GBBD – March 2011: Hellebore Bore

I’ve been selective with this month’s GBBD. I’ve ignored the little daffodils, the still-flowering crocuses, the fragrant Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’. They’re all lovely but I’ve decided to give pride of place to some other jewels.

In previous years I’ve plucked the flowers and upturned them, to better view their unique patterns and exquisite tiaras of anthers. This time, I decided to meet them at their level; and because I don’t have raised beds, I spent a happy half hour or so on my stomach on a wet and muddy lawn. It was worth it. They may shyly hide their beauty, but if you spend a little time in their company, they really come out of their shell.

   

I couldn’t resist one non-hellebore photo – I wouldn’t want to be too much of a hellebore bore. I recommend you, too, cwtch up close to Anemone blanda – not exotic, but a delight worthy of closer inspection.

Thanks, as always, to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for giving me the impetus to spend a happy half hour in the mud, and for getting me to look closer at the garden every month. Please visit Carol’s blog for many more people joining in with GBBD.