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Monday, March 7, 2016

Well, I'll be !



Note to myself; 

Experiment.


When cut and placed in water Hellebore flowers will wilt in only a few hours. UNLESS.








you first dip their stems into  Alum powder.









These Helleborus  flowers have already gone to seed.  
They don't need special treatment. 






Helleborus orientalis, commonly called Lenten Rose,  belong to the Ranunculaceae family. 






It only takes one Hellebore blossom and a few galax leaves to make a fine boutonniere. 






Sweet little snowdrops show off Hellebore to advantage. 







Hellebore keep their green leaves throughout our cold winter months.  
The air dried blossoms make an interesting bouquet and will last for months. 





If you live in this harsh climate,  a flower growing through the snow and in February, deserves a space in every garden.  






They add mystery to every Spring flower bouquet. 






And the best news of all.

I have thousands of little Helleborus orientalis seedlings growing in my garden. 

I will share.  


Have a most wonderful week dear friends.   
Spring is just around the corner

Gina 

Note: All flowers from my 2015 garden

19 comments:

  1. Gina, thank you for the alum Hellebore tip.

    I love seeing hellebores over in Central Park (and hope the ones I saw recently after one of our warm/freeze weeks will make it through to lots of lovely blooms.

    On my last visit to the farmers market I saw that several of the plant stands were offering some very healthy looking potted hellebores, probably grown in a greenhouse. What was great was that these were displayed on a high display rack that allowed me to admire the pretty flowers without having to give my knees a workout.

    Really lovely with their snowdrop seasonal buddies in your photographs!

    xo

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    1. Dear Frances, I remember your photos from Central Park with Hellebore blooming as far as the eye could see. I look forward to seeing another.
      How smart of your vendor to place them up high. It is the center of this beautiful flower that is so intriguing. I probably would not have been able to resist them even though I have so many. I have noticed that they change color when planted in a different soil.

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    2. Dear Gina, here's another hellebore update. I saw some lovely hellebore rosy blooms in a window box today, took a photograph as I walked by, and you can see it over on my latest post.

      xo

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    3. Dear Frances, I noticed the unusual color of the Hellebore in the window box. When I studied the leaves it occurred to me that the flowers might be made of plastic. What do you think?

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  2. These blooms are so beautiful Gina and I never knew they could be dried to use much longer. Love the greenish ones in the urn.
    I've not had any luck growing them here - and we've not had any snow to see them peeping through like yours do. My snowdrops are opening now and I have lovely daffodils all about the garden, but can you believe we are going to have a very warm week - up to 80F!!!! The strange weather pattern continues.
    People were out in shorts today! I'm still in cashmere, haha!

    Hugs - Mary

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    Replies
    1. Dear Mary, I could try and ship you some of my little seedlings if you would like to give them a try. Once they become established they will reward you with many little starts. For many years I had only a few plants but they have been so prolific with their seed production that I have plenty to share.
      I can just see your garden with daffodils and snowdrops. Enjoy your beautiful weather. It snowed here 2 nights ago and it is still very cold.

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  3. So beautiful Gina...I love how you treated them in your arrangements. I am going to have to go back to our landscape plans, we certainly have to add a few to our garden. Thank you for providing so many beautiful options, makes my life so much easier. ;) Thank you also for your kind comment on my post, much appreciated! :)

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    1. Hello Jeanne, Oh, do include hellebore in your garden plans. You will be rewarded with an early show of blossoms every year. There are so many colors to choose from and the plants are disease resistant and animals leave them alone.They bloom for a very long time. And even when they are finished blooming their seed pods stay attached and make an interesting design. The leaves stay compact and green. The only drawback is that the flower heads have a tendency to point downward, robbing us of their splendid interiors.

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  4. WOW! Just WOW!
    Karen T.

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    1. Hi Karen, So delighted that you like my Hellebores. Thank you for your visit.

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  5. So beautiful, I really love all the different arrangements you made with the Hellebores.

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    1. Hello Janneke, Aren't flowers wonderful? There is no end to what you can do with them. By themselves or mixed with other flowers, Hellebore are always interesting and beautiful.

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  6. How wonderful, how beautiful Gina...who knew...alum powder... I have only a few of the Lenten Roses and I always enjoy seeing their nodding faces appear while still in Winter. I love what you have done with your flowers, yet you are always such a creative soul, very lovely that you share such beauty with each of us~

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    1. Hello Mary, The only reason I tried the alum powder treatment is because I have used the powder with Hydrangeas. If you let your flowers ripen fully you will see little seedlings appear next spring. They seem to grow in thick clusters and you will have to separate them. It's worth doing...have you seen how expensive they are in the nurseries?

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  7. Replies
    1. Dear Janet, So pleased that you like my flowers.

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  8. Dear Gina,
    I missed planting Hellebore again and love all the wonderful photos of yours all the more.The blue color of your framed tile is so beautiful and so is the lovely lady.
    Greetings on a rainy day, Sieglinde

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    1. Dear Sieglinde, I'm going to dig up a few little seedlings and send them to you next week. They are easy to grow if you can find a not so sunny spot.
      First I didn't like the way I painted the blue lady but have become accustomed to her look. I have been asked if I would sell it but have decided that I want to keep it.

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  9. I remember your beautiful little arrangements in the elegant little vases you had in your guest bathroom. Everything you do is done with so much care. Love you

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