Helleborus Princess Rosemary is blooming

A friend had an accident a few weeks ago and helping her has been more of a priority than gardening or writing about the garden recently.  Her injury is slowly healing and now I have more time to get back into a routine.  I expect my blue light glasses to arrive this week too, so working on the computer later in the evening with these, will hopefully be beneficial to my sleep, as well as to getting the blog written.  As lockdown restrictions tail off, the last couple of weeks has seen some end of season activity.  Garden centres have re-opened and I bought a few violas, primulas and polyathus for some winter colour.  My paid gardening job of four hours per week has resumed and while this restricts time to work in our garden, it means I see it with fresh eyes and trying to tackle it the way I do for paid work – working on one section at a time and finishing that, so there is something to show for your labours.

The last grass mow for the season was this week past – it was mainly mowing leaves and a final top of the grass, as there is little growth due to the number of frosts we are having.  The remainder of the beetroot has been harvested and preserved, making a total of 18 half litre jars in the cupboard.

The first hellebore for 2020 is flowering and it is a sight to gladden your heart when other plants have sodden blooms or are going into winter mode.

I don’t have many named hellebores due to budget, but I find that the end of season is the time to buy them cheaply, when garden centres have moved to selling their spring lines.  Helleborus Princess Rosemary is planted under the main plum tree and in my google search I found it is a known early one.  Unwittingly, I have extended my hellebore season through my budget purchase.

Helleborus Princess Rosemary