Today I made a foray into the semi-snowy wasteland that is my back garden to see if I could find any hellebore buds. Recent snowfall has covered the big Christmas rose—Helleborus niger—with a white blanket. I scratched through it, but no buds have had the courage to pop out yet. Next week, after a few … Read more
I hate to brag, but my hellebores are glorious. Little plants that I bought several years ago and installed in my front strip on a wing and a prayer have arrived at maturity. The gentle, open winter, with few really cold days and little snow has been a tonic for them, coaxing them into bud … Read more
It is one month since the winter solstice and the daylight is making its tentative return. The winter so far in my little corner of the world has been a succession of long gray days with an occasional dusting of snow to remind us of the season. Most days I am able to cast encouraging … Read more
There is something very valuable in getting down on your knees and weeding or planting bulbs. Today when I was putting in some fall-blooming crocus, I noticed what I thought was a patch of clover right by a large clump of Helleborus x orientalis (Lenten Rose). On closer inspection, the “clover” turned out to be … Read more
