The wonder of a lenten hellebore

Hellebores will bloom successfully in deep pots stood around the garden as well as in open ground.

In either situation, make sure they don’t go short of moisture. As to colour choice, just think of modern fabric shades or those used in the production of interior emulsions.

Hellebores with the Dicksonia Tree Fern.

WHATEVER the temperature outside, however bleak the weather, there can be no greeting warmer or more eloquent than the flowering of the first hellebore; boldly assertive, weather resistant, totally hardy, punctual as Christmas. No wonder they have become firm favourites with millions if not with millionaires. Hellebores are one of the wonders of the plant kingdom for they’ll last for decades and always present themselves as matchless garden treasures.

For generations they were regarded as a cure for madness. Paradoxically, the flowers look delicate, even frail, yet once they have opened they defy whatever the weather throws at them and insist on lasting their full term, which can be three months in many cases. Their range of colours is something like the spectrum for shades of fabric; from yellowy green to deep claret red and all the colours in between.

There is of course a pure pristine white and a dark-leaved, plum-coloured beauty which borders on black which seems to suit the low, faltering light of post solstice, but overall, there are dozens to choose from. As to scent, a holly leaf, snowflake, even an eggshell, all have more of a perfume than the most desirable hellebore! Nature may have failed in this regard, but in no way does this detract from their desirability.

The traditional Lenten hellebore is single flowered, having but five sepals exactly like a buttercup to which the family is closely related.

‘Doubles’ are now commonplace, having first being regarded as a curiosity. I welcome these new strains, though I wish they were a little less expensive!

However, if they behave with the same loose morals as the singles, I expect that they will seed about generously, raising children of every conceivable colour. Hellebores, I should advise, do not come true from seed but this can create an advantage for the casual grower who wishes to rise to the level of connoisseur. If they learn to discard seedlings with flattened flowers in favour of those with a cup-shaped form and to weed out the less appealing colours, they may, in time, stumble upon something really distinguished. The weeks just before and immediately after Christmas are ideal for buying new, container-grown stock as well as removing the older, rather large and coarse leaves of established plantings. Their removal will allow more light to penetrate the crown thus promoting faster flowering. New leaves will follow the flowers so removing the old ones as early as possible is certainly advantageous.

Most nurseries will now be able to show you fresh stock of both single and double varieties. Double-flowered H torquatus hybrids are rather special and are worth seeking out, as are X sternii ‘Blackthorn Group’. However, no variety will be found less than good. Provided the ground is neither waterlogged nor frozen you can plant them straight out into fertile, free-draining, but slightly moist soil. Hellebores grow well in partial shade and are good on limestone and chalk, provided the soil is kept well mulched. If possible, enhance the soil with plenty of leaf-mould or decayed compost, to give it the quality of woodland. Bear in mind that young plants need time to establish and many can take up to three years before they really flower in character. They resent constant disturbance and will thank you for being left alone by blooming stronger and for longer as the years pass. Encourage them in dry summer spells by watering copiously.