Right about now, I am ready for a happily flowering plant in the garden. Hellebores, often called the Lenten rose, fits that bill nicely.
Hellebores are a semi-woodland plant, so can be planted in partially shaded locations. Their foliage remains through the winter, but you may prefer to prune out the old foliage by late winter to see the blooms emerging anytime from January to April, depending on the locale's conditions.
For those of you in the UK, you may want to check out Harveys Garden Plants in Suffolk. Harveys is a family-run nursery that specializes in hellebores. Harvey has developed cultivars called Bradfield hybrids, that have outward-facing blooms rather than the pendant (downward facing) blooms- a big plus in my book. Here are some of Harvey's hybrids:
Hellebores are best purchased while in bloom in order to accurately see the flower's color. Just look at the beautiful colors that are available.
Winter Sunshine
Bradfield Star White
Resembles clematis, wouldn't you say?
Bradfield purple/black
Love the color!
Do you grow hellebores in your garden?
[4-6 Photos by Richard Bloom]
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