How to Plant and Grow Hellebores the Winter Wonder Plant.

It’s not easy satisfying our planting desires at this time of year, surely one of the basic needs of a gardener is to enjoy the wonderful performance after planting a new purchase but during the late Autumn and Winter, flowering plants giving a show can be few and far between, it’s more panto than theatre at this time of year (to be fair though, love a panto, oh yes I do!)

Hang on a minute, disaster averted, here comes the Hellebore (Helleborous) to save the day!

Seriously, what is there not to love? Commonly known as the Christmas Rose or Lenten Rose, these absolute beauties often flower throughout the Christmas to Easter period (hence the names, clever)

Their wonderful, winter flowers really give many people a boost during what can be a gloomy time of year. Whether you are an experienced gardener or taking your first steps in adding some new plants and structure to your outdoor space, plant these hardy, perennials in your garden border and they will give you some lovely colour throughout the winter months, or even in a patio pot.

Alternatively, wouldn’t they be a thoughtful gift? The plants will get larger and will flower year after year, a great investment plant.

Hellebore are pretty straightforward when it comes to looking after them. There are several different types; from shorter flowering periods with less flowers from cheaper seed raised varieties to cutting raised superior perennial varieties that flower from autumn to spring, with some with stems above ground and others with stems below ground but their general care is the same.

Here’s our guide on where to plant and grow them.

• Hellebores are quite happy planted at the base of trees or shrubs in sun to almost full shade. They are not very tall plants so plant at the front of the border. A rich free draining soil is their favourite and they do not like boggy soil.
• When planting dig a good sized hole so the planting area has been well broken up. If your soil is heavy mix in some compost.
• Place the plant in the hole so that crown is just at soil surface level, the same level as it was in the pot.
• Water in well and during periods of dry spells in its first season.
• As the flower buds begin to develop from November onwards trim off any old, tired foliage back to the ground. This tidies the plant to allow more of its blooms to show. New, fresh foliage will simply begin to grow from underground.
• In spring mulch with a layer of compost.

Before Autumn Trimming

Leaf Trimming

After Autumn Trimming

We’ve got some great value 2 litre pot grown Hellebore plants available, here’s the link if you fancy a peek: Click Here.

I’m very grateful for the half-term week I’ve just had with my family. We didn’t go away but we’ve been all together for most of the week and we all still pretty much like each other which I think means we are winning! We’ve seen friends, eaten lots and we even visited an escape room and thankfully, as I’m sure you have guessed by now, we did manage to escape, phew.

Oh yes, my son also nearly gave me a heart attack when he called me whilst I was washing up and I turned around to see this!

Take care,

Lins.