Spring Begins...
The snow is disappearing with the rise in temperatures and the rain. The hellebores are lifting their faces to the light. Some are still buried in drifted snow banks, but some are brave enough to make an appearance. Helleborus niger ‘Jacob’ is one of my all time favorites! Being a H. niger, or Christmas rose, it is one of the first to bloom in my garden with some clumps blooming since January. I’ve planted it in many areas to spread its winter cheer. The nigers are outward facing which is a plus! One of the pretty pink hellebores is ‘Walberton’s Rosemary’, a cross between a Christmas and a Lenten Rose. The red buds from H. hybridus ‘Ice and Roses Red’ will burst into bloom in March. H. foetidus has been in bud and bloom almost all winter. Its green flowers are rimmed in red. H. ‘Ivory Prince’ has a creamy cast while H. niger ‘Snowbells’ is certainly an icy white. I’m looking forward to seeing the Lenten Roses in April.
"Blossom by blossom the spring begins."
~ Algernon Charles Swinburne
~ Algernon Charles Swinburne