Thursday, February 24, 2011

Hellebores Starting & Yard Art

Looks like our hellebores are opening up! Several plants have one or two flowers open right now. Below iare some photos of ones that would photograph, I did not post the white or pink ones as the blooms are not quite ready.

 This is an hellebore we moved from Meg's yard, last year it had about 50 blooms! This one was staring at me when I walked up.
My newest hellebore HGC 'Pink Frost" Love this photo! I was at Southern States today, the three end caps of these HGC hellebores were GONE! Jane has my number when the next 200 come in, yes 200! She has ordered Swirly Skirts, I told her I want one. Guess what I have a two year old plant tagged Swirly Skirts in the garden which has never bloomed, duh!
HGC 'Silver Moon'
One of the big plants we were given in the fall of 2009.
Here are some hellebore babies, got them coming up everywhere!

The rock irises are at peak right now!

 Our 'Crimson Candles' Camellia is just starting to light the candles! I added compost around all the camellias and hellebores yesterday afternoon.

Last Saturday we went to a yard art show and I bought this 3 foot spider for the garden! Meg wants to put a spider plant in it.
Got carried away at Southern States and picked up this copper colored gazing ball, it looks red here. Makes the setting sun look pretty cool huh?

News from the bird feeders. Yesterday we had a new visitor to the suet feeders, a Yellow-rumped Warbler. And we had two Brown Creepers on the oak tree near the suet feeders, previously we'd only seen one.

18 comments:

D said...

good morning, Randy. The Hellebores.. beautiful. We only have two in the garden, white and a purple one, nothing quite as luscious as that HGC 'Pink Frost"... very lovely.
PS: thank you for the 'red-tail' id... Several years ago I saw a similar bird (as yesterday's) in Northern CA and a "birder" identified it as red-shouldered, so I assumed he was correctly identified. After your note yesterday, I looked at other PNW photos and see that you are correct. Thank you so much... I appreciate your help! An ole gal can still learn new tricks. ;)

Alice and Stuart said...

Your yard looks like a true paradise! Those hellebores are amazing. We'll have to do some spicing up of our landscaping soon.

Randy Emmitt said...

Di,

No problem on the bird ID, always willing to help.

Alice,
WEW have lots of hellebore babies if you want some, 3 years til they bloom though. Heard Southern States in Carrboro is getting 200 plants by the weekend, $18 a gallon plant some might be more, ouch.

Larry said...

It's wonderful to see that spring bloom has begun in some areas of the country... as for us, it appears to be a pattern of heavy snows every weekend... but this too shall pass! L

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

Your Hellebores are gorgeous. So your comment that your one year old ones didn't bloom, duh... ok, I am slow, one year old Hellebore don't bloom????
I like that gazing ball photo, very cool. Agree with Meg about the spider plant in the spider, whimsy.

Chloe m said...

That spider art is cool! Good find.
You are so lucky to get to be enjoying blooms already.

sweetbay said...

Your Hellebores are beautiful. My rock iris aren't blooming ~ I hope they come back this year.

Carol said...

Wow! What gorgeous hellebores! You are so lucky! Look at those seedlings!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so jealous . . . that is all there is to it . . . better to just confess. I do believe the snow is melting a bit but lovely bright faces like yours are perhaps a month away. I love your red/copper globe and the reflection within it is stunning. Fab! I am presently working on a post about my Yellow-rumped warblers. How wonderful to see your fresh dark loam.

Skeeter said...

Your hellebores look wonderful. I had never heard of them until blogging. I do not find them in our garden centers but brought one home from TN a few years ago. After putting it in the wrong place, I finally have the right spot as I have my first blooms this year! I will post on it at some point…

Love, love, love that Spider Planter and yes, a Spider plant would be awesome in it! I so want a gazing ball in my gardens but fear the birds may peck it during mating season…

ann said...

The hellebores are so pretty. I have been considering planting some. Will they grow in Colorado? I see them in catalogs listed for zone 5. I may just have to see how they do. cheers. ann

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I love all of your Hellebores! I just bought 'Pink Frost' this year, but it's covered in snow right now. Don't you love all the seedlings?!
Love the new garden art too!

Shady Gardener said...

Oh,oh. I'm jealous. Must admit it and I'm adding more hellebores to my Spring List! :-) Snow tonight, again. That's the usual fare for this time of year, though. I've read hellebore seedlings don't usually end up true to their parentage. Let me know what happens, okay?

Anonymous said...

Man oh man, Randy, that shot of Pink Frost is simply superb!!! I would put my name on a waiting list for that one, too. Love the spider, it must be a fun place to drop some cash. Our hellebores have no names, but are just starting to open up and say hi here too. Is this spring? The iris are divine. :-)
Frances

Appalachian Lady said...

When I read your blog, I realize I'm not much of a gardener. I didn't even know you could plant hellebores--I only know of the native ones. I love the spider planter? And, the globe photo is great.

It's a windy but warm day--like March already.

Darla said...

I believe your blog content has been lifted an posted on another blog, please email me at rusdar at hotmail dot com and I'll give you the link.....I got lifted too.

Lona said...

Your Hellebore blooms are just so pretty. I hope I get at least one bloom of of mt new ones this year. I cannot get over all the baby ones coming up. That is wonderful now you can stick them all over.I love how people come up with these ideas to reuse items for the garden. The spider is so cute and a Spider plant in it is just the thing.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Hi Randy and Meg,
I've been enjoying catching up on your posts. I keep thinking I'm going to leave a comment, then the next title catches my eyes.

It sure is spring your way! I love your hellebore and crocus blooms! What a nice assortment you have! I have no blooms yet, but lots of green. I am off work today because the boys' basketball tournament is starting, and our school is closed for the day. It's supposed to get up to 50, and I hope to begin my spring garden clean up.

That looks like a nice outing you had. That's a beautiful place! I'm sorry the content was stolen.

John said...

Thanks for the observation regarding Hellebore seedlings. I looked and indeed they are everywhere. I guess I was always too busy mulching before. That led to looking at a number of the other early plants I've found lots of seedings in the snowdrops and winter aconite as well.