Helleborus niger 'Praecox'
Sidewalks of San Francisco
For a person visiting San Francisco from "The Great White North", one is struck not only the weather but also by the plant life that flourishes in this ideal mediterranean climate. I've just returned from a week in this lovely city, and again I was impressed by the quality, variety and creativity of gardening that I found there. In this post I am paying particular attention to the gardens I found in the front gardens which often overflowed onto the sidewalks and boulevards. Many of the plants that I saw there are the same that I grow outdoors and have to move indoors from November to April. And since the San Francisco plants are grown in the ground they are huge compared to my container grown collection.
Comments
Joy
Glad you like this plant. It is incredibly hardy and is in bloom now and survives sub-zero temperatures.
I get great pleasure out of these too. And aren't those early blooms welcome after our severe winters.
Always glad to hear from a fellow gardener in the "banana-belt" south of Bloor.
H.niger 'Praecox' seems to be the earliest to flower in this part of the world. And I hope mine will continue to bloom right into Spring ( with a little protection of light mulch).
As for buying Hellebores, that is a bit of a tricky question; they are readily available from garden centres and nurseries, but since these don't open to the public until April, I find that the hellebores are often past their best. Since they are all unique, it's better to choose your plant when it's first in bloom. For that reason, I may be organizing a Hellebore sale early next Spring. I'll let you know is that happens.
lovely hellebores...I just planted H. niger 'Praecox' and hope to see a similar scene on a year or two...
About where to find hellebores, there is a nursery called Phoenix Perennials near Vancouver, BC which has a great selection. Every year they have a hellebore event, called the 'Hellebore Hurrah' and carry probably the largest selection of hellebore varieties in the country, from some of the top breeders in North America. The nursery is just about to begin mail order business as well. Check out their website Phoenixperennials.com.
Best,
Jo Turner
PS I work for them on a part-time basis, and give a few workshops.
What a coincidence, I was just looking at the Pheonix site this morning. I was most impressed and would certainly try to visit when I'm out west again. The other coincidence is the fact that after years of being disappointed by the availability of Hellebores here in Southern Ont. I'm organizing a similar event called "Hellebores Galore"... this all happens next weekend April 2 and 3.
A bit nerve-wracking really, as we had a late snowstorm yesterday that took us by surprise. Wish us luck!