Helleborus x nigercors ‘Honeyhill Joy’
So glad to see you sweet hellebore. Missed your sunny face all winter.
H. ‘Blue Lady’
What about your sisters, they of the drooping heads? Why don’t they let us have a peek? You are always first to the party even ahead of H. nigersmithii ‘Ivory Prince.’
Hello Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane.’ Lovely to gaze upon your elegance if only in spring. Later, you’ll be covered with rough leaves, but now, you wear your finest frock. Since those same rough leaves turn a brilliant red/orange in fall we forgive them.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’ always blooms before ‘Arnold’s Promise’
Hello Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise.’ You’re just starting to unfurl, but your scent is awesome.
The beginnings of bloom . . . Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise’
Hello Crocus chrysanthus ‘Snow Bunting.’ You are as beautiful and welcome as Elizabeth Lawrence described you in A Rock Garden in the South.
“C. chrysanthus appears in gardens in many forms and among these are found some of the best of the early-flowering sorts. E.A. Bowles raised a group which he named for birds. ‘Snow Bunting’ is the first to bloom. I think if I could only have one spring-flowering crocus it would be this.”
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Crocus ‘Snow Bunting
Hello viola, you of the cheerful heart. I don’t know your name having simply picked you up one day at the nursery, but you kept your face turned to the light in spite of wicked weather challenges. I salute you. I did notice some of your sisters, V. x wittrockiana ‘Imperial Antique Shades’ didn’t fare so well at -17F as you. Perhaps, I should only plant them in the spring. I was warned.
Unknown, but very pretty violas
Planting beautiful early flowering shrubs, bulbs and flowers which winter over makes for a cheerful heart in late February. Something to consider. Also, if you read Elizabeth Lawrence, that famous North Carolina gardener, you’ll know what will do well in middle and southern Oklahoma, much of Texas (except the most arid parts) and the south. Although she lived in USDA Zone 7 (which is most of Oklahoma), her plants usually bloomed one month earlier than mine. Everything I’ve placed in the garden which were her favorites are stalwarts in mine.
I can just smell spring around the corner even if we’ve two months to go.
This has been the cruelest February in my recent memory. Snow, ice, wind, and tropical temperatures have kept this gardener off balance for weeks! I am going to take this post as a reminder, and I plan to root around the hosta bed to see what the hellebores are up to.
Connie, it so has. I’m tired of February and ready to say “Adieu!”
Wow you have all that activity in February in OK? We’ve still got months to go even on the coast.
I do, but most of the state is closed down. 🙂
Such a sweet welcome to your beloved early bloomers, dear Dee. We forgive our Diane her coarse leaves too, there are other things to look at then. For the first time evern, Arnold Promise is in full bloom at the same time as Diane here. I don’t know how or why, but it is happening. Love conquers all? 🙂
How wonderful to see your garden waking up. ‘Honeyhill Joy’ is such a pretty thing, I can see the H. niger genes in it. Last weekend, I got outside in the garden & noticed the beginnings of buds on my H. niger & ‘Ivory Prince’. It’s so encouraging.
MMD, it is wonderful. Yes, and I think ‘Honeyhill Joy’ is turning into one of my favorite flowers. I loved your snowdrop on your blog. Our world is waking up again.
Very cheerful blooms, Dee! Clean yellow hellebores just look like spring, and those pansies look warm even when it’s cold and grey outside.
Hey VW, I’ve found that although I like the intense colors of the dark hellebores, they just don’t show up as well as the yellow and white. Off to see your doubles.
i also have some pansies that didn’t fare so well but the ones that did are beautiful. i was going to post a few pictures today. since this is my first spring in my house, i am seeing bulbs for the first time. i can identify a few but the rest will be a beautiful surprise. then i planted a whole flowerbed full of bulbs and seeds. it’ll be a surprise too if they all make it. i’m SO enjoying my yard. i got up early Sunday morning and sat on my back patio listening and watching the birds. so peaceful. i was so inspired i wrote a poem. i’ll share it with you soon. i write a poem every few years. wish i was inspired more often but it doesn’t seem i have a lot of quiet time these days. thanks for another beautiful article. have a great day.
Jennie, I’d love to see your photos. I can’t wait to see your garden wake up to spring. I didn’t know you wrote poetry. I’m so impressed.
Dee your pictures are lovely spring blooms helping me through missing our still distant spring here in the NE…
Thank you so much Donna. Your words mean so much to me.
Hi Dee, You’ve got some joyful pretty going on in your yard! I’m not familiar with h. Honeyhill Joy, but it’s definitely one to look for – early and so pretty too.
Hi Cyndy, I think it’s early because one of its parents is H. niger.
Dee, you really have a nice show going on in your garden. Your climate is cooperating. We were warm for a couple of days, now the snow is back and with a vengeance. It will be a while before we have any blooms to show. I am so glad here in blogland that gardens are blooming somewhere. ‘Honeyhill Joy’ is a real beauty.
Donna, well, we’re back to cold this morning, but I knew we would be. We don’t have snow though. Thank goodness.
I see you have hellebore ‘Blue lady’ we have it along with ‘Red Lady’ can not tell them apart. Last year we planted Ivory Prince, not blooming yet. Hope you have a great hellebore season.
Randy, they look almost alike. I only know because I labeled them both. ‘Blue Lady’ is a bit more blue, but I don’t think all of them are true even if tissue cultured. With hellebores, they are so promiscuous that who knows what will come up. I hope yours is great too.
Let the march to spring turn into a full run any day now!
I love your hellebores! I am excited for mine to bud. I have only noticed one forming, but most of my hellebores are under leaves.
Sue, oh how I wish it would, but we’ve got a lot of winter to go through yet. I dragged the leaves off of mine to see them better.
Your garden is ahead of mine Dee. I can’t wait to have pretty blooms such as these. It won’t be long, especially if it stays this warm. Crazy weather. I am so enjoying it though.
Lisa, just keep telling yourself it won’t be long. We’re having the crazy weather too.
There are a lot of buds on Honey Hill Joy. There’s nothing but snow in my garden and more expected tomorrow.
Kathy, I hope you get some snow thaw soon. You need it. However, that snow pack will help your plants weather winter as you already know. 🙂
Hello late winter/early spring in a Zone 7 garden. Dee, ‘Honeyhill Joy’ is lovely. It’s wonderful that we can now see their faces without lying down in the garden. My Diane hamamelis is blooming delightfully but, hiding her flowers under the brown leaves. She holds on to them until after her blooms fade. Have a wonderful week in your beautiful garden. gail
Yes, Gail, this time of year, I’m glad I don’t live further north. I wish your ‘Diane’ would drop her leaves like mine does. Dang it.
Hello, Dee, and thank you for that wonderful tour of the earliest bloomers in your garden. No hellebores are quite ready to say hello here, but the witch-hazel sends greetings your way, as does a tiny viola that made it through winter and one yellow crocus. Spring!