HELLE’S BELLS...
Happy hellebores give gardens some gorgeous winter colour and are a link to spring
IT’S been a real joy these last few weeks to see the hellebore flowers gradually emerging from the ground. For me, they are the link in winter to the possibility of spring flowers. Once they are out, snowdrops are not far behind and then we will have crocus and before we know it, daffodils, and it will be spring.
Hellebores are firm favourites with gardeners who value them for their long flowering ability, evergreen foliage and high performance in shady plots.
What’s more, they’re easy to look after, requiring little maintenance relative to the gorgeous displays they put on for months and months.
So what conditions do they like? Rich soil that retains its moisture is best so improve the soil with plenty of organic matter before planting.
An autumnal mulch of compost or rotted leaves and a balanced feed in spring will ensure they are getting all the right nutrients.
While they’re a great option for a shady garden, you can still plant them in sunnier open positions, providing the soil doesn’t dry out. They’ll also flower more freely in sunnier spots.
Ideally they should be sheltered from cold drying winds as well.
They’ll look gorgeous in combination with other late winter/ early spring flowers such as primulas, anemones, pulmonarias and bergenias, along with spring bulbs like snowdrops, chionodoxa and crocus.
All of these are very valuable sources of nectar and pollen for our beloved butterflies and bees.
Once planted, they’re best left alone to clump out – they don’t like to be disturbed.
They will self-seed and different varieties will cross breed so you can come across all sorts of lovely surprises if you let nature takes its course.
Cut back any dead foliage – this will show off the flowers better and also reduces the chance of any fungal foliage problems.
There are many different varieties to choose from, with a wide selection of petal colours ranging from cream, pink and red to green, apricot and some wonderful rich dark purples.
There’s a lovely new introduction from Hardy’s Plants called ‘Magic
Apricot’ whose flowers vary in colour from plant to plant. They appear in soft pastel shades from palest pink to cream and apricot, sometimes deeply freckled, other times a gently blushed deep pink or green, but all set off by a centre of soft yellow stamens.
A really beautiful variety is ‘Christmas Carol’, which has pristine white flowers, with a green flush at the base.
Now’s a good time to buy them when they are in flower so you know exactly what you’re getting.
And if you receive one as a gift, they are best kept outdoors or at least somewhere very cool as they dry up indoors very quickly.
To enjoy in the house, snip off a few blooms and float in a bowl of water.