Took a tour of the gardens today, just to see if this mild weather yielded any surprises. I keep waiting for the hellebores, and was really hoping for that surprise.
The greens are looking good, but no blooms yet. That’s good. I will wait until Easter and take another garden walk! Hopefully they will be sporting more color then – guess they call it Lenten Rose for a very good reason!
The cockleburs are very abundant in one neglected corner of the yard. I can’t remember what the blooms looked like, but I think they were purple. The seed pockets are very interesting, and very sticky. Glad that most are too tall to be attached to Willis as he runs past.
Just as I was about to give up, I couldn’t believe what I saw just under the deck.
Little viola volunteers! What a really lovely surprise.
I hope your new year is full of wonder and surprise! Happy 2016!
garden4therapy 
I just checked my hellebores…lots of buds but no blooms. Happy new Year
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I’m beginning to wonder about the placement of these hellebores. I thought partial to full shade was appropriate. Perhaps the soil is the problem. I’ll have to investigate, but maybe patience is the best remedy!
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Patience is always a virtue for a gardener. I just wish I had more of it.
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Violas are always a cheerful flower, especially in this case where they surprised you. Happy New Year.
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What a wonderful surprise! Happy New Year!
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