Winter Roses

Hellebores are the floral stars of gardens in winter, when their distinctive blooms come to the fore

The appeal of hellebores for the winter garden is manifold. They’re hardy plants, mostly evergreen, fairly drought-tolerant, and, just when the winter garden is at its most muted, they appear o ering blooms in a wonderful array of patterns and shapes, from striped, stippled and picotee to singles and doubles in deep, solid colours.

Belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, hellebores are cousins of buttercups, anemones, aquilegia and clematis. With such attractive relatives, it’s no surprise that they have become such a classic winter plant. Hellebores originate from Europe, Asia and the Balkan states. There are around 20 species, but most fall into one of two groups: the caulescent or stemmed species, with clusters of stems that grow above ground level from upright, woody shoots; and acaulescent or stemless species, which grow from woody rhizomes below ground. Those in the latter group are long-lived and include most hellebores we grow in the garden, such as pale green H. foetidus.

The ‘flowers’ we so appreciate, and which are the subject of intense breeding programmes, are in fact sepals. The real flowers are seemingly insignificant nectaries clustered at the centre of the sepals. As their name suggests, these hold nectar, making hellebores a valuable winter food source for insects.

Breeding programmes have provided a huge range of varieties from which to choose. Eric Smith, whose name is given to the species H. x ericsmithii, worked in the 1960s. Hugh Nunn bred hellebores for some 30 years in the village of Harvington, Worcestershire. His daughter, Penny, now sells the Harvington Hellebores he developed from her nursery, Twelve Nunns, in Stamford, Lincolnshire. In the West Midlands, John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries o ers species, interspecies hybrids and cultivars and is noted for the Ashwood Garden Hybrids and lately the Ashwood Evolution Group.

H. niger is the most forthcoming at this time of year. ‘Christmas Carol’ is a cheerful, white, single bloom, perfect for displays. Pack it into pots close to the house or bring it indoors for a seasonal show. ■

HOW TO GROW Hardy hellebores do not fare well in drought, preferring slightly alkaline loam or clay in sun or part shade. A spot beneath deciduous trees is ideal, letting through more sunlight in winter. Alternatively, plant in a tall container – their roots run deep.