Winter cheer
The available range of hellebores has improved immensely, writes Ginny Clark
WITH WINTER NEARLY UPON US, so comes the arrival of hellebores, more commonly known as winter roses. Hellebores flower away merrily in the winter and are fantastic for filling those dark shady spots under trees and in the shade of the house.
They can also be used as indoor house plants whilst they are flowering!
I love hellebores and when I was living in Christchurch, I would often visit the Botanical Gardens in Hagley Park in winter just to admire the hellebores.
The areas under the very large and beautiful trees were chock full of these amazing perennial hellebores and planted en masse like this they looked splendid.
Some were up to 70cm tall with masses of almost lime green flowers whilst others were whiter and shades of pink.
Today the range of hellebores has improved immensely with the introduction of the “living fashion designer series”.
It features new hellebore varieties that have been bred for their stunning floral displays and foliage.
The range includes:
● Molly’s White is a recent “designer series” entry and has a profusion of elegant cup-shaped white flowers subtly flushed with lime green and dark attractive marble green leaves.
● Sophie’s Delight has predominantly white blooms which are deliciously edged and backed with deep mulberry — a colour combination that is both simple and elegant. The flowers are proudly held well above its handsome foliage. Sophie’s Delight is quite happy indoors for up to three weeks, after which it will be a valuable evergreen addition to a semi-shaded border or container.
● Anna’s Red has a profusion of the most stunning deep magenta red flowers, which gives much needed colour and interest in stark winter gardens. It forms a compact clump with very attractive dark marbled green leaves.
Slightly later flowering are the varieties Cinderella, which has a ruffled and speckled flowers, Tutu and White Tutu whose flowers resemble a ballerina’s tutu.
Hellebores like to be grown in full to part shade and prefer average soil moisture and fertility. Remove old flower heads after flowering and feed with a slow-release fertiliser, in late autumn and spring. They are quick to establish and are very easy care. For best impact, plant in a large group. Ideal in woodland gardens or create your own little woodland corner near the patio. Or plant into pots, as the foliage looks great too.
Winter roses are perfect if you are a budding florist as they pick really well! Just make sure that you choose only mature stems, otherwise they will nod almost immediately.