Plant ident 08/03/2013 - The first flowers of spring

Many of this plant ident felt very fragile, precious and hopeful, as the first 'spring' growth valiantly started to appear even though we were still in the throes of winter.

1. Helleborus 'Anna's Red' (Ranunculaceae family). It has these amazing tight almost unreal red satin buds that bursts into a floriferous display, that lasts for a long time. It's April and still going! Their flowers heads don't turn downwards like they commonly do. It is said that the breeders took 10 years to achieve this cultivar. Hellebores being one of the most promiscuous plants are hard to keep the same once you have grown one that you like. They take years to realise too. There are some very dedicated and enthusiastic hellebore plant breeders out there.

2. My second plant was Libertia peregrinus, which looks like a grass that the crocuses are pushing out through. It is in fact a type of iris from the Iridaceae family. Originally from New Zealand, it has saucer like white flowers.

3. Erythronium dens-canis (Liliaceae family). This very exciting dog tooth violet is named so because its root are hooked like a canine tooth.

4. Cyclamen coum (Primulaceae family). These are the spring flowering types of cyclamens, C. Hederifolium being the common autumn one. Lewis the gardener had the idea of sowing these in the cracks of the upper moat wall, and we hope that it will opportunistically self-sow itself there.

5. Narcissus 'Tazetta' (Amaryllidaceae family) are the also the daffodils known as paper white (maybe because they dry out like paper). They have the most fragrant and one can often catch the smell of them in the breeze as you walk past them.

6. Narcissus pseudonarcissus, one of the only native wild daffodils. Smaller in nature to many of the cultivated variety.

7. Cardamine quinquefolia (part of the Brassicaceae family)

8. Narcissus'Tête-à-tête' above a beautiful purple anemone.

9. Narcissus cyclamineus this tiny daffodil has petals (the outer perianth segment part) that look like its ears that have been blown back.

There was also a Narcissus bulbocodium which is another small one that has a hooped petticoat like corona (the trumpet part of the daffodil). It's petals are less opaque and looks like it has a certain fragility.