From the garden of Erythrone

Well... There is still a lot of snow here. Many shrubs are still under a heavy snow covor!

But some plants begin to grow and bloom in the suniest parts of the garden. Pulmonaria and Helleborus are showing their buds... 1 month later thant last year.

My favorite spring iris: Katherine Hogkin. So easy!!!



One of my favorite crocus:

C. sieberi Tricolor.

 

The blue iris is impressive!

 

wow! that's some iris!

what kind of hellebores do you have?

 

likespaph, here is my list. Most are orientalis hybrids but I have a few species. The older ones are H. dumetorum atrorubens (although I am not sur of the ID) an H. niger.

Here, Helleborus never bloom in winter, because of the snow cover.

Helleborus dumetorum atrorubens
Helleborus foetidus
Helleborus niger Ras Buis
Helleborus niger
Helleborus orientalis Betty Ranicar
Helleborus x sternii
Helleborus orientale Ruse Black
Helleborus Walhelivor Ivory Prince
Helleborus Blue metallic lady
Helleborus Red Lady
Helleborus foetidus Westerflisk
Helleborus x sternii Pewter Strain
Helleborus x hybridus Free Spirit Best Yellow
Helleborus x hybridus Free Spirit Best Black
Helleborus Grand Burgundy
Helleborus Apricot
Helleborus Ashwood Gold Finch
Helleborus Elegant White
Helleborus corsica Pacific Frost
Helleborus Mardi Gras Maroon Red
Helleborus Picotee
Helleborus Ashwood Double Pink
Helleborus Ashwood Double White
Helleborus Winter Dreams Black
Helleborus Inconnue double blanche
Helleborus Peppermint Ice
Helleborus Onyx Odyssey
Helleborus Golden Lotus Strain
Helleborus Double Queen
Helleborus Red Montain
Helleborus Brandywine Strain Pink Speckled
Helleborus Mardi Gras Pink
Helleborus Brandywine Strain Pale Pink
Helleborus Hot Flash
Helleborus Mardi Gras Red Splashed Yellow
Helleborus Golden Sunrise
Helleborus Double Fantasy
Helleborus Pink Picotee
Helleborus x Cherry Blossom
Helleborus Green Corsican
Helleborus orientalis Banana Cream Pie
Helleborus nigercors Northern Beauty
Helleborus Winter Dream Pale Pink
Helleborus Winter Jewell Jade Tiger
Helleborus Winter Dream Pink Bicolor
Helleborus Swirling Skirts
Helleborus Winter Jewell Cotton Candy
Helleborus Winter Jewell Harlequin Gem
Helleborus HGC Joshua
Helleborus Snow White
Helleborus Black Diamond
Helleborus Mardi Gras Apricot

 

Beautiful!

 

What zone are you in? I just overwintered H. niger with a lot of winter cover in zone 2/3. I would love to have more!

Is that Iris one of the mini ones that only grows a few inches high? Looks great!

 

Kevin, our garden is zone 4a or 3b if we take a look at the hardiness map of Canada (USDA 3...). Almost all of our plants are hady to zone 4 or 5. We also grow some zone 6 like a Gunnera... but I protect it every year.

I don't really care about zone for perennials because of the snow cover.
And the garden is surrounded by forest.

I think that you must try Helleborus Ivory Prince. It seems to be a very hardy plant. Much hardier than what it is written in catalogs!!! It grows quickly.

There are also some clones of H. niger that can be interesting for you, like Double Fantasy, if you like double flowers!! A true beauty.

If you want to try orientalis hybrids, maybe you can buy some "inexpensive" plants like Royal Heritage or the Ladies series. They are from seeds so they are all different. But if you buy the Ladies series you can almost be sure to get a red one is you buy a Red Lady, a very dark one if you buy a metallic blue Lady or a white one if you buy white spotted lady.

If you are unable to find some at your garden center you can find some at Fraser Thimble Farm or Canning Perennials for example. Gardenimport sell many good Helleborus but they are expensive.

 

I agree!!!

 

For the Iris, it is a bulbous one, but it is not a reticulata.

The flowers are much larger than the flowers of Iris reticulata . The plant height is now near 6 inches... but the foliage will appear later and is much taller. It is the best bulbous iris I tried, and I tried a lot!!!

 

Beautiful crocus! My Helleborus is just starting to open now.

 

wow!
i've only got a couple of H niger 'Jacob', a purpurescens and some Brandywine
do they bloom for you?
please post photos, if possible

 

Yes, likespaphs. Except H. corsica, H. foetidus, Hot Flash and some very young plants, they all bloom for us. I will show you previous years pictures tomorrow since Helleborus are not in bloom now.

 

Very nice Iris!!! Jean

 

Lantern roses and Christmas roses (Helleborus)

Some pix from previous years. Sorry for the grayish color of some picutures.

Helleborus niger "Double Fantasy".

Helleborus Apricot







Helleborus dumetorum atrorubens. 15 years old plant


Hellebore Onyx Odyssey




Hellebore Ruse Black


Hellebore Blue Metallic Lady




Helleborus Green Corsican


Betty Ranicar


Brandywine Strain

 

Free Spirit Best Yellow


Grand Burgundy


Unknown white


Mardi Gras Maroon Red


Cherry Blossom




Red Lady


Double Queen


Brandywine Strain

 

those are great!
thanks so much for posting!!

 

Your photos are beautiful Erythrone! What a lovely taste of spring. :clap:

 

:drool::drool::drool::drool: