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Sunday 11 April 2010

Shimmers and Shivers Hellebore !

This morning's sky was not a heart stopper .. but it was a pleasant shimmer to witness.
It got very PINK .. at times .. you could say "blushing sky" ?
Then finally very subtle .. as in "lets get on with the day !"
So .. it is almost all about hellebore now and how gorgeous they are becoming : )
This one is most likely Royal Heritage .. yes, there can be a slight degree of possible doubt .. I was in a bit of a fluster when I planted some gorgeous ones my friend sent me .. to this day I am her slave for such a kind gift she gave me .. but don't tell her that !!
The bottom picture is my steadfast FIRST hellebore .. all the tag said was Lenten Rose Orientalis .. no further identification .. it has almost slate gray blue flowers and as you can see it has many of them .. I chopped this baby back severely last month and it always comes back wonderfully ..
Baby "Golden Lotus" ... I was so afraid it wouldn't take with our wicked winters .. I mulched it as high as I could without smothering it .. I may not get flowers this year but I know it has taken .. so far ?
How amazing is the veining with these beauties ? It is almost like you can see blood pumping through them ?
The buds are even that way !
Baby-in- waiting ?
Ivory Prince took like a charm .. a bit of crispy foliage but I can cut that out and fresh leaves will come.
This is for Deborah "Green Theater" who asked about "London Fog" .. it is just foliage right now Deborah but I am thinking it will flower eventually !
OK .. I had to take a Spring flower picture with this little guy leaning up against my rusty garden stake .. cute right ?
... and yes ... OK ... this is a gratuitous picture of a plant every gardener probably takes for granted .. we know water droplets are amazing on these Lady's Mantle aka alchemilla .. if you can't take a moment in time to admire those gems for just a minute .. well .. are you really a gardener ??

12 comments:

Linda said...

hellebore are lovely, I'll have to get some for my garden ... and water droplets on Lady's Mantle, well, I've got a printed and framed picture in my bathroom along with some other lovely green leaves all with water drops on them ... must be some kind of theme I created

F Cameron said...

WOW! You've got some beauties there. I had to giggle about your title for this story, it sounds so much like a Marilyn Monroe thing! :-)

Kimberly said...

Your blooms and your sky are worthy of appreciation! I especially like the last photo of the water standing on the leaf. So pretty!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Linda .. You really have to have some .. the old standards like Orientalis or if they are called "Lenten Rose" are really easy and lovely foliage all season if in a nice even light , shady area .. I'm thinking of getting some of mine printed out too ! It would be wonderful to look at my pictures framed : )

Freda girl ! really ? LOL COOL : )
Thanks .. they just keep getting better and better : )

Hello Kimberly girl ! .. Lady's Mantle is an old old plant used herbal too .. I have "Alpinus" in the smaller sharper leaf version and it is a cutie .. the water droplets on leaves with "hairs" are always pretty to see ! thank you for looking : )

tina said...

Beautiful hellebores. I love them all. The lady's mantle is one plant I do not take for granted. It does not grow here in my garden-can't stand the heat:) I have to enjoy it in my mother's garden in Maine.

Rose said...

Joy, the first year I started blogging, I kept seeing these lovely hellebores blooming in March and decided I HAD to have some for my own garden! I planted some last spring, and this year is the first for any blooms. But mine must be Mother's Day Roses instead of Lenten Roses:) There are buds on them, but they're awfully slow to open up.

Anonymous said...

That is a flower I don't have. All of yours are pretty. So, which one is the easiest to grow?

I love the softness of that sunrise.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joy -- thanks for stopping by my latest post. :) Here's a link that should take you to that photo on Photobucket (the one I mentioned (sunset moonlight?):

http://tinyurl.com/y6wxbch

:-)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Hi, Joy!
I think I'm the only one on the planet that isn't growing Hellebores! I need to get with the program. :) Happy Monday!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hi Tina girl and thank you ! I have become addicted to hellebore now and try to sneak a new one (or more) in each year : )
Lady's Mantle is sort of a garden "staple" to me and when there are rain drops on the leaves it becomes jewlery almost .. I'm sorry it won't stand the heat where you are girl .. but at least your mom knows she has a plant you LIKE ? LOL


Rose I wonder what ones you really have then ? I have mine in a raised bed on the side of the house that gets some morning sun then shade .. I wonder if maybe it is just the weather this year that it is off schedule a bit ? You have me curious as to which cultivar you have .. some a slower or times a little differently from what I see with mine .. so don't worry ! A stubborn child ? LOL

Thanks Sandy that sunrise was really subtle and the shimmer was gorgeous but like all beauties it didn't last long so I had to be quick : )
My first one and such a steadfast one it is too was labeled Lenten Rose Orientalis .. but there are many more sub divisions within that so for which exact one it is I have no idea .. Ivory Prince is supposed to be very easy .. this is my first year with him and so far so good .. but the other one , my first love is my favorite : )

Thanks Nancy girl I will get over there for a peek !!: )

Kate girl ! GET WITH THE PROGRAM !!!! hahaha .. hey .. I flew with only one for a few years and then decided WOW ! I really like these .. and if it hadn't been for my friend sending me such a wonderful goodie box of them .. well I would be ever so slowly collecting them .. they are worth the effort Kate .. so go get some girl !!!

Bonnie said...

I love your hellebore pictures. I've been wanting some in my garden but can't find them in any nursery around here. Where does one buy them and what time of year do you plant them? Will I have to order them from a catalog?

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Bonnie girl I was just over at your blog talking to you ? LOL
I explained about the mail order companies having a better selection perhaps .. I don't know if you have garden centers or nurseries around you that have a good selection .. but mail order is fine ! I have done that too : )
let me know how you make out ?