Hellebores are truly one of spring’s most gorgeous blooms. The Gabriola garden is already flourishing, and the hellebores planted in seasons past are boasting tons of speckled pink and soft white flowers. Hellebores are perfect for the shady cover and well-drained soil of what we’ve dubbed the secret garden, a circular garden, surrounded by shrubs, flowers, and larger foliage, with a grassy lounging area in the middle that will, hopefully, become home to a whimsical outdoor daybed or Practical Magical inspired table for intimate garden parties and outdoor writing projects this summer.
Despite being known as winter roses, Christmas roses, and Lenten roses, hellebores are actually a part of the buttercup family. They’re an easy-to-grow perennial that requires little maintenance and flourishes in the shade.
Come February, simply remove old, tattered foliage to make way for new blooms, add a layer of rich organic matter around your plants, and your hellebores will be set for spring. Although they usually take a couple of years to flower when grown from seed, once established, these perennials will bring new flowers in late winter and early spring for years to come.
A note on harvesting:
Wait until flowers have dropped their stamens before cutting. In the photo above, the flower at the top still has its stamen and is not ready to be cut. The bloom below it has lost its stamen and is ready to be harvested. Although not as aesthetically pleasing without the stamen, your hellebores will last longer in arrangements.
Happy growing!
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8 Comments
Thank you! This post gives me hope for my hellebores! I planted my first pretty girls back in December after I saw them make their arrival at my favorite nursery. Being the somewhat compulsive plant purchaser that I am, I couldn’t leave home without them even though I knew absolutely nothing about their needs. Haha! Typical Aries. 😉 However, a sweet woman saw me ogling them and shared her encouraging words of green wisdom so I made my purchase and hurried home [feeling quite pleased!] to plant out my “Christmas Roses” and wait for them to bring me a welcome burst of color when the rest of the garden still slept.
Well, after much research I was confidant I’d given them needed, yet I saw very little change in them over the last few months… until T O D A Y! [such serendipity, I tell you!] They’ve added quite a few layers of fresh green foilage and three beautifully deep pink buds!! I guess I was just mistaken on their timeline. Haha! I’m impatient to a fault… 😉
Ah!!! I want to see photos, please. I guess it’s that whole “a watched pot never boils” thing. And, then, in the right moment, all the stars (and blog posts haha) align with your thoughts and wishes, and VOILA — beautiful blooms. This is totally what I wanted out of this space — a place to share all the sweet stuff of LIFE. So thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing <3
What else have you been planting as of late!?
Also, the photos are on my phone (eeps!) or my Sony something-or-other. I'll check the exact name of it and get back to you. Nothing too fancy, though. Just a point and shoot. And then we have some old film cameras, too 🙂
xxxxx
I haven’t started planting much yet this year as I have finally resolved myself to the fact that starting seeds indoors just doesn’t work well enough in my space. 🙁 The house is quite shaded by all the trees and shrubs near the windows so it just doesn’t allow enough light for good germination. I’ll be direct-sowing some stuff at the end of this month as we approach our final frost date of April 12 (Zone 6), but these frosty spring beginnings are certainly trying my patience! Haha!
Your little space here certainly keeps my excitement up though! That, and all the bulbs I planted out last October are beginning to make their appearance as well! ? The tulips, crocus, and daffodils are well on their way and my garlic and globemaster alliums are coming back nicely too! I’m so anxious to get all the poppies started soon as well as my delphinium, foxglove, and verbena. Not to mention all the spring greens!
My sister and I have a nursery visit planned next week so, knowing myself, there will probably be a whole host of other additions as well even though I’m only supposed to be hunting down the perfect (blue/violet) hydrangeas. Haha! I love Spring!
Your enthusiasm is contagious. And I wish you all the green thumb luck with your plantings. I know you’ll create a beautiful space and take even more beautiful photographs. I just know your space will be a stunning creation. Virtual garden tour, please 🙂 I’ll be getting alliums this year — you’ll have to teach me their ways! They’re so beautiful. I’ve also got to look for more foxglove and delphinium. Any tips for some beautiful blooms to plant in medium-sized pots on the deck!?!
It seems that you guys are a month, maybe even almost two, behind us in terms of what’s popping up. Our spring blooms (the daffodils and beyond) are already out (we’re a zone 8). Next year, I’ll hopefully start all these posts in advance to coincide with the times they are actually starting to bloom here, but it’s just been such a whirlwind that I’ve not had the time. I’ve got a pile of photographs stacking up from the February planting — my sweet peas are already two or three inches tall!!!!!!
I scattered the Lauren’s Grape seeds the last week of February too. My approach to everything is pretty “simple” — I literally just picked a spot in the wildflower patch and pressed/through (ha!) them lightly onto the soil. So we’ll see if they even work. I probably should order a few more packs off of ebay.
What did we decide for seed sending between Canada and the States? I’d love to do a seed exchange at the end of summer if you’re interested xxxxxx
HaPpY PlAnTinG! And good luck with finding the perfect hydrangea. I’m hoping the one we planted last year does alright… Gabriola has such different soil and there’s only a well that dries up quickly in the crazy summer heat so watering is VERY limited. *FINGERS CROSSED*
xxx
P.S. This photography is breath-taking! What kind of camera are you using? I am at my wits end with relying solely on my smartphone since my DSLR died! >_<
<3 <3 thanks girl <3 <3
I had such a lovely afternoon a week ago hanging out in the sunshine in the garden snapping photos.
xo
these photos are beautiful
So sweet, thanks Gracee!