HELLEBORE EXPLOSION
I have been following my own advice this past week and cutting the ratty, winter-worn foliage off my hellebore plants so the new leaves and flowers will shine forth. The effort is worth it, because all are either blooming or about to bloom, showing their new flowery faces to the world. The flowers are vaguely buttercup-shaped, which is logical, because hellebores are members of the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.
All that hellebore grooming reminded me of two things: I want to acquire more new colors and forms and I should divide some of my existing Helleborus orientalis plants so that I can increase my stock without bankrupting myself.
Dividing my existing plants will happen in a month or six weeks, when the hellebore blooming season is over. The chore can also be done in the fall, but I will do it sooner rather than later so I can give my plants an excellent start on next season’s blooms.
Success at hellebore division is inextricably linked to knowledge of the plant’s root system, which is relatively deep. If you want to divide a specimen, dig around the plant, making the diameter of the root ball as wide as the diameter of the plant clump. Dig down to a depth that equals the height of the plant and remove it from the ground. Brush away as much of the loose soil as possible. If it makes you more comfortable, you can use a hose or watering can to wash even more soil away from the roots. When you are able to get a good look at the roots, gently divide the clump, using a garden knife or other sharp tool, if necessary, to help in the effort. Make sure each division has a good root network. Replant the divisions, being sure to “water in” each one as you go. Firm the soil around the replanted divisions and mulch them. Water regularly until the plants are established, especially if the weather is dry.
Ordering additional hellebores is much harder than making divisions because there are so many choices. Not only are there about a million beautiful new strains of Helleborus orientalis hybrids, sometimes known as “Lenten roses;” there are also many attractive species and varieties that have come to the market in response to the international hellebore vogue.
In the hellebore dark ages, several decades ago, Helleborus orientalis came mostly in shades of green and purplish green. The flowers faced downward like shy debutants, keeping their charms to themselves. Now, breeders at nurseries like Sunshine Farms in West Virginia and Ashwood Nurseries in England, are producing vibrant colors, color patterns and flower forms. It is n o longer necessary to get down on your knees to appreciate the beauties of the flowers, because some of the newer varieties sport upward facing blooms.
I love the yellow-flowered cultivars like Ashwood’s ‘Single Primrose Spotted’ and some of the varieties in the ‘Winter Jewels’ series, available here in the United States. At the moment I am also thinking of double varieties. There are lots of them now, especially in pink shades, which no longer have even the slightest green overtones. For those who like the burgundy and black color ranges, breeders have worked overtime, and there is a good selection of dark-flowered specimens.
Helleborus orientalis hybrids are only the tip of the hellebore iceberg. The good-old, white-flowered “Christmas rose,” known botanically as Hellborus niger, has also come to breeders’ attention, resulting in many new varieties with bigger flowers and a more upward facing habit. There is the lovely hybrid, Helleborus x ericsmithii, with pink-tinged white flowers and whitish leaf veins that make the leaves appear almost marbleized. Varieties of Helleborus lividus and Helleborus argutifolius also feature leaves with this marbling effect.
If you prefer something a bit more architectural, consider the various varieties of Helleborus foetidus, or “stinking hellebore.” This unfortunately-named species only really “stinks” when the leaves are crushed, which no one would do deliberately. The plants are taller than the orientalis varieties, reaching twenty-four inches in height, and boast palmate foliage accentuated with small, green buttercup-shaped blooms.
The advantages of hellebores are legion. They are evergreen and make an excellent ground cover when they are not blooming. Deer do not care much for them. The blooms on both showy and non-showy species and varieties are extremely long-lived. Best of all, once established, hellebores are among the easiest plants to care for, requiring nothing but the aforementioned early spring grooming and just a bit of extra water during bad droughts. The majority prefer partial shade, so they are perfect for perennially bloom-deprived shade gardeners.
Most garden centers and nurseries have at least some hellebores. For a really good selection, try Sunshine Farm and Gardens, HC 67, Box 539 B, Renick, West Virginia, 24966; (304) 497-2208; www.sunfarm.com. No printed catalog. Another great sources is Pine Knot Farms, 681 Rockchurch Road, Clarksville, Virginia, 23927; (434) 252-1990. No printed catalog.