See what others have noticed this week:
Maggie at: Farmer's Wife Day by Day
Melissa at Daily Life - Bits & Pieces
Karen at Random Reflections
This week what I've watched are the flowers on my one surviving Hellebore, go from bud to flower. I would really like to get more of these plant, especially in some of the burgundy & red colours. I had covered both of the plants for the winter to protect them against roaming wild bunnies & the drying north west wind. I uncovered them mid March & kept my fingers crossed. Only one of them seems to have flourished. One out of two - I'm taking that as a win.
Beautiful! I'm happy for you that one survived this crazy winter :)
ReplyDeleteCrazy winter & insanely chilly spring! When I saw on the flower buds on this one, I did a little happy dance. :)
DeleteWe have a clutch of alliums blooming at the minute - I'm always amazed at the way plants and flowers survive the seasons.
ReplyDeleteNature constantly amazes me, I think that's what I like about gardening - the wonder.
DeleteGlad you had a survivor - shame the others didn't make it. That was some long winter you had this year. I never really took much interest in hellebores till Karen expressed her penchant for them. Since then I've been taking more interest and seen some lovely varieties.
ReplyDeleteI came to Hellebore appreciation with a dual introduction; my friend's brother in law from Italy was interested in them & planted some in her garden, which when I was cat sitting I got to see the magnificent blooms, at the same time Mel at Silvery Moon was posting photos of hers ... I thought yes, must get me some of those. I really want to get a "red" (burgundy really) & a speckled red/white one, but they are SO expensive I think I'll try to convince my friend that her clump needs dividing!
DeleteIt is lovely - I'm surprised it's hardy in this zone. I guess protecting it is the key.
ReplyDeleteI cover protected mine mostly to save them from hungry bunnies in the winter - they chewed my original pink one down, also I have planted this one closer to the house & behind a Yew shrub to cut the wind blast.
DeleteLovely it has survived. Slugs love them as well. We put a copper ring around one of ours to keep the little devils out.
ReplyDeleteOh slugs like them too! I'll have to keep an eye on them over the summer, we get snails & slugs on our hostas. I usually sprinkle crushed egg shells around my special hostas
DeleteIsn't it wonderful that any have survived after such a harsh winter - beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThis one is a great example of blooming where you are planted & to hold your head high after the harshness of winter ...
DeleteI love hellebore. My white ones flourish here, but the one red one I purchased last year hasn't returned. On the other hand, two of my lupines did come back and that's a huge win!
ReplyDeleteOh lupines, I have a one lonely little baby plant that I am nursing along. In the eastern provinces, lupines are plentiful & grow wild. Lupines & floxglove are two that I struggle to grow. I read that it cannot be bunnies eating my hellebores because the leaves have a nasty taste to them ... baffling.
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