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“In the
springtime of ones life, hopeful hearts find roses beneath the
snow”. This
sentence beautifully describes this season of the
year. A season that in hindsight expresses thankfulness for the
labours of fall, says goodbye to the oftentimes long dormant season of
winter, and expectantly welcomes the celebration of a new season out
of doors. Gardeners have
always had a sense of anticipation, a sense of hopefulness, and a
sense of surprise. The Hellebores, a beautifully flowering hardy
perennial is one such plant that oftentimes
stirs passion in the hearts of gardeners.
My Hellebores are
located just outside my bedroom window where I can enjoy their blooms
and their handsome foliage. They are located under a Carolinian canopy
of magnificent oaks, ironwood, shagbark hickories, and sugar maple. All Hellebores
enjoy moist, organically enriched soil. They don’t like to be
disturbed once they become established. Propagation is generally done
by division in August or September. Well rooted divisions of 3 to 5
crowns is usually sufficient for transplanting purposes. It is also
interesting to note that some plants will self seed. Helleborus niger,
the Christmas Rose, is the best known and possibly the best admired of
the Hellebores. It forms a sturdy clump of pale green , smooth,
leathery evergreen leaves that are divided into 7 to 9 segments, 3
inches to 6 inches long, and 1 to two inches across. A stem less,
herbaceous plant, it grows to about 10 to 12 inches in height. Flowers
are about 3 inches in diameter and are pure waxy white in colour to
pinkish green that eventually fade into pink. They are rose-like in
shape and are borne singly of stems. They normally bloom from December
to March in Niagara. For colder regions, the flowering period will be
delayed until April. In colder regions,
it is advisable to place a 4 to 6 inch layer of leaf mulch around the
crown of these plants in late fall. This material should be removed in
mid March. Helleborus orientalis, the Lenten
Rose, has several flowers
that are borne on a 16 to 24 inch stalk. Flowers are varied in color
and range from plum-purple, to shades of white, pink, to maroon. They
are normally about 4 inches in width. Despite the fact that much
research has been done to create a flower that is more uniform in
color, clones of these plants are comparatively rare because they are
slow to increase by division .Flowers of the Lenten Rose bloom
later than its European cousin (February to May)
and many gardeners have a preference to this species because of
its floriferous habit. According to John
Valleau from Valleybrook Gardens in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Helleborus
orientalis is the easiest of the two species to grow and because of
their ornamental characteristics, are horticulturally very rewarding.
They also grow well under a tree/shrub canopy. Some grooming of
unsightly leaves may be necessary in late winter
to improve the appearance of the plants.
Helleborus
argutifolius, the Corsican Hellebore, is also available from many of
the better garden centers and wholesale growers. This plant
successfully grows in Zones 6 to 9 and has a height/spread of 18 to 24
inches with a similar spread. It blooms from February to May. Helleborus
atrorubens, the Purple Hellebore, has a deep maroon-purple that nicely
sandwiches it’s flowering period between the European and Asiatic
species. Like Helleborus orientalis, this plant benefits from a
periodic grooming of its foliage as required. This plant grows 12 to 16
inches in height and has a spread of 12 inches. It is useful for cut
flower purposes and is oftentimes used as a specimen and massed in
borders. “ Forget crocus and winter
aconite as the harbingers of Spring: my favourites are the Helleborus”. Dr. Virginia Hildebrandt They are among my
favourites as well.
John A. Morley |
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