February 2017 — Hellibore

It is now 22 years since I began to write the ‘Evidence’ page following the death of its originator, the Revd C.E. Shaw. My first attempt recounted the lifting and bringing home of a Hellebore plant from an old garden in Barnsley. So extensive was the root system that the plant had to be divided, with half given to a neighbour.

Hellibore

    Hellebores are handsome members of the buttercup family, valued for their early flowering. The choicest of all are those on sale in garden centres during the winter period. These are forms of Helleborus niger, commonly known as the Christmas rose, bearing large white flowers, each with a central golden boss. There is a version with extra-big flowers called ‘Potter’s Wheel’ which I always thought a great name for a plant. I bought a Christmas rose, planted it and it dwindled and died, for they have particular soil requirements clearly not met in this case. Our neighbours however, have found that they make great outdoor pot plants. One that they grew last year produced a few seeds. These were sown when ripe and then exposed to the winter cold necessary for their germination, which occurred in early 2016. I now have a Christmas rose in a pot, the flowers of which are tiny and the leaves tattered by slugs, but this must count as a result.

    Later flowering (March/April) Hellebore hybrids, often with blooms of pink or unusual very dark shades, are commonly available and generally easier to grow in the garden.

It is pleasing to see that the Dippers which reliably nest in the tunnel beneath the Strinesdale car park have not been dislodged by the construction of the new RSPCA centre. A pair of perky bobbing birds can often be seen on the Golden Steps. Their white undersides show up well on a winter’s day against the dark-stained steps. Their presence indicates water clean enough to sustain the aquatic insect life on which they depend.

    Another indispensable element of the local winter scene, the Goosanders, are now on the upper reservoir. I always await their visit with some anticipation. These large and smart ducks arrive in small flocks to cruise around as if they own the place while diving for fish. They are elongated, sleek birds, the males black and white with black/green hears, the females grey with crested brown heads. The bill is hooked and serrated – a very efficient fishing implement.

First published in February 2017