Hellebore Haze

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

Impatience

Every year there is a moment in February when the urge to garden hits me with a vengeance. That moment has arrived. Now I have to decide what do to about it. This winter has given our part of the world weeks of mild, gray weather, followed by one bad snowstorm, followed by a short … Read more

Anxiously Awaiting Hellebores

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

Hellebores and Divisions

It has taken an extra month this year, but the hellebores have finally come into their own.  Over the past few days, I have made circuits of the garden, gently raking away the dead leaves that camouflage new growth and clipping away last year’s ratty old foliage to free the flowers.  Newly liberated, they open … Read more