Garden
Helleborus perennial- get more!! Front garden blooms early spring. The Helleborus genus includes a Christmas rose and a Lenten rose (among other plants), and neither usually blooms on their respective holy days, except when weather is wacky, like when El Niño is in full force. But these hardy flowers bloom as early in spring as they possibly can. Even the bearsfoot hellebore beats most other flowers. These are slow-growing perennials that can be very pricey to purchase. If you are not particular about the color, you can find seed packets of mixed blends. You will have to wait a few years for seed-grown hellebores to bloom, but once they are established they will be around for decades, and they will slowly spread. Many hellebores have nodding flowers that look somewhat sleepy and comforting in the garden. They are good shade garden plants and look fantastic paired with ferns and shiny-leaved plants such as ginger. USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9 Color Varieties: Pink, purple, burgundy, cream Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade Soil Needs: Not too wet or dry, neutral to slightly acid
Echinacea Purple coneflower mixed with dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) and ‘Phantom’ eupatorium Botanical name: Echinacea spp. Common name: Coneflower Origin: Native to the eastern and central United States Where will it grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 9; find your zone) Water requirement: Regular; can handle some drought when established Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 1½ to 3 feet tall, or taller, and 1 to 3 feet wide
Sunflowers (annual) around front garden and to the left of the entrance
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