I could not be happier. This has been a marvelous season for hellebores. After a typical late December start to their flowering season, mid and late season bloomers have come on weeks early. I could not care less that flowers last until April. I’m bored of them by then, as trout lilies (Erythronium) and trilliums begin their display in the woodland, but I can spend a full winter’s day appreciating the many differing hellebore forms as they flower across much of the upper half of the garden.

In addition to the splendid old timers purchased over a decade, several seedlings have reached the flowering stage. While many seedling blooms are indistinguishable from the parents’, a few are glorious (above and below), tucked beneath spring flowering camellias where the few will soon be moved to more prominent positions.

This area of many hundreds of seedlings has proved too damp for the long term, but it seems ideal for growing youngsters to the flowering stage. There are somewhat drier areas where hellebores thrive, so the best will be moved into prime positions where they’ll be seen more easily. My awful memory regularly loses track between purchased hellebores and seedlings, but it is unlikely I’ll forget these few.