Planting Beautiful Hellebores
I've already started my spring planting, have you?
Every year I add lots of plants to both existing gardens as well as new spaces. Earlier this week, I purchased a selection of beautiful potted hellebores for an area outside my Tenant House that gets partial shade and dappled sunlight. I already have hellebores growing in these gardens, but I wanted to fill in the spaces a bit more. Hellebores begin to bloom in March and continue through the spring until the end of May.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Hellebores are among the earliest perennial flowers to bloom in spring. Hellebores are members of the Eurasian genus Helleborus – about 20 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. They are very popular because they are easy-to-grow and are able to resist frost.
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- They are sometimes known as Lenten rose or Christmas rose because of the appearance and early flowering time. I’ve had hellebores in my gardens for many years.
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- Hellebores come in a wide range of dark and light colors including shades of white and cream, maroon, apricot, yellow, green, metallic blue, slate, and dusky pink with or without contrasting markings.
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- To me, hellebores are must-haves for any gardener’s collection. I grow them under my allée of lindens, outside my studio, and in the beds near my Tenant House.
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- Earlier this week, I purchased a variety of flowering hellebores. The plants behind them are azaleas for another exciting gardening project.
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- I decided these hellebores would be great planted outside my Tenant House, adding to the hellebores planted there last year. Ryan fertilized all the areas to be planted.
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- We use an all-purpose formula with a good balance of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
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- Ryan brings all the hellebores to the planting site, so he can determine which ones will go where.
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- Then he places the potted specimens in the exact planting locations.
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- Hellebores should be planted about two-feet apart since they spread. The area is mixed with other perennials with foliage and blooms in similar colors. They will come up soon.
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- A hole is dug at least twice the size of the plant’s root ball. Fortunately, the ground is pretty soft, but use a spear-headed spade like this if necessary.
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- This hole is about six to eight inches deep.
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- Before planting, the root ball is scarified, meaning the roots are teased and sometimes intentionally cut to encourage and stimulate growth.
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- Matthew places the specimen into the hole so it is at the same height as it was in the pot.
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- Once the hellebore is in the hole, it is backfilled and the surrounding soil is gently tamped down to create good contact.
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- Here is one completely planted. Hellebores do best underneath deciduous trees where they are shaded by foliage in summer, but are exposed to full sun after the trees have dropped their leaves in fall.
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- Unlike the blooms of most other flowering plants, hellebore flowers do not consist of petals, but of sepals, which serve to protect the flower. These flowers also tend to nod.
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- These plants are also fairly deer and rabbit resistant. Some of the varieties planted in this space include Helleborus ‘Pink Frost,’ Helleborus hybrid ‘Lenten Rose,’ Helleborus ‘Rio Carnivale,’ Helleborus ‘Frostkiss Anna’s Red and ‘Frostkiss Molly’s White,’ Helleborus ‘Frostkiss Pippa’s Purple,’ and Helleborus ‘Pink Frost,’
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- While hellebores do spread, they are considered slow-growing plants that can take up to 18-months to reach their mature size.
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- Overnight showers provided a good drink. Once the plants are well-established, hellebores require little upkeep. If you’re out shopping for spring plants, consider the hellebore – you’ll love them in your garden. And please pick up a copy of my latest book, “Martha Stewart’s Gardening Handbook: The Essential Guide to Designing, Planting, and Growing.” It’s out now!
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