This is the month for Hellebores in this my neck of the woods. Here's Helleborus niger 'Unico'
An interesting tidbit about double Hellebores from Wikipedia: "Recent breeding programs have also created double-flowered and anemone-centered plants. Ironically, doing this is actually reversing the evolutionary process in which hellebores' true petals had been modified into nectaries which become the extra petals in double, semi-double, and anemone-centered flowers."
I remember the first year that Dan Hinkley showed up at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show with some of his first double hellebores which became the hit of the show. As I recall, they were fairly expensive back then. Fortunately, they now cost about the same as any other hellebore. This was one of my first doubles that I got years ago by participating in a buying co-op. We got a flat of year old seedlings and shared them.
New in my garden H. 'Anna's Red' is a sweet thing with beautiful flowers and foliage. I look forward to it growing a larger clump!
Hellebore 'Onyx Odyssey'
Such a welcome sight during the winter months!
Is it in poor taste to look up a lady's skirt? Let's just call this lifting her head to see her lovely face because that sounds so much nicer.
A favorite of mine is beautiful looking shyly downward.
Equally lovely this way!
Hope you're not bored looking at these yet. I've more but will end with this cutie.
In case you were wondering, yes, Abutilon megapotamicum is still blooming but my pictures were dreadful this time. Also still blooming are Chimonanthus praecox "Luteus," Sarcococca and Lonicera fragrantissima. Add to that fragrant symphony the super sweet notes of Daphne odora on a 65 degree day and zowie, there's quite an olfactory treat in the garden!
Inherited Galanthus have spread all over my garden
With the help of the darling squirrels, crocus from this bed are now also blooming in the lawn, in other beds and random pots. I don't mind at all!
Speaking of spreading, these violets came from somewhere and started as one small plant. They've spread a bit and now there's a nice sized patch that is smothering out the grass in the lawn. I'm not fond of lawn but can't plant in this particular area because periodically, we have to erect scaffolding on top of this area. I do love these violets and the fact that they're evergreen, need no or very little water in the summer, and their density of growth smothers out everything else. How long do you suppose it will take these to get rid of of the grass in the lawn? If I want them to spread, should I cut the clump up and deposit bits all through the lawn?
Here's another question: Should I cut all of this splayed out growth off of Helleborus argutifolius after it's done blooming or should I let the new growth emerging from the middle hide the bare legs of the earlier foliage and leave the whole thing alone?
The Camellia japonicas are in full swing now!
Bright red! Yum.
Hey, I didn't kill Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' after all. Go figure. It's a bit late in blooming this year.
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'
Jasminum nudiflorum
Stachyurus praecox with swelling buds will be in bloom by the end of the month.
Euphorbia wulfenii
Grevillea victoriae 'Marshall'
Garrya elliptica. The tete a tete daffodils are open and today the first full sized daffodil started to show color but it isn't open yet.
