Two days of 75F weather have defeated me, and I have given up and planted my Trader Joe’s hellebores, knowing it means I’m now committed to checking and watering them as needed.
I plant these in pots for now, and at some point, when I want something else there or when they’re done blooming, I’ll move them into the ground, probably around the base of the redbud tree, where most of my hellebores live happily. I still have some bare ground there, but hopefully not for too much longer.
As you can see, the TJ’s hellebores tend to be immensely root-bound — I actually had to cut this one out of the plastic pot, because I couldn’t pull it out otherwise. So when I plant it in the ground, I’ll probably divide it into two separate plants, which will be a shock to its system, but it should come back strong as two slightly smaller but happy plants in 2025.
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I also brought my little fairy garden figures back out — this is the reader’s pot, next to our little free library, and the fairies and gnome and little boy are all happily reading together.
This is my annual invitation to neighbors — please do feel free to wander my front garden, let your children investigate the flowers and play with the fairies; just put them back when they’re done playing. I’ll add some chalk to the little pot under the library soon, in case they want to draw. We’re at 332 Wisconsin Ave., near the YMCA.
If I manage to get any berries or veggies going in the front garden, do feel free to help yourself (there should be strawberries in the big front patch by the sidewalk in not too long) — we have plenty more growing in back for our family. We don’t use pesticides or herbicides, and haven’t since we bought the house in 2007, so everything should be safe to eat.
