Hellebores

New breeding techniques mean a huge range of high-quality varieties are now on offer, says Graham Rice

When this magazine launched thirty years ago, the best hellebores were rare and expensive. Propagated mainly by painstaking division, they were only available from one or two specialist nurseries and varieties seen in garden centres were unpredictable in colour and poor in quality. How things have changed.

Inspired hybridisation, supported by new propagation techniques and refinements to traditional procedures, have led to the easy and widespread availability of beautifully coloured and prettily patterned varieties of the highest quality.

True, they’re still not the cheapest of perennials, but a long-flowering season – many new varieties start to flower before Christmas – and attractive foliage add value that justifies the price.

A striking development is the arrival of new hybrids between unrelated species. People said some hellebore species couldn’t be crossed with each other. But, never say never. Now there are beautiful, complicated hybrids between hybrids.

So, my choice this month is a selection of hybrid hellebores once thought impossible to produce. That said, some of the best hellebores are old favourites like the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), but these modern hybrids are amazing.

Position All will thrive in partial shade, but may stretch weakly in full shade, though they’re often happy in sunnier sites if they don’t dry out. Also excellent in containers. All are hardy.

Care Prepare thoroughly before planting, these are hungry plants. Snip off tired foliage as necessary, but wait before deadheading as the fading flowers are often attractive. All of my choices are sterile, so never set seed, but flower for months. Mulch in autumn with weed-free organic matter. Lift, divide and replant when necessary.

Where to buy ashwoodnurseries.com, 01384 401996; coolings.co.uk, 01959 532269; cowellsgc.co.uk, 01912 863403