I've been looking from the kitchen window towards the end of the garden for nearly a couple of months at the large clump of Hellebore flowers. The individual flowers are beautiful.
It is very early of course this year, and in previous years this plant had won prizes at the gardening club for twelve stems of spring flowers in April. I'm not sure what will be left in good enough condition, so decided to cut a few for this week's vase.
To go with them I cut stems from these myrtles: Myrtle Luma Apiculata Glauleam Gold, Lophomyrtus ralphii Little Star which has lovely little pink, cream and green leaves, Lophomyrtus ralphii Black Pearl, and Ugni Molinae Flambeau. All of these are growing in pots, which I bring close to the house as I am not sure that they are very tolerant of hard frosts.
The sticky buds are unfurling in the sunny conservatory,
and having a lovely pot, but with drainage holes could not be called a vase. I love ranunculas, and could help but come back from the market with three pots, and rather than cut the flowers, hope to have a succession of blooms over the next few weeks from the plants.
What a pretty hellebore--makes a beautiful arrangement. Didn't realize there were so many myrtles.
ReplyDeleteThere are more and more myrtles available here..each seems to have a different form, and quite interesting...but with a small garden I really do have to keep myself in check. Do you have any myrtles Susie, if so I am sure we shall see some in future arrangements.
DeleteWhat a beautiful combination! I don't think I've ever seen a Hellebore flower that was not beautiful. They are so amazing and all different.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda, this is my best one, and incredibly the seedlings come true. I have them 'growing' on in other places in the garden, and are easily dug up, when under five years old to move to other place, or give away etc.
DeleteYour very exuberant hellebore arrangement is lovely, Noelle! It is marvelous you can grow so many myrtles in pots. I was very tempted by the lovely Ranunculus in pots yesterday at the store but didn't get any, I'm not sure how to keep them over winter. I enjoy seeing the myrtle wood items when I'm on the Oregon coastline. I think I have a small box around somewhere.
ReplyDeleteHannah,they must have some wonderful trees to be able to turn into such lovely bowls etc. I have not had much success before with Ranunculus..but have decided to treat these as 'disposable'. The three pots cost me about the same as a good cup of coffee!
DeleteThat's a spectacular hellebore and you've selected beautiful companions to accompany them, Noelle. I had to Google Lophomyrtus and Ugni, not being familiar with either. Regrettably, both seem ill-suited for my own garden under current drought conditions but your post prompted me to think about using some stems of my Hebes in future vases.
ReplyDeleteIt is really a beauty, thanks for the compliment, Kris. I look forward to seeing some of your hebes..again they display such a lovely variety of leaf sizes, colours, and then there are flowers too!
DeleteSuch a lovely vase - I like the way you have arranged the hellebores keeping their stems long. The myrtle is beautiful - I have three plants that I bought before Christmas and I have kept them in a very sheltered position as I am sure they are not hardy. I smiled when I saw your ranunculus - I nearly bought a couple of plants at the weekend but already had a full trolley - I am sure I will be going back for them this week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie, and thanks to the boiling water tip which I read about on someone's contributions to this meme, this morning they are all still standing well and looking just as if they had just been cut. My pot is so beautiful that I have decided that it will showcase different pretty plants, which I shall change every few weeks, dependent what is looking really well as a local independent shop in our town, which I love to support.
DeleteOh I do like how you linked your box (clever Mr S!) with the 'myrtles' in your vase - I don't know anything about them so must look them up. And perhaps I should just try ranunculus in pots inside as I have little success outside. They are such gorgeous blooms, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteIt was serendipity Cathy..Mr S had not realised, but the subconscious is amazing. I had been looking at a bowl similar to this one in another charity shop for several weeks, but had not got it. The ranunculus have been in that pot for three weeks now, and in the conservatory, but when it gets hot as it has done one the sunnier days, it goes outside!
DeleteGorgeous flowers and love those myrtles!
ReplyDeleteWhat a finely freckled hellebore Noelle. Do you eat the berries produced by your ugni? They are most delicious.
ReplyDeleteYes I do Anna, and I also have another Ugni Molinae which has the biggest fruit called the Chilean Guava. I used to love picking wild guava in the mountains in Mauritius when I was little, and it does have a very similar taste. The shurb is not quite as attractive as the others, with brittle branches that break more easily, but with nice glossy green leaves.
DeleteYour hellebore is so striking - a beautiful flower on its own, but the vase full of them is simply wonderful!
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