An Artist’s Garden

Two days late for Bloomday – Monday it was raining, and yesterday I was away from home all-day – but to-day was a beautiful day, with blue, blue sky and sunshine.

Unfortunately despite the wonderful weather we have been having for the past few weeks, I don’t have many flowers in the garden. The primulas, pulmonaria and the majority of the hellebore have not flowered yet. The daffodils are barely pushing their noses above the ground, and of course this year I don’t have the outrageously pink Camellia any more.

The daphne bholua ‘Jacqueline Postill’ gently scents the garden

Structure and colour is still to be found in the old flower-heads of the sedum -

Although tomorrow I will cut them back as new growth is now emerging at the base.

However, my patience has been rewarded by the snowdrops – who have now spread from the original 5 to about 12 (way to go!)

Also by euphorbia ‘Blackbird’ – which I brought with me from my last house. It has never really thrived here – but last year I managed to find a part of the garden that was relatively well drained – and the euphorbia is starting to recover.

The biggest reward however has been two of my hellebores.

A small hellebore ‘foetidus’ that I bought three years ago is now flowering.

I think that it looks much better in reality than it does in the photograph – the lime green flowers light up the garden.

Although its common name is “stinking hellebore” I have not crushed the leaves to find out how bad it smells.

My real joy is the fact that my first double hellebore has flowered – the plant is very small and the bloom is resolutely pointing down

I did wonder whether I should pick the flower and float it in a bowl of water ……

Or to lie down on the soil and try and get the shot

Thanks go to Carol May Dreams Garden for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – and this February marks the begining of the 4th year of Carols sucessful meme