LAST SATURDAY WE WENT OUT FOR A WALK - PART 1

 the first one in a while.  It was gloriously sunny at Green Spring Gardens, but windy and very chilly.  We cut our walk down by half.  However, it was a good start, and enjoyable seeing what was blooming in the garden.  

The flowers were putting on a good show in front of the old house.

Good to see the Daffodils, along with the Wild pansy.  

The pansy's botanical name is Viola tricolor but is also known as Johnny jump up, Jack-jump-up-and-kiss-me, Heartsease, Come-and-cuddle me, Love-in-idleness, Tickle-my fancy, Pansies and Three faces in a hood.   Have to say, all these names made me smile.  Its flowers are edible and can be consumed in salads, drinks or used as a garnish, though they are best eaten only in small amounts.  Important to note that for consumption, they should only be eaten if organically grown with no pesticides.

These next photos are of the Lenten Rose.

Its botanical name Helleborus orientalis.  Also known as the Christmas Rose and Helleborus.

It belongs to the buttercup family, a perennial and can be grown in the shade but preferably needs three hours of light a day. 

It has been cultivated in Germany since the mid 1800s, with varieties created in the United Kingdom shortly after.  

Between the 1920s and 1960s there was little interest in its cultivation until Helen Ballard bred new varieties.  

They bloom early in the year, hence they get their name, "Lenten rose".

Next is the Japanese apricot.  I noticed its pretty bloom growing out of the tree trunk.  There were several others on the branches.  Its botanical name is Prunus mume.  Also known as Chinese plum, Mume, Plum blossom and Flowering apricot. 

A deciduous tree which can grow from 13 to 33 feet tall, and its blooms have a strong, fragrant scent.  You will see it flowering in late winter and early spring.  They have a long life and can live up to 100 years old, but still much shorter than some trees.  There are over 400 species in the Japanese apricot family, from plum trees and almonds to pin cherry shrubs.  

“Flowers are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities in the world.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~