What’s Blooming in the Remembrance Garden
The day after Christmas I start looking forward to the first signs of spring. Anticipation is helpful in getting me through the dark, damp days of January.
By Dorothy Steding
The day after Christmas I start looking forward to the first signs of spring. Anticipation is helpful in getting me through the dark, damp days of January. It’s not long before the crocus start to sprout. The deep purple colors lining the garden pathway from the Sanctuary to the Remembrance Garden brighten the dark days for me.
Next, come the hellebores. In our Garden we have 3 varieties. The Helleborus Foetidus, known by the common name – Bearpaw – has light green to chartreuse blossoms. The Helleborus Niger, known by the common name – Christmas Rose – has white blossoms with green and red speckles on the inside of the blossoms. The Helleborus Orientalis, known by the common name – Lenten Rose – has wonderful maroon purple blossoms.
All three plants sprout new foliage and blossoms in our Garden in February, although in some climates they have been known to begin their season in mid-December; thus, the “Christmas Rose” designation. The legend of the Christmas Rose is that the plant sprouted in the snow from the tears of a young girl who had no gift to give the Christ child in Bethlehem.
Other hellebore trivia include historians’ belief that Alexander the Great died because of an overdoes of hellebore, that he took as medication. The Genus, Helleborus is of the Family, Ranunculaceae (buttercup or crowfoot family) and is native to much of Europe from western Great Britain to the north coast of Turkey. The greatest concentration of the species occurs in the Balkans. One species comes from western China.
I treasure that the Lenten Rose is always in bloom during Lent – no matter the floating nature of the timing of Lent.
At this writing (Good Friday) the Ribus Sanguieum, red flowering current bush is in full bloom adding a pink color to the Garden landscape. At your reading of this article the tulips, part of the original plantings in 2003, should be in full bloom as they are now just starting to break through the surface of the soil.
For more information on the plants in the Remembrance Garden refer to the Remembrance Book in the church Front Office. For more information about the Garden, prices and reservations, please contact Dorothy Steding, Jim Johnston or Kathy Erickson.