Friday 11 March 2022

The Lenten Rose




 Last Saturday was a beautiful sunny spring day and I was faced with the prospect of a visit to a well know DIY/Home improvement store. For me that is akin to torture so I rebelled and proposed a day out instead. I ended up at Bodnant gardens in North Wales which is always a lovely place to visit. As it is so early in the season there was not a great variety of flowers in bloom but there were lots of buds with the promise of much more to come as spring advances. There were however some early blooms scattered around and these were inviting lots of bees which was good to see.

I have quite a few pictures to sort through and I am starting with these three shots of a Hellebore. I have to say that I am not normally a fan of hellebores however this particular variety (Helleborus x hybridus Ashwood Strain) really caught my eye with its dark edged petals and when you look below the drooping heads you find a brightly coloured centre (is it yellow or green?) holding the pollen and nectar which proved to be very attractive to several bees. 

I have learned today that Hellebores are native to Greece and Turkey and that they are part of the buttercup family.

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