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PLANT OF THE WEEK

Hellebore Ivory Prince

Sometimes called winter roses or Lenten roses, these small plants fit nicely into the shaded garden.

They used to have one problem with their flowers.

The flowers always pointed downwards and if you didn’t have them in a raised bed, you didn’t really get to enjoy the flowers so much.

Not so the newer cultivars of winter roses, with their much brighter colours.



Hellebore Jacob Royal



In their natural environment Hellebores love shaded conditions, such as the edges of deciduous woodland, dryer in summer and damp in the cooler months. If you’re wondering where to put your Hellebores think shaded but they’re more tolerant of exposed sunny positions in cooler, high altitude regions.



Winter Roses are both low maintenance and really hardy. They are useful for growing in hard to fill shaded areas such as beneath deciduous trees. Ensure they are planted in part shade or morning sun for best results. In heavy shade they will grow but not flower as well as they could.



Hellebore Lola



The flowers of Winter Rose can be picked and put in a vase or removed from their stems and floated in a bowl of water. Plunge the freshly picked stems into boiling water before putting in a vase to extend their show. Once established in a part shade location Hellebores are reasonably dry tolerant requiring only occasional deep watering during extended periods of heat.

Did you know Hellebores are related to Aquilegia, Clematis and Delphinium? As with some other members of the Ranunculaceae family, Hellebores are poisonous.