greentapestry : Tales Of The Hellebore Bank

Friday 25 March 2011

Tales Of The Hellebore Bank


I have been engaged in a little bit of guerilla gardening this week as we have enjoyed some perfect for gardening weather. I am usually a law abiding citizen but now and again I do stray from the straight and narrow. Our garden is bordered on one side by a surface water stream - on the other side of the stream there is a sloping bank which rises up to meet the main road. This area is about 500 square metres and contains some twelve mature trees which were there before us. I am on a mission to give this area some interest during the early part of the year before the leaves are out on the trees. I planted some snowdrops some time ago, which are slowly clumping up and being added to. Now I am bringing hellebores into the mix which as you know can be relatively expensive plants to purchase. A couple of years ago I decided to take pot luck and I acquired some hellebore seedlings via Ebay. Some of these flowered for the first time last spring and after seeing them in the flesh as it were I purchased a few more last year from the same seller.

They have all lived in pots until their first flowering after which the majority of them are destined for the bank. One or two are earmarked for the garden. I planted the first few last year on the bank and was disappointed that with one exception they did not flower this year. However they are very much alive as there is healthy new foliage appearing so I suppose they are just biding their time. In the meantime a solitary hellebore (a seedling from the garden) probably planted about four or five years ago has now made a decent sized plant. Next year it should have some company including this trio ~ 




Now what do I do about the uncultivated field behind us? Food for thought.

10 comments:

  1. It will look gorgeous once it is planted up with hellebores and they're blooming. What a shame they didn't flower this year, though it's good that they're putting on growth, I'm sure they're just building up energy ready to put on a superb display next year.

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  2. Hi Anna,

    Ooooh, you are a baddun! :P

    I wanted to do a little gorilla gardening in Sherwood, as there was next to no ground interest at all - also not so good for ground birds which like brambles and shrubs to hide in - but I think someone might notice me planting some bulbs ;)

    Your Hellebores are gorgeous and I'm sure will be much appreciated by passers-by in the years to come!

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  3. Anna, I think that's a fabulous idea - and a very thoughtful one too. The bank will look great with the addition of those very pretty Hellebores.

    Jeanne
    x

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  4. What a wonderful thing to do! Hellebores always seem to take longer to get around to flowering than I ever think, but "your" bank is going to look wonderful next year - or perhaps the year after. Just don't move before you get to enjoy it! As to the field, poppy seeds? I can just see you doing a little midnight sowing...

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  5. Good for you. Hellebores look good there - a very natural setting. What have you in mind for Summer time :-0

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  6. Anna:
    What a wonderful spot to add some guerilla Helleborus! Granted they are pricy, but with that wonderful woodland spot, they will shine in years to come! Good on you Anna for spreading your green thumb for others to see and appreciate!

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  7. I love woods. I wish I looked out on one too.

    Esther

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  8. Anna I think that what you have done is brilliant and will give pleasure to lot's of people in the future. I love it when I come across areas that have had some guerilla gardening done on it.

    Good for you and the helebore photo's are lovely by the way.
    M x

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  9. It'll just get better each year. My kind of villain. That field's got 'poppy' written all over it.

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  10. Anna, I love these random acts of guerrilla gardening -- adding to the world's sum of beauty. Good for you! -Jean

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All your comments are much appreciated and treasured. I wil try to reply to everyone who leaves a comment, but it may take me a few days, especially when I start spending more time in the garden and at the lottie. I know that you will understand :) I am sure that I will also visit your blog if I have not already done so. If you have any specific questions I will either reply to them here or you can email me at : thegreentapestry@gmail.com

Namasté

- Anna.