Care for hellebores

With the mild autumn, many hellebores are showing signs of bloom. It’s good practice to cut off the foliage now. It displays the flowers better and also removes any disease that may be present on the leaves that can affect new growth in spring. Cut the leaves back to the base, being careful not to damage new growth. You can then mulch the plants with compost or leaf mould, which will help conserve moisture in summer and improve the soil, promoting good growth next year. Now’s also the best time to divide them while they’re dormant. Don’t cut back ‘stemmed’ hellebores such as H. argutifolius and H. foetidus.