Helleborus Charm...

The end of the holidays and therefore just beofore plunging back into the madness of the working day, what more fitting as an antidote to all of that, than the sight of the beautiful Helleborus? The white Hellebore flower - the 'Winter rose' - is reputed to possess healing qualities in addition to an ability to ward off negative energy. In Greek mythology, the tears shed by the bereaved Aphrodite - goddess of love - resulted in the blooms of white flowers springing up from the ground.

However, it was the red Hellebore that caught my attention, with its typically discreet flower, bent gracefully down as if in modesty or perhaps hiding its face away. Again, it was cited in Ancient Greek mythology, with its name coming from heleîn - 'to injure' - and borá for 'food', since when ingested it could either combat bouts of madness or cause them, depending on the myth in question.

Despite there being various diffent sorts of flowerhead , either relatively plain or ruffled, common to most are the delicate veins traced through the papery aspect of each petal. The fact that you have to contort yourself in order to admire each flower makes the experience all the more special as they play 'hard to get', unlike a typical rose which radiates its full glory plainly and self-assuredly for all to see...