On The Table 22 March 08

The white hellebore, front left, dominates but we've combined it with a plant more usually used as a ground cover, Brunnera or Siberian Bugloss with its forget-me-not like blue flowers as a display this week. 

I don't know which varieties these are as we've inherited them with the garden but Brunnera also comes in white (not pictured) and pink (in the background).

I suspect they won't last long in the vase but it brightens the table on a dreary day. In the garden Brunnera likes moist soil, will tolerate some shade and flowers March to May with its leaves making a good ground cover.

Comments

[Kim]

That's a great vaseful of flowers! Are you sure those colorful flowers aren't pulmonaria, though? I had one called 'Mrs. Moon' at the old house that flowered in white, and the leaves look similar.

Hmm. Now I wish I had cut my hellebore flower to bring it inside and enjoy it before this latest snowfall! :)

[Sue Swift]

I've just looked back at all the "tablòe" posts you've written this winter. You have an amazing variety of stuff, given that it's only the end of March. Is your garden as ginormous as it seems?

[John Curtin]

Hi Kim,

Just looked at the plant books. You might be on to something. It'll be a hands and knees job but the varigation on the leaf is telling.

[John Curtin]

Sue,

Yes there is such a lot in the garden. We've moved and the previous owners were real plant people so while I'm enjoying the spring display I can't claim the credit. There are also a lot of plants and shrubs in the garden which don't do much over the winter - though I'm sure they'll display well in summer but I don't know if we'll keep them. We tend to like stuff that earns its place throughout the year. Also this is going to be 'our' garden so we are not going to garden it the way they did it! Already we've felled some overly big and weak trees, pulled some shrubs and have plans to fill in some areas. Ginormous? No but big enough to have us quaking in our boots! Why do we make more rods for our backs!

[Kim]

I got your comment on it definitely being the lungwort... both brunnera and pulmonaria are handsome plants, so you'd have been a "winner" either way, though. :)