Hello Hellebores!!

It's another gorgeous 50 degree day in West Virginia, giving me the opportunity to photograph my hellebores, which have been budding since December.  Several are nearly in full bloom.  This is quite unusual.  In my 2010 nature journal, I recorded a hellebore in full bloom on February 24, so they are almost a month early this year!

 I am excited because it's the first year of blooming for the plants that I got two years ago as year-old seedlings.  The nursery owner could not predict what the flowers would be, so I have been anxiously awaiting their blooms to see if I had anything unusual.  This one is really different from any others that I have, so far, because of its colors, thick center, and the fact that the bloom is upright instead of drooping.  Hooray!!

This one, which has been blooming since well before Christmas, is similar to others that I have had for years.  See how it droops?  The flowers are gorgeous shades of magenta and green, but very bashful.  Sigh...

My favorite older plant, the white one, is showing dozens of blooms already and will no doubt have many more as the weeks progress. This plant is at least 10 years old and I really need to divide it, but have been afraid I would damage it.  Now that my baby plants are coming along so well, perhaps I can bring myself to cut on it after it is finished blooming.

I am so happy to have found these interesting plants that thrive in the shade and bring me joy and hope in the dreary, and (usually) cold winter.