Coming out of Hibernation – a Garden – & a Blog
Plant of the Month – January 2026
Chrysosplenium macrophyllum
An evergreen woodland perennial from China. Spreading by runners into rosettes of glossy green rounded leaves, it makes a good ground cover in reasonably moist shade, bursting into a display of greenish white flowerheads with warm pink stamens around New Year, even ahead of the snowdrops. It could be interplanted with one of the taller snowdrop varieties.
As for the ugly official name, it translates as “large-leaved golden saxifrage”. Many of its smaller Asian cousna do have golden or yellow-green flower heads. A more distant relative is the native yellow saxifrage found in damp areas in Ireland.
Starting from Ground Zero…
From a warm If relentlessly damp November – the last of the sweetcorn, nerines, and yellow cherry tomatoes – early December plunged the Atlantic North West into a coating of black ice. When its grip loosened, after over a week, two metre tree peonies & flowering pheasantberry were reduced to brown rags. Many long-lived herbaceous … Continue reading
Bigger & Bolder – the Tasmanian Elizabethtown Hybrids
Raised at Frogswell by my predecessor Jane and myself, from seed sourced from the collection of John Bradley, the Tasmanian breeder. These dramatic plants are no longer in commercial propagation.
Y 
semi-double dark red
Orchard Path, February 23rd
The last of the orchard hellebore areas to be planted, focussing mainly on lighter colours – pale pinks, cream-yellows and picotee-edged whites. Most plants are now five or six years old, and producing dozens of blooms
Dodging Storm Ellen – and her successors
Sunday 23rd looks like being is the only calmish day in the coming week. On the other hand, there is another centimetre a day of rain to come between now and then, paths are already under standing water, and likely there is flooding on local roads as well. So, alternatives to a live open afternoon … Continue reading
Delayed Hellebore Day
The weekend of the 15th to 16th February is now looking like 50 mile an hour gales and snow. (Again.) While the hellebores will survive such conditions gracefully, humans outdoors may not.
Fallback date is Sunday, February 23
The only likely casualties will be the small frilly double snowdrops, as these are already in full flower, and quite delicate.
Confirmation and directions Monday 17th
Potted hybrid hellebore and snowdrop plants for sale. Also some surplus bare-root stock for re-homing – charity donation appreciated.
Frogswell 