A Precocious Hellebore

We are still enjoying temperatures in double figures, and the rain was easier today.

This morning we left a large photographic print for mounting with 4Most Framing in Old Milton. We returned home via Barton on Sea where

Isle of Wight

the waves were choppy and a layer of spray around the dimly visible Isle of Wight gave it the appearance of a Hovercraft skimming over the surface of the water.

Walkers on shore

The weather was still mild enough for walkers to venture onto the shore down below the crumbling cliff.

This afternoon we brought our Christmas decorations downstairs and prepared a space for the tree which still occupies the boot of the car.

Hellebore

Jackie picked a precocious hellebore bloom and placed it in a little brown Victorian cream jug gathered by Matthew during our mudlarking days.

Christmas lights

Later, she trailed a string of coloured lights along the front garden trellis.

The Christmas lights at Lymington, where we dined at Lal Quilla, were inviting, but I forgot my camera. Although it is several months since we last visited the restaurant we received our usual warm welcome and excellent meals with Kingfisher beer.

46 comments

      1. Hmmm. That would be, what June here? A friend of mine has them and they range quite widely between December and Feb. Derrick said it was precocious so maybe that means a week early?

        1. I’m not knowledgeable about them, I only tried to grow them once and failed miserably – I loved the thought of flowers for mid-winter [yes, June here] I guess anything that flowers somewhere around mid winter in your hemisphere counts as a Christmas flower yes? Any way it is a beautiful example of a hellebore! My peonies flowered and faded too soon for Christmas this year – they are becoming popularly known as our ‘Christmas Rose’

  1. I love the hellebore—an ancient and curious flower that I used to grow in my garden. It blooms at Christmas and Easter, here in New England. In the works of Rabelais,( Gargantua and Pantagruel) a concoction made from hellebore was given to pupils in order to have them unlearn all the false things they had been taught, before they could become proper students of right learning!

      1. It can’t possibly have been me! Although I used to give the cryptic crossword out to my class (not photocopied of course) and as each answer was deciphered by a class member I would nod wisely in a know-all fashion.

  2. Quite the wild surf Derrick – love the atmosphere by the sea as showing your photograph. My kind of day on the shore. Tree trimming – just finished mine over the weekend. Your hellebore is gorgeous.

  3. I’ve always loved hellebore … And really, anything brave enough to bloom in winter … For all the metaphorical reasons, and also all the aesthetic ones. 🙂

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