First past the post.

The first plant to flower in the garden in 2023.

It is Helleborus foetidus. Its common name is Stinking Hellebore. This is rather unkind as you don’t get any unpleasant odour unless you crush the leaves.

It is a common wild plant in the mountains of southern and central Europe and in Asia Minor.

But it also grows in the wild in many parts of the UK. And it is often used as a garden plant because of winter flowering period. It is especially likes growing on limestone.