Shared Grace and Savored Grace

Pollinator on Crocus vernus 'Pickwick'

It's that time of year when blog posts are out of date by the time I get them up and published. These photos are from two days ago, and some of these blooms are fading now. It's also the time of year, in my climate, when plants that bloom in a more staggered timeline in a warmer climate bloom all at once here in the north (USDA zone 5a).

Galanthus nivalis  'Flore Pleno'

Galanthus nivalis

Eranthus hyemalis

Blooms considered winter flowers in the south (Snowdrops and Winter Aconites) must wait until March or April to bloom here.

Crocus tommasinianus

Because of our cool temperatures but plenty of sun, the 'Tommie' Crocuses have been blooming for about a week now.

Crocus vernus

C. vernus

The larger Dutch Crocuses are blooming at the same time as the "earlier" flowers. (I find it fascinating how the same flower can look very different when photographed at different times of day, in different light, and from different angles.)

C. vernus 'Pickwick'

These striped beauties are in a very sunny spot. They appear to be multiplying and they seem to be favorites of the pollinators. I keep lava rocks and foil around them to discourage squirrels and chipmunks from digging, and rabbits from eating.

Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete'

The tiny Daffodils are at their peak.

Trumpet Narcissus

Larger Narcissus are just beginning.

Hyacinthus orientalis

It won't be long for the Hyacinths.

Helleborus 'Sandy Shores'

Finally, the Hellebores definitely will be blooming today. This one, from two days ago, is a first bloom on a new plant for me: I'll look forward to its open face within hours. The other Hellebores, in a different spot, started opening yesterday.

During these difficult times, sharing our plant-love and gardening joys is more important than ever. That is our shared grace. On the day that I photographed these first flowers, I saw my first butterfly of the season. My heart jumped and I smiled, even though no one was looking. I didn't have my camera handy, and I wasn't able to follow it, so I don't know if it was a Mourning Cloak or an Eastern Comma, because it fluttered up and away too fast. But it was a sign of hope. It was a savored grace.

More Hellebores, Please

The Hellebores are blooming late this year, but the show is exceptional.

While I'm moving more in the direction of adding and encouraging native plants, I do make a few exceptions. I honestly don't have "favorite" plants, but there are oh, so many reasons I'll always want Hellebores in my garden: They thrive in shade, they're hardy to zone 4 or 5, they bloom early, they're rabbit-resistant, the list goes on.... But mainly they're simply beautiful.

Originally, Hellebores were native to parts of Europe and Asia, but the hybrids are now cultivated in gardens around the world.

I only have a few, but they're all Helleborus orientalis hybrids. (Early on, these hybrids weren't reliably named, but each is unique. One nickname for the group is Lenten Rose.) The first few, which I added many years ago, return reliably each spring.





This wine-colored beauty has perfect form.



As does this deeply veined variety, which was the first hybrid I added to the garden.



It's almost as dreamy from the top.



But flipping it over reveals the magic of its sepals, stamens, carpels, and nectaries.



This sweet little cream-colored hybrid has been in the garden for several years, but this is the first year it's bloomed...almost.



It's diminutive and delicate, and I can't wait to see more.

Hellebores often bloom in March in Southern Wisconsin, but this year we didn't have reliably decent weather until recently. I covered these guys during our late ice and snowstorms (just two weeks ago!) to preserve the blooms. I'm glad I did for a better show now.



I can't seem to get enough of these lovelies. I recently purchased two more unique Hellebore hybrids, and I look forward to adding them to the garden.