Helleborus - Winter flowering perennial

[gata montes]

Helleborus otherwise known as The Christmas Rose or Lenten Rose.

Helleborus Nijer - The Christmas Rose - bears flat faced flowers that are normally in shades of white or white flushed with pink, that really stand out when planted in shady areas.

Helleborus Orientalis - The Lenten Rose - bears clusters of saucer shaped flowers that come in a much wider range of colors, such as dusty pink, green, smokey purple, yellow or even various shades of red and are sometimes edged or flecked in with different colors.

Winter flowers are always welcome in any garden, and if you are looking for something that will brighten up yours, then these amazing hardy perennials may be just what you are looking for, as they have a long flowering period and will produce blooms all through the Winter, right into early Spring.

Many Helleborus are evergreen, so will give you year round interest, they are very easy to grow, literally just plant and leave to grow, and they will reward you with an amazing sight year after year, they tolerate most conditions, from part sun to almost full shade and are virtually pest and disease free.
These amazing plants can be planted just about anywhere, from flower borders to around trees and look stunning in containers as well.

There are many more varieties, with a huge range of colors to choose from. If you don't already have these amazing plants in your garden, you'll be pleased to know that October is the best time to plant them.

Please feel free to add your favorite Helleborus or ones that you would like to have. Alternatively if you are already growing them, any useful tips or photos, am sure would be more than welcome.

 

[claudine]

They're so pretty! Gata Montes, you know about so many interesting plants, thank you for starting so many great threads, I really enjoy reading them I've never grown any Helleborus, now I'm tempted to try Can I grow them indoors?

 

[gata montes]

They're so pretty! Gata Montes, you know about so many interesting plants, thank you for starting so many great threads, I really enjoy reading them I've never grown any Helleborus, now I'm tempted to try Can I grow them indoors?

You're a real sweetheart, thank you so much for your lovely comments, you really brightened my day.

Yes, you can grow them indoors just as easily as in the garden, the only difference being that Helleborus sometimes need a bit of humidity indoors, as the air in your house might be a bit dry for them, especially if you have central heating. Easily rectified though - just place the pots in a pebble tray filled with a little water and that will be enough to provide the humidity that they need.

Thought that you might like them Claudine - at least these would give you something truly pleasurable to look at, while your miniature roses are overwintering in the attic be careful though, once you buy one or two Helleborus, you start looking out for others and soon find that you have quite a large collection of them

 

[claudine]

I'm pretty sure that they will like the humidity in my house, I live on an island, in the area that was a big swamp around 150 years ago. It's still pretty wet here
It's great that they don't need full sun, this way I could keep my roses on my windowsill (during summer) and grow Helleborus on a table near the window

 

[gata montes]

I'm pretty sure that they will like the humidity in my house, I live on an island, in the area that was a big swamp around 150 years ago. It's still pretty wet here
It's great that they don't need full sun, this way I could keep my roses on my windowsill (during summer) and grow Helleborus on a table near the window

Oh my, you live on an island, that sounds so romantic, is it a quite peaceful island, where you are surrounded by beautiful scenery, and do you have to take a boat to the mainland to go shopping ?

Sounds like your environment will be just fine for your Helleborus, but remember they don't flower during the summer months.

Sorry no smilies, but they don't appear to be working.

 

[claudine]

Oh my, you live on an island, that sounds so romantic, is it a quite peaceful island, where you are surrounded by beautiful scenery, and do you have to take a boat to the mainland to go shopping ?

Sounds like your environment will be just fine for your Helleborus, but remember they don't flower during the summer months.

Sorry no smilies, but they don't appear to be working.

Haha, no, we have three bridges here. There are also boats that can be rented, but they're mostly for tourists. My island is surrounded only by a big river, not by the ocean, so it feels like a normal place. The humidity level is always high and wherever you go, soon or later you'll see water, but that's it. It's a district of a big city, but it's pretty quiet. When you walk here, you see only old villas built before the Second World War and big gardens.

 

[gata montes]

Haha, no, we have three bridges here. There are also boats that can be rented, but they're mostly for tourists. My island is surrounded only by a big river, not by the ocean, so it feels like a normal place. The humidity level is always high and wherever you go, soon or later you'll see water, but that's it. It's a district of a big city, but it's pretty quiet. When you walk here, you see only old villas built before the Second World War and big gardens.

Ah, not quite as romantic as it originally sounded Claudine, but still sounds like a lovely place to live, apart from all that humidity, which is something I'm not very keen on, as the dampness always seems, to make Winter feel extra,extra cold and twice as hot in the Summer, which makes trying to do anything totally debilitating.

For some reason, the word humidity always seems to conjure up nasty pictures in my mind of mold and mildew

 

[Jewell]

I am addicted to hellebores. I've never grown them in pots. Like that idea and will have to pot up some of volunteers for display. Even as a foliage plant I think they are attractive. Here are a few blooms from my garden last March. I have several beds with a nice variety of volunteer singles and a few mardi gras doubles. If you cut back last years leaves just before they bloom you can take full advantage of the flowers.

They are great for a deciduous woodland garden.

 

[claudine]

Gata Montes, lol, yup, we do have problems with mildew here, but I'm so used to the high humidity levels that I always feel weird when I'm travelling to other places. On the other hand, I usually travel to Venice and everything there is wet too
Jewell, your hellebores are more than gorgeous, I simply can't stop looking at them! I'm definitely going to buy a few plants too, I want them in my garden

 

[gata montes]

Jewell - your Helleborus look absolutely wonderful, you must get an enormous amount of pleasure, from seeing this gorgeous sight throughout the drab winter months, know for sure that I would

Agree they are incredibly addictive plants, and its always very difficult to curb the temptation to buy more, and especially so, with some of newer introductions, infact, one of the bluey purpley ones in your picture is very similar, to one I've been trying to get hold of called 'tutu'.


Claudine - thought you might have a big mildew problem. Strangely enough, hadn't thought that traveling to other places, with less humidity would have made you feel weird - more like a refreshing change know I wouldn't be able to get away quick enough, but saying that have been to Venice many times and like it a lot, even though it smells pretty bad at times.

Do have any particular choice as to color for your Helleborus ?

 

[lemonzest]

It's kind of hard to tell the size, are those full grown daffodils in the first photo?

 

[gata montes]

It's kind of hard to tell the size, are those full grown daffodils in the first photo?

Yes they are , full sized daffodils, fully grown Am thinking you ask, because you are trying to imagine the size of the Helleborus .

Helleborus come in quite a wide range of sizes depending on the variety, but the two mentioned here would normally be about 45cms in height and between 30 - 45cms in width.

 

[claudine]

Do have any particular choice as to color for your Helleborus ?

I think that my favorites are the ones with delicate pink flowers, like these in the 4th picture that you posted, they're the most beautiful. But I also really like purple ones and almost white ones. It's hard to decide, because I'm very fond of all of them

 

[justusforus]

View attachment 1090 I am addicted to hellebores. I've never grown them in pots. Like that idea and will have to pot up some of volunteers for display. Even as a foliage plant I think they are attractive. Here are a few blooms from my garden last March. I have several beds with a nice variety of volunteer singles and a few mardi gras doubles. If you cut back last years leaves just before they bloom you can take full advantage of the flowers.View attachment 1087View attachment 1088 View attachment 1089 They are great for a deciduous woodland garden.

Now that is a beautiful array. What climates would these grow in. I love the full cover they give and the lovely flowers.

 

[lemonzest]

Yes they are , full sized daffodils, fully grown Am thinking you ask, because you are trying to imagine the size of the Helleborus .

Helleborus come in quite a wide range of sizes depending on the variety, but the two mentioned here would normally be about 45cms in height and between 30 - 45cms in width.

Yes, I was trying to figure that out. My first guess was mini-daffodils making the other plants look bigger XD

 

[Jewell]

My climate is a cool temperate one with some marine influences. Lots of misty rain with a dry cool summers generally. I have been told that Western Washington state is similar to many parts of the UK and Ireland.

The hellebores love being on the drip line of deciduous trees, where they get winter sun and summer shade. My front yard where my original plants are always have a large number of seedlings. Mature plants are a nice size. Well over 2 feet sqare.

 

[justusforus]

Thanks gata montes. I will be shopping for hellebores to spice up my winterscape. You are a wealth of information and I too have learned so much from your threads and your well thought out answers.

I will get some pictures once mine are set.

 

[gata montes]

Thanks gata montes. I will be shopping for hellebores to spice up my winterscape. You are a wealth of information and I too have learned so much from your threads and your well thought out answers.

I will get some pictures once mine are set.

You are welcome, am glad that the information was enough, for you to want to go out on a Hellebores shopping spree, am sure that you'll get plenty of enjoyment, from having these cheerful looking plants around during the Winter months.

Do you have any particular color or colors that you will be looking for?

Shall look forward to seeing your pictures and many thanks for your lovely compliments.

 

[scotkat]

So enjoyed all your hellobore photos I have many in my garden .

When they bloom again I shall share photos with you all.

 

[Trellum]

That looks like a really amazing perennial! I had never heard about it, I think this perennial, specially the one that can be ever green the whole year can be a great addition for a Dutch garden, I think I'm traveling in a few weeks... north of holland, sadly all the flowers and plants are dead already. Wouldn't be wonderful if this perennial was their first choice instead of tulips? Those flowers are so beautiful. I'm so going to look for them once I move there.