Hellebore

An in and out sort of day today. Alex had enrolled for a taster session in Biomedical Technology at our local college, so I had to get him up and out early. Amazingly, for someone who hates mornings, he was up and ready twenty minutes early! He enjoyed the session, which involved testing the freshness of milk, and felt quite positive about the college and the course. I felt a bit guilty because apparently nearly all the other prospective students had been accompanied in by their parents in the waiting area, while I just dropped him at the door and left him to it. However, he didn't seem to mind and re-assured me that I would have been quite superfluous!

While he was at the college I went into Peterborough to sort out a few essentials, and bought a new small camera bag, as the zip on my old one had broken. I just had time to nip home for a cup of coffee before dashing out to collect him. Then I rustled up a Spanish omelette for lunch and took a few photographs in the garden before spending the afternoon at the rather informal committee of our local group of the Wildlife Trust. I have to say I feel a bit shell-shocked now!

Todays photograph is of a Garden Hellebore, also known as Lenten Rose. This is one of the Ashwood Garden hybrids, a strain developed by the Ashwood nursery in Staffordshire, who have greatly increased the range of colours, spotting and number of petals of Garden Hellebores. Most of the Hellebores in our garden have flowers with pink and purple shades, but this one is primrose-yellow with deep purple spotting. Often the flowers of Hellebores hang down, so this was taken from a very low angle using my Benbo tripod, which can be made almost any shape you want. And I didn't even get muddy knees!

On a more serious note I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with all the New Zealand blippers who have been affected by the Christchurch earthquake. Such a terrible tragedy.