Yes, I strolled the garden yesterday, and the day before. Little changed from one day to the next, but I relish even the most minor additions as the days slowly advance until spring.

This afternoon, I am surprised and delighted by the first wood anemones (Anemonoides blanda, above) in flower. These have spread slowly in more shade than is ideal. Of course, I expected the earliest blooms a month from now. I will be only slightly surprised to discover other early flowers with the first two weeks of February quite mild.

A day ago, I surveyed the garden to document the many varied flowers of hellebores. A day later, I find a unique bloom on one that is clearly a seedling (above) in an area of the garden with hundreds of seedlings and handfuls flowering for the first time.

I lack the patience to breed hellebores or any other plant, but I imagine the thrill of discovering so many that are unique. Here, most variations between seedlings are minor. No doubt, all would be cast away by serious breeders, but all are treasured, perhaps more than pricey and lovely new introductions.

Contrasting with the simple beauty of single flowered hellebores are several glorious double flowers (above and below) that seem early, with doubles typically the latest of the garden’s hellebores, beginning their bloom late in February. Both were half opened buds a day ago, so I am quite pleased to witness their first day in flower.