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Tag Archives: Hellebore

Snowdrop Temptation.

18 Monday Feb 2019

Posted by Brian Skeys in Gardening, Photography, Plantlife

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Crocus, Hellebore, Narcissus, NGS, Snowdrops, spring

We visited the first National Garden Scheme, http://ngs.org.uk open garden in Worcestershire on Sunday. The garden, Brockamin, includes Plant Heritage National Collections of Asters and some hardy Geraniums. It opens for Snowdrops in February, Daffodils in March and Asters in September.

The 1.5 acre informal garden contains mixed borders planted with hardy perennials and shrubs, several of which were in flower or adding stem colour.

Lonicera fragrantissima & Iris reticulata

Hellebores, Crocus with an early Narcissi adding to the colour.



N. Bowles Early Sulphur.
Crocus protected from visitors feet.
and swathes of Eranthus Hyemalis

Then of course the snowdrops, all labeled for identification.

  • G. Wendy’s Gold

Tea and cakes along with plants for sale were there to tempt us. Was I tempted I hear you ask, lets just say I have always been attracted to gold!

Ten February Favourite Blooms.

19 Monday Feb 2018

Posted by Brian Skeys in Gardening, Our Garden@19, Photography, Plantlife

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Crocus, Hamamelis, Hellebore, Honeysuckle, iris, Lunaria, Snowdrops, Top Ten

Chloris at The Blooming Garden encourages us garden bloggers to venture out into the garden in all winds and weathers to take pictures of our favourite ten blooms each month. My ten include the inevitable Snowdrops, of which I have the grand total of three varieties,  (Chloris is the one to visit to enjoy a Galanthus feast), the common Nivalis, its double and the third which I think is Galanthus S. Arnott. This is also Hellebore season, with the orientalis adding their charm and colour to the February garden.

I am very impressed with the Hamamelis in the oriental garden, it has been flowering since December.  I do have a degree of admiration for the variegated ‘Laurel’, which at this time of year lightens up the rear of the oriental garden. It was a rescue, ‘no name’, plant when we were living in our previous house. I could not decide where to plant it therefore it remained in a pot until we developed the garden here. I do like to see an underdog succeed!

This is the beginning of the Crocus season, there are more still to flower in the garden. ‘Gypsy Girl’ is I think a bit special with its brown stripes, it is in pots along with an unknown Iris Reticulata. A favourite Iris this time of year is ‘ Katherine Hodgkin’, I have had it in the garden since Carol Klein sang its praises during a lecture at Pershore College.

In the White and Green garden there is a nod to the seventies when we all grew Conifers and Heathers. The Erica Carnea ‘Whitehall’ thrives due to it not requiring ericaceous soil, it sits below the fragrant flowering Winter Honeysuckle.

A special plant for me is the Lunaria Annua ‘Rosemary Verey’, its dark leaves providing a contrast to the snowdrops. I purchased one plant four years ago and have saved seed each year to raise plants for the garden and to sell at our open days. It has also self sown around the garden, coming true each time even though we have two other varieties here. Rosemary Verey was the first garden designer to influence me, from visiting her garden, at Barnsley, Gloucestershire, experiencing the style of planting within the borders and the pottager. Then through her books, with the plan of her Chelsea garden in 1992 inspiring the original layout of what I now call the blue border. (It has changed somewhat since 2005).

While Christmas now seems a while ago the flowering Hippeastrum was a gift to Irene from a friend. We were very impressed with its three blooms.

I think its a varigated Laural .
I think its a varigated Laural .
Hamamelis Moll Pallida (Witch Hazel)
Hamamelis Moll Pallida (Witch Hazel)
Galanthus ‘Flore Pleno’
Galanthus ‘Flore Pleno’
Galanthus ’S Arnott’
Galanthus ’S Arnott’
Iris 'Katherine Hodgkin'
Iris ‘Katherine Hodgkin’
Crocus 'Gipsy Girl'
Crocus ‘Gipsy Girl’
Iris reticulata
Iris reticulata
Hippeastrum
Hippeastrum
Hippeastrum
Hippeastrum
Crocus with a Fuchsia in the old cast iron boiler.
Crocus with a Fuchsia in the old cast iron boiler.
Erica carnea 'Whitehall'
Erica carnea ‘Whitehall’
Lonicera fragrantissima
Lonicera fragrantissima
Helleborus orientalis
Helleborus orientalis
Lunaria annua 'Rosemary Verey' with Galanthus nivalis
Lunaria annua ‘Rosemary Verey’ with Galanthus nivalis

These are my ten favourites for February, please visit Chloris to see what she and other bloggers have chosen. Do you have a favourite February flower?

The Birds and the Bees…

28 Sunday Jan 2018

Posted by Brian Skeys in Gardening, Our Garden@19, Photography, Plantlife, Wildlife

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

Bees, clematis, Galanthus, Hamamelis, Hedra, Hellebore, Ilex, Mahonia, Myrtle, Plants, Prunus serrula, Sarcococca, Skimmia, Thuja, tulips, Vinca, Wildlife

Today (Friday) was the first day of sunshine here and after too many days of rain, it does bring a song into your heart.

I ventured out into the garden to finish pruning the climbing roses, before I began, I decided to do a tour with the camera. The gardener’s friend, was as usual, keeping an eye on me while providing his own welcome tune.

IMG_2894

The Mohonia in full flower, with the sunshine, brought the honey bees out from their hives.

IMG_2947

Mahonia Bealii

IMG_2944

They were also visiting the Clematis which scrambles all over it.

IMG_2950

Clematis cirrhosa balearica

The Flowers and the Trees.

By the front door there are pots planted up for a seasonal display with Carex, Ferns, Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’,  Erica x darleyensis ‘Phoebe’, Thuja ‘Goldy and the…

IMG_2918
IMG_2909
IMG_2913

 

…Snowdrop elwesii…

IMG_2919

Galanthus elwesii

…and a hellebore.

IMG_2917

Another pot contains the Sarcococca ‘Winter Gem’.

IMG_2915

Sarcococca ‘Winter Gem’

On the other side of the door an Euonymus is trained against the wall with Sarcococca confusa in front…

IMG_2912

Sarcococca confusa

…the powerful scent from the Sacococca ( Christmas Box) fills the house every time the door is opened.

IMG_2921

Sarcococca confusa with Euonymus Emerald & Gold

In the Oriental garden the Hamamelis is in full flower, I have mentioned before I would not recommend this variety, because it holds on to its dead leaves. I removed them all before taking this picture.

IMG_2922

Hamamelis Moll Pallida (Witch Hazel)

The sunshine was highlighting the Erica ‘Albert’s Gold’ by the entrance to the White and Green garden and the standard variegated Holly, Ilex ‘Argentea Margenata’ at the back.

IMG_2927

Around  the Holly are planters with variegated Myrtle, Tulips just starting to show and Vinca minor ‘Alba’

IMG_2875_001

Ilex aquifolium ‘Argentea Margenata’ & Myrtus Communis Variegata

The snowdrops are beginning to open around the garden, especially where the sun reaches…

IMG_2930

Galanthus nivalis

…the common double, which was given to me by a friend, are clumping up well, ready to divide later on…

IMG_2934

Galanthus ‘Flore Pleno’.

…as is the winter aconite, although more slowly.

Winter Aconite

Eranthus hyemalis

The Prunus Serrula always looks wonderful with the sunlight on its bark, its mug decorations ( Mug Tree) have so far survived the winter.

IMG_2938

Prunus serrula

Around its roots is a Skimmia and variegated Ivy. Many gardeners fear ivy in the garden, I like to see it, the variegated forms are not so vigorous, while providing some colour to lighten a dark area of the garden along with being good for wildlife.

IMG_2936

Skimmia japonica ‘Rubella’ & Variegated Hedra.

It is easy to ignore plants such as Skimmia when everything else is in full flower, however at this time of year they make a welcome contribution to the garden and this one below is a little more unusual than most.

IMG_2871_001

Skimmia Hermaphrodite

The House Sparrows are gathering in the top of a Viburnum before diving down on to the ground feeders.

Version 2

What ‘Birds and Bees, Flowers and Trees’ are making you sing in your garden?

 

 

 

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