On a recent trip to Salt Spring Island, I acquired three hellebore plants at Fraser’s Thimble Farm, a nursery that specializes in the unusual and intriguing. Soon after, I read this post about hellebores by Paul Andruss on Sally Cronin’s blog. That inspired me to feature my three new plants in a post of their own.
These plants aren’t your run-of-the-mill hellebores, like most of the ones I already have. They are hybrids specially developed by breeders looking for striking effects and unique colours.
First, Helleborus x ericsmithii “Pirouette”, a lovely soft pink with lime green nectaries and cream-coloured stamens that look like stars.
Next, Helleborus x hybridus “Winter Jewel Black Diamond”. This is about as close as you can get to a black flower. It’s really a dark purple-red with a greyish bloom on the petals that gives them that nearly black look.
Finally, Helleborus x hybridus “Winter Jewel Ruby Wine”. This one looks gorgeous with the flowers and leaves backlit by sunlight.
The featured image at the top of the post shows “Ruby Wine” with “Ivory Prince” in the background. “Ivory Prince” has lived in a big blue pot near my front door for years. Now it has “Ruby Wine” for company.
While I was taking pictures of the new plants, I noticed this youngish plant of the Corsican hellebore, Helleborus argutifolius, self-seeded in just the right place.
Lastly, not a hellebore at all, but a photo of the Japanese quince, Chaenomeles japonica, that grows against a weathered cedar fence at the back of the garden. Years ago, I saw a photo similar to this in a calendar and determined to reproduce the effect in my own garden. Unlike many horticultural intentions, this one has actually succeeded.
Gorgeous photos, Audrey! I like Hellebores too. It’s great when a beautiful flower self-seeds … especially when it’s in just the right spot. ☺
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! My original plants (varieties unknown) have self-seeded, so I have different shades of dark pink and purple, with a few speckled whites. But these three plants were developed by breeders and produced from tissue cultures. They will add to the pollen mix here, though, so who knows what might pop up in the future.
LikeLike
So beautiful 🌸
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That Black Diamond Hellebore is stunning, I need to get me some of those!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it is gorgeous! The breeders are Marietta and Ernie O’Byrne of Northwest Garden Nursery in Eugene, Oregon. I don’t know if they sell to nurseries abroad, but here’s a link to their site: https://northwestgardennursery.com/our-hellebores/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Audrey!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and commented:
Audrey Driscoll shares photographs of her heavenly hellebores in her garden, to complement those in the Gardening Column last week. Fabulous plants and bringing such colour to the garden.. thanks Audrey.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks for reblogging, Sally!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful photographs Audrey… xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fabulou photographs Audrey and thank you for sharing the Gardening column link… enjoy the rest of the weekend. x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Audrey, first I love the title of your post -it’s inspired!! 😀 Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of your precious Hellebores… they are divine, the petals almost paper thin and so tender! Gorgeous colours on all three! I’m quite envious (only kidding) as I only manage to get one plant of these to grow (barely). A treat to see all yours here! 😀🌺
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Annika! It took me a while to come up with a good title. Paul titled his “Heavenly Hellebores,” which is clever, so I had to think of something different.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These are amazing! The west coast of Canada is a perfect place to grow these gorgeous flowers. I had the best flower garden there. Your pictures are fabulous.
LikeLike
Thank you, Darlene. Hellebores do quite well in my garden. They make up for my struggles and disappointments with the fabled Himalayan Blue Poppies.
LikeLike
Gorgeous pics and I love your pun Hellebores: Neither Hellish or Boring. LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Pat! I had to think for a while before I came up with it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These are gorgeous, Audrey. Mine did not do well this year and the original, creamy coloured plant has had hardly any blooms. I think I might dig it up and in future put them in pots.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Mary. I’m growing these three in pots, as I do “Ivory Prince,” a similar type. The ones in the open beds have to contend with tree root competition, but they manage quite well. My cream-coloured one got battered by our cold, snowy, windy February, and looks it. The purple ones hadn’t quite started blooming by the end of January, so their buds escaped unharmed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fabulous presentation of such lovely flowers, Astrid.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kamal!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome Audrey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Every time I see the word “hellebores,” I think it sounds like it should be a monster in some sort of horror story. 🙂 But that aside, they’re very pretty!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re right, Berthold. I’ve had similar thoughts. Many of them are poisonous, though, and the botanical name comes from Greek words meaning “injure” and “food.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually gasped when I saw the photo of the black diamond, stunning flower!
The quince flowers against the weathered fence look SOOO pretty, like a sigh of happiness.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, there’s something about black flowers, although the white anthers save these from looking too sinister. And I love your simile fro the quince flowers; thanks for that!
LikeLike
Wow, you’re quite a gardener. and botanist, too! It’s reflected in your books (noted it in Islands of the Gulf, Part 1). Love to read about your experiences!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Lorinda! Yes, I’m pretty keen about plants, growing them and observing them, and that did creep into my novels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Becky!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glorious plants Audrey. We’d both love to have your gardening gifts
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Roger. Hellebores are actually pretty easy to grow, either in pots (like these three new ones of mine) or in beds. They tolerate shade and a bit of drought too, and aren’t eaten by either rabbits or deer. Which is a good thing for those animals, since the plants are poisonous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In my part of the UK we have the more mundane slugs and snails to worry about. If there were rabbits or deer I could imagine Sheila planting their favourite treats just to temp them in😄
LikeLike
I’m of mixed minds about our group of urban deer. It’s a matter of guessing which plants they’re going to nibble before they actually do it and applying netting or prickly prunings as protection. (Unintended alliteration there.) 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Quite Audrey. You have to live with them ‘snaffling’ (scrouging) you precious plants on a regular basis.🌾 💐 🌷 🌹 🥀 🌺 🌸 🌼 🌻 🌞
Bit like our romnace with foxes (unless you keep hens etc).
LikeLiked by 1 person
🌷 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
My father used to always have a beautiful garden full of flowers. I have a good friend who has written a number of books on gardening. His name is Hank Bruce and his books on are Amazon. He’s pushing the advancement of the Moringa Tree in the third world as a good source of nutrition and gardening for seniors. Check him out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Patrick. Interesting suggestions!
LikeLike
Beautiful! Beautiful! How long will they bloom? Will I be able to see them in bloom this summer?
LikeLiked by 1 person
The flowers stick around into May (fading a bit), but I generally cut the flowering stems down by June. January to April is prime time for hellebores, so in July they’ll just be clumps of leathery leaves.
LikeLike
These are beautiful, Audrey!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Teri!
LikeLiked by 1 person
These flowers are so beautiful and the centres are interesting and unusual.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The colour contrasts between the petals and the structures in the middle make them special. After those fall out and the plants are setting seeds, they fade and change in interesting ways.
LikeLike
Lovely photos, I was only introduced to Hellebores about ten years ago. They are though now one of my favourite plants. They have such delicate flowers that brighten up the garden in the late winter period.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally agree! Thanks for reading!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lovely pictures, Audrey
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Steve.
LikeLiked by 1 person