"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, January 22, 2010

Hellebores and Pansies for Fertilizer Friday.

It's hard to believe it's only January right now. Around town I've seen Witch Hazels, Forsythia and Flowering Quince in bloom already. Our gardens are being awoken early here, and I'm really hoping that Mother Nature isn't lulling the plants into a false Spring only to be zapped by an Arctic Blast. Last year we had snow into March, which isn't completely unusual. The Hellebores and Pansies in this post are blooming at their usual time for here though and I won't worry about them if it does get cold again, they are both very hardy plants for my garden.

One of the Hellebores (H. orientalis) from the front yard. Because these flowers face down I have to hold them up, I tried to blur my hand a bit here so the flower gets all the attention.

This is the plant the flower above is on. It's by far the largest in my yard.

This view gives you an idea of the different stages these plants are all in. All were planted at the same time from the same place. There's one more maroon one at the very end behind the big white one.

Some of the Hellebore 'Royal Heritage' under the big Cedar in our backyard. 'Ivory Prince' and the Corsican Hellebore both have buds. I need to get out and cut back the old foliage on all of the Hellebores, they are looking a bit beat up.

These Pansies are the 'Skyline Copperfield' series. They have done so well in the window boxes since Fall and are blooming their sweet faces off!

The flowers look so different from each other, the flower above and the two below are all 'Skyline Copperfield'. This one has quite a bit of red in it.

More pink and yellow on this one.

These are my favorite of the group, more washed out and "frilly" looking.

Viola 'Ultima Baron Merlot' looked cute blooming in the Muscari foliage.

Fertilizer Friday is hosted each Friday by Tootise at Tootsie Time. Visit her to see what other gardeners are "flaunting their flowers" as well as join in with your own indoor or outdoor blooms.
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38 comments:

  1. Wow your hellebores are gorgeous! Pansies are such a happy little flower. They sure have filled your window boxes up. Looks great!
    Wish I had window boxes to fill up....hmm, another project waiting to happen ;~)
    *hugs*deb

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  2. What vigorous hellebores you have Catherine! They are very happy and you have brightened my day with these blooms and cheery faces of your pansies! Lovely Lovely post. Beautiful photos! ;>) Carol

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  3. Your pansies are so pretty Catherine. I cannot believe how much has started growing in your garden already. Yours look so much like spring and mine is still socked into winter. The hellebore is so pretty. I hope one of mine is big enough to bloom later on.

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  4. A feast for my eyes indeed! You have a super big stand of hellebores. I love them!

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  5. It's funny, we're both in zone 8a on opposite sides of the country lol. I have pansies and violas blooming, but I haven't seen any forsythia in bloom yet :) Beautiful pics of the hellebores!

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  6. Looks like the garden is waking up! Very pretty. I'll be in your neck of the woods next month, can't wait to see Seattle again.

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  7. I am loving your hellebores!! Another one for the list, although I'm not sure how well they do in my zone. Smiling pansy faces are always delightful, the pink & yellow is so pretty. :)

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  8. It doesn't look like winter at all in your gardens!!

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  9. There's no winter in sight in your garden! That beutiful Hellebore in the first picture surely catched all my attention =) And all your plants have so many buds! I long for mine to get as big as yours, but they are still rather small and I'll have to wait a few more years I believe. Wonderful pictures Catherine. I hoper you'll have a great weekend / gittan

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  10. Great collection of pansies, Catherine. Have you seen the one called Black Prince?

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  11. What a nice first pic of the Hellebores. The pansies look lovely. Nice to see yr garden :) Hope you are having a nice weekend, Ev
    ps. your little white dog is cute

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  12. My your Hellebores are huge. That white one is gorgeous. Mine is pretty old and not even close to that - maybe they need a bit more sun.
    Your pansies look great. Mine never rebloomed after that cold spell we had but I'm still hoping.

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  13. Oh be still my heart - what marvelous pix - especially that first one. Wow!

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  14. Love the close-up of that hellebore bloom! I relly enjoyed this post. Brought back memories of my old Zone 7 garden...I had a huge bed of hellebores just outside my kitchen's picture window.

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  15. I'm so jeolous that you are having spring! We still have a couple inches of snow on the ground and more to come next week. I love the Lenten Roses and Pansies! Beautiful!

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  16. I love pansies in winter, they're so cheery, but after the recent cold snap mine are just little nubs. Your hellebores look lovely.

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  17. They are wonderful, Catherine, what a great collection of Hellebores too. The pansy faces and colors are adorable. Great colorways on them. Tough plants too. Our witch hazel is opening here as well, with a warm snap. Could the helebores be far behind?
    Frances

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  18. Everything looks great already! I think I'm due for serious compost mulch because my plants are looking a bit sad.

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  19. Lovely. The colors of the pansies are fantastic. I planted lots of hellebore seedlings a few years ago. Looking forward to seeing what I have!

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  20. Sadly the only green I have seen in our garden in quite some time was a Mountin Dew bottle carelessly discarded by a neighbor. I'm glad that there are blogs like yours to remind me what green plants look like.

    It gets me excited for spring to get here.

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

    Troy

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  21. Shoot. I forgot about this Friday meme. Oh well, always next week if I can remember it then! Your garden keeps surprising me. I still just have what I think is the one bud on my hellebores. Don't know if the weather zapped it or it's just running behind. Yours are gorgeous!
    Brenda

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  22. Catherine, your helleboros are so, so beautiful, they are a gift from winter time... and your pansies so sweet and wonderful... how I love these flowers from winter, they are a true gift from nature. Every season brings beauties to our gardens, there`s so much to be grateful for...
    Muchos cariños,
    Maria Cecilia

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  23. I don't know what happened to my other comment...

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  24. I was saying that it is inspiring and refreshing to see all that you have going on in your garden right now...and I can't wait to be in your shoes!
    thanks for linking in today...have a wonderful weekend...oh...and don't forget to stop by this week...starting right now to enter and learn about the great give away that is being held on my blog this week! I know you will love the prize!

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  25. When I see gardens that have blooms in January, I have to fight the "green with envy" feelings that creep up on me. Happy for you though.

    Hope your temps stay normal so that nothing in your garden gets zapped by the cold.

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  26. I love your spring garden!!! Just looking at it makes me happy. Your garden is way ahead of mine in the Netherlands.

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  27. Goodness you have some amazing Hellebores Catherine. They're all such big healthy looking plants. I hope you don't get an artic blast to kill everything back. It seems WAY early to me but that's because I'm used to what happens here (which is not much for quite a while yet). Your pansies are pretty cheery too. Have a good weekend!

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  28. Wow..that first cloesup shot is mega awesome! Fabulous photos all around Catherine! I LOVE the panises..what sweet faces they have..! Gorgeous post!My visits here always charm the heart!
    Kiki~

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  29. Hi Catherine, Beautiful photos - they're hurting my eyes, though! We have the annual case of the Winter browns, grays and whites here.... pretty monochromatic. ha. :-) Have a great weekend!

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  30. What a grand collection of Hellebores! One common name is Lenten Rose and I keep thinking it is too early for these to be blooming...oh silly me. Yours are lovely.

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  31. wow! com'è possibile che da te sia già primavera mentre da noi nevica!?!?
    :-D splendidi hellebori!!

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  32. I wouldn't mind summathat. Very beautiful blooms indeed! I need to get my pansies started if I am going to have any for spring. otherwise I will be at the mercy of the garden centers. I like this variety you have. The Hellebores are lovely as well.

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  33. So nice to see these signs of spring! Your hellebores are real stars, I think they are the reason I vowed to get some (and did) into my own garden. Not sure where I planted the ones you gave me, I have yet to uncover them, whoops! Thanks for them, though! Lovely pansies.

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  34. When I saw the first picture dell'helleboro I thought MASTERPIECE! AMAZING!!
    Your pictures are always beautiful and envy that rug of Hellebore and violets pains!!
    I know that I book for the seeds ..... ;)
    Really seems that spring has already knocked on your door and you're much further ahead than us in these days we have the coldest weeks of the year. (
    Congratulations!

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  35. Oh those pansies are wonderful - those colours are just simply ones I would choose myself. I normally buy from the gardencentre but I think I should grow some pansies from seed and have colours like this. I really really like them. As for the hellebores you know I like those heritage ones - and your clumps are so big. Mine are sitting in bud about 1 inch above the soil.

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  36. It's hard to believe how much color you have going on in your garden right now. Those pansies are adorable and that hellebore is gorgeous. Can't wait until my hellebore is a few years older - and larger.

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