which really do need dividing this year.  They used to have lots of flowers but these have dwindled so I really need to dig them up, divide and replant them, giving them more room.  Of course, the heat in Summer is not really to their liking, so that won't have helped. 

Three more flowers.

Finally, Hellebore Ericsmithii Winter Sunshine, again flowering but perhaps not quite so happily as in previous years.  It may not have liked the heat either, but may need to be in a bigger pot now.  Lots for me to do when the weather is slightly less wet!

Hellebores in December and a new purchase

As you may know, I do like hellebores. I have some in the border, but most are in pots.  I didn't mean to start a collection, but I might have done so.  They are perennial, easy care and flower during winter and early spring. The flowers stay on until later in the spring, so they are really good value plants.   These are all in pots and all bloom earlier than the ones I have in the border.    Above is Winter Princess Victoria, with emerging leaves and flower buds.

This is one of the Ice and Roses series, much further ahead than any of the others, which is one of its selling points, I think. 

One of the Credale series, (either single white or double pink picotee) just tentatively showing new leaves and the tips of other leaves or possibly buds poking through the soil.

Reliable Eric Smithii Winter Sunshine, with lots of buds.  This one probably needs repotting now.

Here is my latest addition - Winter Ballet Lulu.  This series has larger flowers and the plants themselves are about 45 cm once fully grown.  In pots, they all remain a little smaller.  These flower earlier than many of the others and apparently stay flowering for a longer period.  I am in good company with my purchase as on Gardeners World last Friday evening, Adam Frost was planting some of the Winter Ballet series, but the white ones, in his garden. 

The flowers are big, bold and beautiful.  I look forward to seeing them through the Winter and into Spring.  

Hello Hellebores 2025!

The hellebores are putting on a lovely show at the moment and it is always a joy to see them. Most of them are in pots in shady areas and seem quite happy.  (I may have added three more to the collection this year, so let me show them to you first.) Above is a single white hellebore in the Credale series.

My most recent purchase was this beauty - double pink picotee in the Credale series.

Here is Ice and Roses in flower now and yes, as promised, it does have a red flower.

These are the hellebores I have had for a while.  This is Harvington Pink...

...and here is Winter Princess Victoria.

Hello Ruby has proved to be a great addition to the collection and is a reliable flowerer.

Helebore ericsmithii Winter Sunshine is still flowering and does provide sunshine on a dull winter day.

Hello White Pearl is also a reliable flowerer and has put on a wonderful show this year. I was pleased to see the little ladybird busily hoovering up some pesky aphids.

Harvington Pink spotted, I think.

Finally, Harvington Pink Picotee.  These last two are in the shady border, but don't seem to do quite as well as the ones in pots.  However, they are spreading around and I now have two speckled ones.  There is also a white one which is growing in amongst Hydrangea Annabelle, but isn't quite in flower yet. 

They are a good source of pollen and nectar for early bees, so are a great addition to the garden.

New and old

I may have purchased a couple of new hellebores - it's that time of year when I really want to do some gardening, but the weather doesn't always play ball. So, to cheer myself up, new plants need to be bought!  I do have a few hellebores now, but I don't think I have a white one, or if I do, it doesn't make its presence known very often. I saw this one online and ordered it.  It came very well packaged, in really good condition and I was very pleased.

It is such a pretty plant. It is a single white hellebore in the Credale series.

The other one I bought is called Ice and Roses and is still in bud, but again, it is a good quality plant. It should have red flowers.

The snowdrops in the garden are in flower - these are large ones, originally from my Mum's garden, so always make me think of her. 

Hellebore Hello White Pearl is still flowering away...

...as is hellebore Winter Sunshine.  Hellebores can be relied on to brighten the dull, grey winter days.