For today’s image, I wandered round my garden in the sunshine between the rain and was delighted to find this stunning white Helleborus orientalis. Other names for Hellebore are Christmas rose and Lenten rose, after the time when it flowers. What look like petals are actually sepals on a hellebore.
Semi-evergreen Shrub. Flowers April-May. Height 2.5m
For most of the year this is a fairly unremarkable shrub, but when it flowers in April and May, it is the star of the garden. When in bud, the flowers are delicately edged with pink and when open they have the most exquisite scent – it’s a pity it can’t be bottled! Plant near a path or doorway to make the most of the fabulous fragrance.
