First of February Hellebores

Folks,

Back to cold weather again this morning the thermometer said 21 degrees at 8am this morning. The pond and bird feeders are covered in ice. My mission today once it warms up more is to build a bird cage for 5 Ringed-neck Doves. Meg's daughter is leaving them in the care of Meg's school for a while. She has had them in her screened porch, I heard last night she has been finding eggs.

Anyway the hellebores are moving right along, noticing lots of babies around them. Sorry if my memory fails me Tina sent me some seeds last year, there are babies where I spread them now! My 'Gold Finch" hellebore which bloomed wonderfully last year has babies too, pretty excited about them.

Here they are from the garden yesterday.

Here is 'Winter's Song' bought it 2 years ago at Southern States, it had close to 50 blooms on it when I bought it. Thought it was a goner by the end of the first season. Season two one flower stalk, it lived IMO barely. Back in good standing this year.

This most likely a Hellebous Niger. We've had it for years, finally it blooms. Lovely foliage too.

This deep red Hellebore was one of the $10 quart Pine Knot Farms un bloomed possible doubles. Well you can see it is not a double, but still a winner, I love it!

This pink is one of our really big helleobore plants, has lots of babies under it.

This is the second year for Helleborus Viridis a species hellebore from Northern Italy. These are supposed to be hard to grow, it dies back over the summer then returns in the winter. This was smashed by a big hickory limb and lived!.

 'Red Lady" it was one of two of our first hellebores purchased here. The other 'Blue Lady' in not blooming yet.

I put this one on my facebook page yesterday. It is another of the un bloomed doubles I got from PKF. Lovely isn't it.

This is the deepest red we have it is called "Birkins" was given to me by my friend Breezy.

 Another PKF un bloomed double. Think I'll get a few more of these mystery plants this year.

 We have had this for 3 or 4 years finally a first bloom 'Swirling Skirts' Wow!

This pink one is small but wow!

Another PKF double, this is the whitest hellebore we have!

Here is one of the 2 tiny cyclamen we bought last year at the PKF Pine Knot Farms Hellebore Festival, it is a 75 minute drive from here. Think we'll get a few more there is a guy that brings at least a dozen different ones. The Festival is February 22 -23 and March 1-2  we hope to go this year.

We it is now 31 degrees out there I'm going to build that bird cage.

Hellebores out!

Folks,
Sorry I have not posted in over a month. It has been very busy here leaving me no time for myself. And I joined Facebook which has taken away my blogging time. Facebook brought me a contact who was looking for me to use 2 images in an upcoming book so that was a win win.

So our hellebores are blooming and winter arrived yesterday. The 1 1/2 inches of snow we got is mostly gone, the back steps still are covered in the shade.

 Semi double hellebore, supposed to be a picotee.

 This is my Romanian hellebore, been struggling for at least 2 years in the garden.

 Here is what one plant looked like before the snow yesterday.

 Our most common helebore.

 Hoping this opens soon, freezing temps the the next 5 days.

 Likely my most beautiful double hellebore

 This hellebore is hazy from the camera lens.

 Penguin the hen that gets out all the time. Just because it's called chicken wire it does not mean she is supposed to perch on it!

Bright and cheery hellebores this morning when it was 29 degrees outside.

We also have 2 crocuses blooming in the garden. Bees are out drinking from the melting snow.