Sunny February Surprise
Debbie Teashon
I love our scant few sunny February days here in the Pacific Northwest, which are filled with light and milder temperatures. These lovely scarce days helps me feel exonerated, even if the prison of wet months looms ahead. I am grateful for the sunrays shining down upon my skin.
I was not disappointed when I went out into the garden to assess what was in bloom. A lonely snowdrop (Galanthus) popped out at the edge of a wave of mauve blooming heather. The little plant barely escaped the weight of a large vessel of water sitting on top of it. Viburnum ‘Charles Lamont’ had the best bloom of its life this year, and I cheered it on! Helleborus ‘HGC Pink Frost’ gave a grand show of brilliant pink blossoms—I must plant more of these!
A surprise flowering of a hellebore that had seeded itself into my garden was the best part of the day. The plant is most likely a cross of the species H. orientalis, which grows across the path. The daddy of this little charmer remains a mystery. However, the pink and green combination on the slightly frilled petals is scrumptious! I must give it a name, even if it only ever poses in my garden.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Wendy Tweton and Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners)