Helleborus in profusion
Well there has been an explosion of flowers over the last two weeks. We are back to a more wintry cold and windy day today, but we have had some stunning sunny days which have moved us well into Spring. Perhaps nothing captures the change for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day so much as the Hellebores. The variety of shapes, sizes, and colors is remarkable. Here are a few examples
Helleborus ‘Kingston Cardinal’
Helleborus Ice N’ Roses Red
Hellebore white/pink double
Helleborus x lemonnierae ‘Walberton’s Rosemary’
A little plant of Helleborus thibetanus is not to be missed.
Helleborus thibetanus
The Camellias are all in fat bud or flowering at the moment.
Double Pink Camellia japonica
It’s also the time for the daffodils to begin all over our hillside. One of the pleasures of each year are the small clumps in the woods.
Narcissus ‘Little Gem’
Also in the woods are couple nice Scilla that are fun to come upon.
White Squill in the woods
Scilla bifolia ‘Rosea’
Like the Daffodils they are not bothered by the animals and are gradually expanding.
There are a number of Iris histroides in flower now.
Iris histroides ‘Major’
Iris histroides ‘Finio’
This last is a new addition from Odyssey Bulbs.
The cyclamen coum have been a real pleasure this year. We had never had spring cyclamen before.
Cyclamen coum
The first of the Hepaticas is out in bloom.
Hepatica x media
The first Glory of the Snow are also making their appearance
Chionodoxa forbesii ‘Pink Giant’
They run wild in our pasture and there will be many more on the way.
Back in the alpine area I was pleased to see the Dionysia make a very early appearance
Dionysia involucrata
In the same trough is a Saxifrage that is not far behind.
Saxifraga ‘Valerie Keevil’
On the sunny side of the alpine beds the Draba hispanica is moving rapidly through flowering
Draba hispanica
Right next to the Draba the Aubrieta is beginning to flower with many buds visible as well.
Aubrieta ‘Royal Red’
And the small Asphodelus that I acquired from John Lonsdale is coming into flower as well.
Asphodelus acaulis
And in the greenhouse there are rampant pleasures as the plants imagine that we live in the tropics.
Amaryllis Green-Red
Scilla peruviana
Lachenalia unicolor
And then finally a spectacular Ferraria
Ferraria crispa