Helleborus blooms make excellent cut flowers.
You may have noticed the days are slowly getting longer.
A quick walk around the garden after work, bundled up in rain gear and warm layers, brings a bit of joy.
Though we’re in the heart of winter, there’s still surprising colour if you know where to look.
Early magnolias are blooming, camellias are putting on a show, daphne is beginning to flower, and many grevilleas are feeding birds with their nectar-rich blooms.
This column’s focus, however, is on helleborus, commonly known as Lenten roses or winter roses.
These hardy plants put on a spectacular display through rain, wind, and frost, which is exactly when most of us would rather be beside a fireplace.
Winter roses are prized for their ability to bring colour to the garden during the coldest months.
Their blooms also make excellent cut flowers, lasting up to three weeks indoors.
Some varieties start flowering as early as late May and can last into July, while others bloom through July and continue into August or September.
Their name, Lenten rose, comes from their blooming period coinciding with Lent in the Northern Hemisphere.
Traditionally, hellebores were limited to white and pink hues, but breeding in recent years has significantly expanded the range.
Now, you’ll find shades from white to deep black, as well as green, yellow, apricot, and striking spotted forms known as picotee.
There are even beautiful double-flowered varieties.
Hellebores thrive in shady areas with well-drained, humus-rich soil, making them ideal for planting under trees or along the shady sides of fences and houses.
They naturally occur in the deciduous forests and meadows of Eastern Europe, where fallen leaves create rich organic matter and tree roots help maintain good drainage.
You can recreate this at home by adding peat moss and planting under deciduous trees.
They prefer a neutral to alkaline soil (higher pH), meaning they grow well with the likes of rhododendrons but may not thrive in very acidic soils.
In heavy clay areas, extra care is needed to improve drainage — raised beds are one solution, or again, planting under trees helps as their roots draw moisture from the soil.
Just avoid conifers, which can make the soil too dry.
While hellebores are resilient, they absolutely hate sitting in soggy soil.
They’ll tolerate cold and snow, but not wet boggy conditions. They do better with dry soil than wet, and while they can recover from drought, they often won’t survive excessive moisture.
Mulching helps keep them cool and moist during summer, adds organic matter, and suppresses weeds.
The best time to mulch is in spring, when flower buds begin to appear and before new leaves grow.
For helleborus x orientalis hybrids, cutting back the old leaves in spring is beneficial.
It’s not strictly necessary, but removing old foliage helps tidy the plant, shows off the blooms better, and improves airflow, reducing the risk of fungal disease.
Keep any healthy leaves, and avoid cutting foliage on other hellebore species.
Diseases are generally not a major concern with hellebores. Their leaves are toxic to animals, but most livestock instinctively avoid them.
Aphids can be a nuisance in summer and don’t seem to mind the toxins.
A spray of Yates Mavrik can handle these pests effectively.
Hellebores are low-maintenance when it comes to fertiliser. If you mulch yearly, that usually provides enough nutrients.
However, a light application of Novatec fertiliser and dolomite lime to add calcium can give them an extra boost. Just be careful not to over-fertilise.
Hellebores are a fantastic addition to any winter garden.
Their blooms brighten the darkest season, they require little care, and their resilience makes them rewarding even for novice gardeners. Just remember: good drainage is key.
They can handle nearly anything except being waterlogged.
Stay warm and enjoy your garden.
Gareth Carter is the general manager of Springvale Garden Centre in Whanganui.