January 2009

[Lvandelft]

Here is a winterflowering evergreen Ribes species
Ribes laurifolium and (without flowers but with a beautiful glossy foliage)
Gerd

Lovely early flowers Gerd.
My plant is outside and still as compact, like I acquired it last year. 
It will not flower before March with me.
It seems to stand -15 / -18 C.,  I read. We had -10C till now.
Hardy throughout British Isles I read too.
Maybe you should trim your plant and try it outside, in your sheltered garden?   

It does not like N.E. winds in winter.

[WimB]

The first flower buds outside in my garden after the cold:

1) Colchicum hungaricum 'Velebit Star'
2) Colchicum luteum 'Vahsh'
3) Crocus laevigatus
4) Eranthis hyemalis
5) & 6) Helleborus x orientalis

[Tony Willis]

Will you give it a cloche to protect it, Tony?

No its on its own,live or die. I had them in pots but they did not thrive so out they went. I raised some from seeds and so have held a couple back inside as insurance. They are nice but I think the hybrids are easier and much more reliable

[ian mcenery]

I have a plant of Helleborus thibetanus in flower,it does not look to good as the flowers are black around the edges. It is too early and I am concerned that it will not  survive when we have a cold spell in the next few weeks.

Will you give it a cloche to protect it, Tony?

My understanding of this plant was that it is perfectly hardy (I hope). Thibetanus was well above ground when we had very the cold weather and is now opening because it is now a little warmer though the cold weather is doing the flowers few favours. Have three plants all outside and not protected and they were acquired from Will McLewin about 3 years or so ago. Here is a form known as the Marietta form as it now which was in flower throughout the cold spell. It is smaller and the sepals are more gappy but it has a charm of its own though as you can see it is taking time to establish. So cheer up 

[ian mcenery]

Sorry I forgot the picture

[Brian Ellis]

I think, Ian, that I would be happy to give such a pretty plant all the time it needed   Love the colour and flower shape.

[Maggi Young]

Fat buds of promise there, Ian especially on that Callianthemum.  Early, to my mind..... but our chums just over half a mile away, Brian and Maureen Wilson, often have their H.thibetanus up well before ours.....perhaps they'll tell us if theirs is similarly advanced this year?

Maureen tells me that their Helleborus thibetanus has been showing some colour since before Christmas but is still very short.... I think we can expect a photo when it's ready. So, as I thought, theirs is growing earlier than ours ... yet we are only a few feet higher in elevation and a little nearer the sea. 

[Paddy Tobin]

Michael,

Just catching your offer of daphne now. Many thanks for being so kind but, please, don't put yourself to the bother. I'll meet you at some stage - was thinking of the AGS Dublin show but am off on holidays on the following Monday and will want to stay at home with son for the weekend before departure; he's not coming.

Paddy

[Tony Willis]

Ian

when we visited Ashwoods which I think is not far from you a few years ago there was a very large clump growing under a tree with dozens of flowers on it so it must be hardy.

here is mine growing in a pot.

[ian mcenery]

Very nice one Tony. I am afraid if I grow things in pots it usually leads to a disaster though I am becoming a little better. Funny you should mention Ashwood's as I visited there today to buy some Yew for an extension to my hedge but missed the aforementioned Hellebore (if it is still there) . And before anybody asks I did resist the temptation of the Hellebores  

Thanks for the compliment Brian

[mark smyth]

Lovely Ranunculus Anthony. Are yours pampered or outside? Mine are out and living very well. Their first flowers were pre Christmas.

Gerd do you collect R. ficaria? I could send you plant that I found. I'll post a photo later.

[Michael J Campbell]

A few Hellebores peeping out in the sunshine today

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Lovely show Michael !
Very nice selection - nr 8 - the pink and white is my favourite ! 

[annew]

Goodness they're early, mine are still firmly asleep!

[Maggi Young]

Lovely selection, Michael..... and we haven't even got Helleborus niger out yet!