Once again I'm sharing photos taken from my picture files over the course of the past few years. While this is a very mild winter for Wisconsin, it's not mild enough for hellebores to be in bloom ... yet, that is.
As noted in past posts, I'm fairly new to hellebores. Never the less, my collection is growing at a goodly rate of speed with another 75 plants expected to join the collection this coming spring. In other words, I really like them... then again, I've seldom met a plant I didn't like.
Hellebores are a big part of the reason why I'm back to the gym three days a week... it's hard work rolling around on the ground, taking photos of their downturned (in many cases) faces!
If you truly want to know a lot more about helebores, you need to visit Carolyn at http://carolynsshadegardens.com/
Carolyn is a true expert on helebores as well as a wide variety of other shade plants.
I can only offer a few pictures of some of my favorites that have bloomed in my gardens, and some very basic care info that I personally use. I try and cut back the old foliage in late winter or as soon as the snow is gone. I give each plant a couple tablespoons of Osmocote at the beginning of April, and when I plant new plants, I mix a fair amount of good compost into the planting hole. Works for me.
While I have names of a few of my hellebores, numerous others were purchased as part of a larger unnamed collections, so I hesitate to suggest what each of these plants is called. I offer them here only as a reminder of some of the beauty that lies just around the corner.
That said, enjoy a few hellebore blooms from my gardens in seasons past... Larry
And sadly yes... sometimes it does "snow on my hellebore parade".
14 comments:
I bought one large potted hellebore for a high price, but I guess it was worth it. The mail order ones are still so small I will probably not get any blooms even for the second year. I had many at my last house, still can't believe I left all of those plants!
Eileen
Such a beautiful flower Larry, and you have photographed it very well.
What an incredible collection!! I was given my first hellebore seedling by a friend last spring. It's still so small I doubt it will bloom this year, but it will be fun watching it grow. I would love to have the space to grow 75 of them! Lucky you!!
Larry, You are so nice to refer readers to me for hellebore advice. I do specialize in them at my nursery and would be happy to answer any questions. All your plants are gorgeous and don't really need names to be appreciated. Carolyn
Love all the photos - that reminds me that I have some hellebore photos yet to post from last year. And even though I have mixed feelings about most Tiffany glass lamps, I love, love, love the one in your header! Such beautiful work.
Also, have you visited the Northwest Garden Nursery website to see their hellebores? That's the domain of Marietta and Ernie O'Byrnes (don't know if I remembered their names exactly, but that's close), and they've been breeding gorgeous hellebores for a few years. www.northwestgardennursery.com. Enjoy!
Carolyn... you really are my 'go to ' site when I have questions on shade plants!
VW Thank you so much for the complements on the Dfly... there are several more lamps if you click on that photo that come up as a page below the photo... since you aren't an avid fan of many Tiffany lamps I'd be curious to know whether you're thinking in terms of true Tiffany designs and quality (and their reproductions), or the knockoffs so available these days to which the name Tiffany is attributed... many of these would cause poor old Louis Comfort T. to roll over in his grave!! Larry
Larry, you must be part contortionist to get so many great photos! No wonder your shoulder is ailing! Ha! (I hope it's doing better!!) I added five new hellebors to my garden last year, so I'm looking forward to see what blooms I get this year. They are really tiny, so it might be a while.
Also, just wanted to share this new blog I came across. Her latest post is about the conifers in her garden, and I know you will appreciate it: http://www.thegracefulgardener.com/
Larry, no doubt what I think of as Tiffany lamps are the knockoff versions. I look at many of them and think they're interesting, but not what I'd want in my house. A little epiphany: these lamps have so many colors, and I have such strong feelings either for or against color schemes, that I probably don't love many of them just because the color scheme isn't one that I like. The dragonfly lamp is gorgeous with those deep blues and greens, though - pretty enough to decorate a whole room with that lamp as the centerpiece!
VW... thank you for your response and you are so correct... I have seen so many Tiffany lamp originals and reproductions... many would never get a second look because of the colors, but even more than that... it's the way the colors in true art glass are used. This is really where the true "art" of creating Tiffany reproductions comes about... artistic use of all the anomalies and variations that appear in a sheet of art glass. The "Tiffany girls" were not all of the same ability in this regard and so too the reproduction artists of today. Have a great day and thanks for responding to my question! Larry
Larry, it's fantastic! Love these images!
I found my very first hellebore last year, and truly enjoyed it so much.
As always, your photographs are truly beautiful!
Hi Larry,
Do you sell your lamps?
Saw some of them, and really like the 22 " dragonfly lamp with blues, greens and mauve/pink.
Your lamps seem they are done wit that glass that offers a view into a deep well, which can be viewed often and tirelessly.
janet
Hi Janet... I apologize as I just came across your comment. Yes I do sell a couple lamps or more each season and it allows me to purchase plant materials for the gardens. Right now I'm working on a hanging Lotus Tiffany Reproduction commission with close to 1800 pieces, and then have a nine foot magnolia transom window to design and complete. Thanks for visiting and commenting... Larry
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