Hellebores, often known as Christmas or Lenten roses (and not roses at all), are far more fabulous than their rather ugly name suggests. They’re a great addition to your outside space for winter and with their delicate, drooping flowers, they bring a touch of colour and elegance when most other flowering plants have long since disappeared.
They’re super easy to care for and require very little maintenance so a perfect choice if you’d rather be cosy by a warm fire. Many perennial hellebores are evergreen and most flower from around Christmas time until early in the spring. My absolute favourite is a snow white variety called Christmas Carol which adds light and interest on grey days and always reminds me of my mum, who shared its name.
Hellebores also provide a valuable food source for any insects that wake up in the winter months during spells of unseasonably warmer weather, that are becoming increasingly more common.
Which hellebore to choose?
Although I’m always tempted to pick my favourite colours or leaf shapes, the best advice for success is to choose a variety that suits your growing space and fortunately, hellebores are very hardy and need minimal care so you’ll have lots to choose from.
A quick online search will give you some great suggestions but my favourite is Helleborus Niger – Christmas Carol which with its brilliant white flowers, really lights up the garden when everything else is looking a bit gloomy. Helleborus Orientalis (Lentern Rose) and Helleborus x Hybridus (Hybrid Hellebores) come in lovely varieties of pink, purple and green too.
Many varieties have attractively shaped, glossy leaves that stay green year-round and, planted under trees, in borders, or in containers, these resilient plants will enhance any garden. Please do just be aware that these plants can be toxic to both humans and animals so handle with care and keep out of reach of children and pets.
Where to plant hellebores?
Hellebores grow best in a spot that offers partial or full shade for most of the day so are a great choice for those tricky, shaded areas of your outdoor space. They thrive when growing in the dappled shade of shrubs or deciduous trees. They prefer a rich, well-drained soil but cope with most soil types except sand or waterlogged ground.
They make a bold, classy statement in a more formal setting such as in pots near to your front door, to welcome winter visitors.
When to plant hellebores?
Perennial hellebores, whether newly purchased or taken from a divided plant, can be planted in early autumn or later spring when both seasons offer the perfect conditions for their roots to become established before the extremes of weather can arrive. I have tried both and find that they tend to do slightly better and flower a little more profusely when this is done in the autumn.
How to plant hellebores?
Dig your planting hole twice as large as the plant’s entire pot and/or root system and if your soil is poor, add some organic matter to improve the moisture retention in the soil, while still allowing adequate drainage. If you have a soil that doesn’t drain well, adding a bit of grit at the base of the hole can help the roots from becoming waterlogged during heavy rain and over the winter.
Place the plant into the hole with all of the leaves sitting just above the surface of the soil.
Fill in the areas around the plant with soil and firm them down gently. When you’ve completed your planting, water well and if you can, add a thick layer of mulch to help retain the moisture and protect any young shoots. Learn more here Marvellous Mulching
If you have more than one plant, a group of three can give dramatic impact and a really full display of colour, just remember to leave enough space between them for light and air to circulate and to avoid overcrowding when they are fully grown.
How to propagate hellebores?
The easiest way to propagate hellebores is by division. This can be done with perennial hellebore plants that are at least two to three years old and have formed good-sized clumps.
Carefully dig out the whole plant ensuring you take as much of the root system as possible, divide the plant into clumps, each with its own leaf and root system and then replant each clump. For more details on this easy process, learn more here Divide and Multiply
You can also grow hellebores from seed but they can be tricky and even if you have success they may take a number of years to flower, so if you don’t have your own plants you might suggest a swap with a friend or neighbour.
If you do have some seeds, it certainly won’t hurt to give it a try and they can be sown under cover in pots or trays from late winter to spring. Sow your hellebore seed onto moist soil and cover thinly with no more than a few millimetres of soil, as they need light to germinate. When they start to grow, thin the seedlings to approximately 10-15 cm apart, discarding the least healthy and vigorous plants. Grow on in pots before they are hardened off and planted out when there is no danger of frost.
How to care for hellebores?
· Stop slugs eating hellebores
Tasty young hellebore leaves can attract slugs so until they are established and can fend for themselves, take some simple, organic measures to give them a bit of protection using the tips here Slug Stopping Strategies
· Watering hellebores
Hellebores planted in the ground are reasonably drought tolerant once established but if the summer is a particularly hot one with little rainfall, your plant may need to be watered. A good soak, directed at the base of the plant, rather than a light sprinkle from above, will conserve water and ensure the plant’s roots get the moisture they need. Those planted in containers may need regular watering to keep the compost lightly moist and a little feed every two weeks or so over the summer months.
· Deadheading hellebores
I choose not to deadhead my hellebores too soon as the faded flowers continue to look very attractive.
Remove old leaves and spent flower stems at the end of winter or early spring. This helps prevent disease and allows air flow and makes space for the new growth to emerge.
· Supporting hellebores
All but the very tallest varieties in exposed spots will be fine without any support at all. Should you need to, gently secure the stem of the plant to the support with some loosely tied twine. This will prevent any tall stems falling over in the wind or bending under the weight of rain.
· Feeding hellebores
Hellebores can grow quickly and you can boost their vigour and flowering potential if you choose to feed them with a slow-release organic fertiliser and/or mulch around the base with organic matter once each year to maintain soil fertility.
Those in pots and planters that can’t stretch their roots further to take extra nutrients from the ground, particularly benefit from this.
· Year-round care for hellebores
Hellebores are very hardy and need little additional care but if you are growing hellebores in containers and live in a particularly cold location where there is a risk of soil freezing all the way through the pots, they can be moved to a shed or garage for any really extreme periods of weather.
When spring arrives, remove old leaves and feed the plants as explained above or adding a covering of mulch will provide nourishment for the soil. Learn more here Marvellous Mulching
Water occasionally only during the very warmest of months to ensure they don’t dry out and in the autumn, divide and replant older plants as necessary to keep them healthy and growing vigorously.
I hope that you’ve found this advice helpful, Hellebores are a wonderful addition to any garden, their unique flowers and evergreen foliage providing colour and interest when most other plants are dormant. By following these guidelines and with very little care, they'll thrive and bring beauty to your space not just this winter but for many more to come.
Next year, you may even be able to divide your plants to produce more beautiful hellebores that you can share with friends and family so do learn more here Divide and Multiply
For more ideas on how to boost the blooms in your growing space for virtually no cost, you’ll find some more great ideas here Saving Seeds - Saving Resources
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