A Hellebore of a Christmas rose!

Weather: Mild and bright with a threat of a cold snap to come in the next few days.

Harvest since last post: (a month!) The vegetable garden is slowing down - we had the last pound of beans three weeks ago, 1lb 8oz parsnips (beautifully tender and sweet) 8 oz Salsify (fiddly but lovely flavour roasted), regular snippings of salad crops from greenhouse (Corn Salad, Landcress and mixed spicy japanese leaves) basil and chilis from this summer's plants now brought into the house and cropping OK on the windowsill. 1lb Leeks.



The Hellebores in the photo are gorgeous and have been flowering since the beginning of the month. These are plants I grew from a free offer a couple of years back. They were tiny and they have bhad two previous homes and this is the first time they have flowered. They are quite lovely and earlier into flower than I had expected. I don't know the variety and hope they continue to flower throughout the winter. If you've been following the blog you might recognise their position. They are in the shady area I cleared at the beginning of the year. The variegated shrub next to it is a Symphocarpus (snow berry - although this version has no berries). It is enjoying the mildish autumn we've had so far.



The other major job we are undertaking this year (we meaning that Bill is doing the hard work!) is further opening up the vegetable plot which is being shifted down the garden a bit as the huge Acer Crimson King at the bottom gets bigger and shades the space more and more.


I wasn't keen to add more paths - and thought the wide new path in front of the shed would take up far too much potential growing space but I have a feeling that the new raised beds in better light will really give us more viable growing area.


The 6ft by 4ft space beside the shed (where the green trug is) will be one of the shadiest spots and it is also particularly slug prone so I have decided that this is the spot for some 'edge of woodland' soft fruit. I know that red currants do fine in shade and I am going to try a black currant and some gooseberries in this spot. I dare the slugs to have a go at a gooseberry bush!