MONTY DON

Our expert shows you how to make the most of hellebores – one flower that will always light up the darkest of days

About 20 years ago I went into a local health food store for some brown rice and came out with a car-load of oriental hybrid hellebores, which became the nucleus of the Spring Garden at Longmeadow. Since then I have gathered a few species hellebores – unhybridised varieties – but my heart lies with those oriental hybrids, also known as Lenten roses (Helleborus x hybridus or H. orientalis), and I have grown to love their appearance that spans the icy clutch of winter right through to the end of March.

Hellebores are usually expensive to buy, especially named hybrids, but they are good value because they last for a very long time, will grow in almost any conditions, need very little care, and have spectacular flowers at a time of year when any blooms are thin on the ground. They also spread themselves prolifically from seed, so my Spring Garden now has hundreds of the oriental hybrids. The only downside to this is their tendency to hybridise, making muddy colours, but none is bad and occasionally a real beauty crops up.

Lenten roses have flowers that vary from the palest creams to the darkest purples, via bright green. When you buy an unnamed H. x hybridus there is no saying what the colour will be, though there are people who have devoted lifetimes to breeding hybrids whose flowers are predictable.

H. x hybridus will cross not only with itself in all its hybridisations but also with a number of other species, so garden seedlings will always be uncontrollable – which is good if you like surprises. As a rule, seedlings with dark staining on the stem will produce the darkest flowers.

Many of the oriental hybrids are clones, which means they do not produce fertile seed and can only be propagated by division. But they do

Chionodoxa luciliae not like being disturbed, and if you’re not careful when you do this they will never recover. Set against this risk is that, unlike with propagation from seed, each part of the plant will grow into an exact replica of its parent.

Given that hellebores do not like being moved, it pays to choose the right spot first time. They require some degree of shade, shelter and rich soil. Many will tolerate quite dry conditions, especially in summer, after flowering. The one thing all hellebores hate is bad drainage, but adding grit – as well as lots of organic material – to even really heavy clay will do the trick.

When I plant a good-sized hellebore I’ll dig a deep hole (they have long roots) and add lots of garden compost or mushroom compost. As they live a long time, it is worth taking some trouble when you plant them.

The leaves of all hellebores are leathery and evergreen and stay on the plant until replaced by new ones in spring as the flowers fade and set seed. However, as hellebores grow older they can be prone to a fungal infection, Coniothyrium hellebori, which creates a chocolate blotching on the leaves, which then turn yellow and die. The leaves tend to tangle above emerging flowers so it is best to remove all the older leaves as the new growth appears. This will reduce the plant to a fragile, naked thing, but don’t worry – the flowers will be all the better for it and the extra light and air will reduce the risk of disease. It’s best not to compost infected leaves – burn them instead. ■

Mauve and red hellebore hybrids teamed with blue

with MONTY DON