spring?

some very pretty hellebores there Arlene. I like the double primula too.
All snowdrops are beautiful :o)

Having viewed these gorgeous Hellebores I really feel I should plant some in my garden .. any special requirements for them ?

RHS advice Megan
Hellebores (sometimes known as the Christmas or Lenten rose) are perennial garden plants with elegant flowers, perfect for brightening up shady areas during late winter and early spring. Some species are grown for their striking evergreen architectural foliage.

Hellebores prefer to grow in rich, well-drained soil in dappled shade. Avoid planting in very dry or waterlogged soil. Provide shelter from strong, cold winds.

Water during dry spells and mulch annually with leaf mould, chipped bark or other organic matter in autumn.

Where growth is unsatisfactory, apply a general-purpose fertiliser, such as growmore or fish, blood & bone, in spring at 50-70g per square metre (1½-2 oz per square yard). Container grown specimens can be fed with balanced liquid fertiliser, or with a high potassium fertiliser such as tomato feed, to encourage blooms.

Thankyou so much for the information, I feel sure I can find the perfect spot for some in my garden. : o )

What beautiful Hellebores, our white one never popped up the year, might have been too wet?

~a couple of mine haven't either~ really nice ones and when I rang the nursery to find out what they had with a view to buying replacements they said theirs were late and they have had losses because of the wet and freezing temperatures~ hopefully going next week!

Pretty pics Arlene...
Do you have your greenhouse up yet ? :o)

Lovely pics, Arlene. Great to see your "S. Arnott" snowdrops! :-))

lovely cheerfull pic arlene :o))

Enjoyed your lovely photos

All very nice Arlene.
You know the Sam Arnott's .... are the flowers bigger than ordinary ones, as well as being taller. I keep threatening to get some but I can't warrant £2 or £2.50 per bulb.

yes they are bigger~I bought 8 but got 11 I think~

Thanks Arlene - so do you think they're a good investment? Pleased you got extra ones :-)

nice photo's arlene, I have a nice xmas rose and snowdrops that's all,

Lovely photo`s Arlene.

I am green with envy viewing your Hellebores. They have to be one of the most striking Spring flowers. I have some crocus out which surprised me yesterday with their sudden appearance in the sunshine. I also have a christmas rose which has some flower buds low down so I will be waiting to see it surface as it is a lovely plant. I feel so happy now that we are leaving Winter and I hope there are no sudden falls of the white stuff!!! LOL

~ they're very different to the small ones in a bowl in the first pic Dawn~ I like them~ if they were in a clump they would look great but I have left room for them to spread so maybe by next year or so!
Homebird ~all of mine are in pots~ thanks everyone they are gorgeous~

lovely to see some flowers again Arlene..do u go to the Farmyard nurseries helibore day? my friend went a few years ago and said it was lovely?

Lovely blog, Arlene! It's nice to see Spring signs! Love your black Hellebore...

we went last year Sandra,thoroughly enjoyed!~ hoping to go to replace some of mine lost next week!

Like the colours of your hellebores Arlene, especially the blue one.
Mine are in bud but being slow to emerge. I have given them some feed .

Lovely couple of days here in South Wales - long may it continue!

~thanks Rachels mum~ lovely sunshine but cold evenings here~I can live with that though!
not long to Cardiff show!

Hi Arlene, beautiful snow drops and hellebores. I just walked out through the misty rain to see if my snow drops are coming...And the are! Not blooming but nice crisp stems showing promise. Don't know what kind mine are, I got them as a bonus for buying other bulbs. They aren't as big as yours. If you remember last year in Washington state, we got the highest record snowfall in local history, this year we have had the mildest winter in local history.

Great pics and advice Arlene, the only Hellebore I have is the Christmas one but seeing all your wonderful photo`s has given me the urge to add a few more colourful ones.