First post for a week as the garden has been all consuming and so far my body has withstood the onslaught of bending, digging and pruning! Nothing slow about spring in this climate. One day it is winter and the next day spring. Suddenly I have a a small range of flowers in the garden including one of my favourites, Hellebores. It is amazing how they erupt through ground, frozen like iron, to produce these beautiful blooms. There are more to come but for today I have the :-

Matching Hats

I grew up calling these lovely plants ‘Christmas Roses’ because in a milder climate Hellebore niger blooms at that time of year. There are many species of Hellebores but this and Hellebore orientalis, The later flowering, Lenten Rose, are the only ones I have had success with in our very cold winters. Both tend to bloom at the same time in spring in our climate. Originating from Europe and with many hybrids now on the market, there are many types to choose from but I find the originals to be the toughest.

The flower ladies here are displayed with a small sprig of Forsythia and a papier mâché doll who also originated in Europe. Also shown is another little rhyme from Reginald Arkell, ‘Green Fingers’ 1934.

Please head over to cathy’s ‘Rambling In The Garden’, where she hosts the IAVOM theme.

In a Vase on Monday: Razzle Dazzle