Silent Sunday: other news

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Brunnera macrophylla Dawson’s White, Hellebores, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', March, other news, Silent Sunday, stay safe out there

Hellebores

Hellebores

Brunnera

Hellebores

And Hellebores

In a vase on Monday: in minature

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Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', in a vase on Monday, January, Lonicera fragrantissima, miniature vase, primroses, Primula vulgaris, Viburnum bodnantense New Dawn, winter honeysuckle

It is cold and bright here and these precious blooms are out in my garden today.

A double Hellebore, primrose and Viburnum.

So pretty and so tiny. In my tiniest “vase” which is 5cm x 4cm stamped 80 underneath, it was purchased in a junk shop. Perhaps it was for mustard? Anyway it is white and perfect to hold these minuscule offerings.

Sat on my kitchen window cill I hope the warmth of the house will encourage the viburnum and winter honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima to open a little for me to enjoy the sweet honeyed scent.

What do you mean you cannot see the honeysuckle, it’s there, behind the Hellebore.

I have a few snowdrops in the garden but they are so new, so precious, I couldn’t bring myself to pick them. I hope you will now take a look at our host Cathy to see what else is flowering in deepest January.

Have a good week. D.

Tuesday view: Hellebores

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Hellebore, Hellebore v, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', March, Spring flowers, Tuesday View

The snow has melted. Colour has replaced the monochrome scene. These are the Hellebores that have survived the weather in my garden.

Hellebore viridis

Hellebore niger

Hellebore Harvington double

Hellebore hybrid from Barnhaven Primroses classified as ‘open pollinated’ Hellebores. It is rather a pot luck way to purchase Hellebores but this one is a new favourite. I especially like the colour.

Hellebore orientalis (Gwladys)

Finally this newly transferred, highly freckled one is from Gwladys Tonge’s garden, identity unknown but forever called Gwladys in my garden.

This is Hellebore season and social media is full of yummy pictures of them. If you need another fix take at look Cathy on her March post as she has joined Chloris with her monthly post to review what is looking good in the month. So many lovely plants.

Have a good day. D.

In a Vase on Monday: collecting

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crocus, crocus prins claus, grown by me, hellebore hybrid, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', helleborus viri, in a vase on Monday, March, Primula vulgaris, Viburnum bodnantense dawn

Ding dong the snow has gone and Monday started out with so much promise, mild and bright.  Alas the rain came later and my garden which was already resembling swill is now ankle-deep in water in places.  Trying not to dwell on the damage that this will be doing to some plants, I have collected a rare few flowers to show you and readers of Cathys blog today.  Do try to pop over to see her lovely blog, you will be amazed with what you see in some other vases.

Less ‘in a vase’, rather more ‘set out to dry’.

Helleborus viridis

Helleborus orientalis

Crocus, Prins Claus

Primula vulgaris

Viburnum bodnantense Dawn

The forecast for the next few days, in my neck of the woods at least, is for rain and highs of 8 or 9 degrees, positively balmy after the last few days.  Hoping you have a good week. D.

In a Vase on Monday: floating

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February, gardens open for charity, Hellebores, helleborus niger, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', Helleborus viridis, in a vase on Monday, NGS

This morning is of course Monday, that much you know and it is bitterly cold again which you may not know if you are elsewhere in the world ( hello Brother Dorris) but it is thankfully bright. As it is Monday I am going to join Cathy with a bowl rather than a vase full of hellebores.

Hellebores never last very long if cut and brought into the house, yet floating the heads on shallow water seems to suit them better. Certainly we can observe the beauty of each flower much more easily like this rather than having to tip their shy heads towards us.

I should love to be able to tell you which varieties are here but they are not mine. Hold up, not mine ? You see I visited a delightful garden on Saturday, open for the National Garden Scheme. NGS.

Old Church Cottage is in a very pretty and historic spot, brimming with snowdrops and crocus, cyclamen and hellebores. More about that another time. On the table, welcoming visitors, was this bowl of blooms. Can I pinch that? Well I just did.

Have a great day and stay warm. D.

In a vase on Monday: saved

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Daffodil, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', in a vase on Monday, Tse & Tse April vase

This Monday stage two of my boundary fencing starts.  ‘Drew was expected to arrive from Norfolk late morning, it is quite a drive after all.  It suddenly occured to me that some of the daffodils just emerging under the trees would in all likelihood be trampled.  Quick as a flash, well sort of, before he could begin to unload his van of tools and materials, I nipped out to pick a few vulnerable flowers. Daffodils and Hellebore.

I prefer to see daffodils in the garden rather than cut for a vase but these few needed saving.

 

I hope that you have had a good Monday.  More about the boundary willow weaving to follow.

Take a look at Cathys lovely blog https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2016/02/22/in-a-vase-on-monday

to read what she and other bloggers have put in their vases this Monday. These were saved from busy feet.

 

 

In a vase on Monday: Listen carefully

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blue jug, blue Roberts Radio, hedera helix, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', in a vase on Monday, ivy, pulmonaria officianalis

January has thrown all weathers at us: minus 5 degrees last week and 12.5 degrees today.  There has been wind, rain, snow and ice and now we seem  to be about to get another round of rainy weather.  Exhausting.  What’s a girl to wear? I find myself tuning in to the weather forecast each and every day.

The poor plants are as baffled as we are.  Snowdrops and daffodils are in flower. Hellebores are blooming, roses are beginning to shoot.  In London yesterday I noticed Magnolias in flower.

Yet what to choose for Cathy’s In a vase on Monday?  Well I have decided to make the most of the Hellebores, mixing two small blooms with the tiny pink Pulmonaria.

I have wound a long strand of Ivy to hold the stems together and to enjoy the scale of the ivy leaves with the flowers.  Placed in the small blue jug from the Isle of White, an engagement gift many years ago, the blue jug seems to hint at the blue tones in the Hellebores.   Positioned next to the radio, the flowers are ready perhaps to hear the all important forecast.

 

Shots of the garden taken this month.

frozen windfalls

 

A smattering of snow.

Verbena bonariensis with frost

Frozen puddles

Take a look at Cathys blog https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/2016/1/25/in-a-vase-on-monday-in-the-hall-of-the-mountain-king

Whether the weather be fine, whether the weather be not, enjoy your week.

 

In a vase on Monday: just about

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Hellebore niger, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids', in a vase on Monday, Viburnum bodnantense New Dawn

Welcome to January 2016.  I am joining Cathy at https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com with her weekly meme.  The in a vase on Monday is a great start to the week and I encourage all of you to take a look at some of the other vases submitted.  If you are inspired to take part, remember to add a link back to her site.

I admit this Monday my offering is hardly an arrangement, barely a vase full.  Three Hellebores and a snip of Viburnum bodnantense New Dawn.

Really it is more like a pot of samples, a selection for identification. Nothing artistic.

Yet they are beautiful.  Shy faced Hellebore, exposing their faces early this year due to El Nino.

Trumpets of show-stopping scent from New Dawn.

Back to school and work, 2016 is a go-go.  Judging by the early starts out in the garden, it may be interesting.  Have a great week and let us all hope the rain stops soon.  Enough already.

 

Happiness is ……………….a Hellebore or two.

Tags

Hellebore niger, Helleborus orientalis 'Harvington Hybrids'

These were taken on 28 January in a rare moment of sunshine. Today it is raining, again, and somehow they look even more delightful and cheery, so I thought I should share them. I hope you like them.