Love for the Lenten Rose
Along with crocus and daffodils, perennial hellebore flowers are some of the very first garden blooms of the season. Their buttercup-type flowers delight us during the period of time leading to Easter, called Lent, hence the common name of Lenten Rose.
If you’re new to gardening or you want a really low maintenance plant, then the hellebore is for you! You can pretty much plant it and forget it. Besides some clean up of the old leaves in late winter, you will get years of enjoyment from hellebores with very little care needed.
Hellebore info:
Light: part shade to shade
Size: approximately 12″ x 18″, on average
Growth habit: Upright, spreading
Uses and features: rock/alpine gardens, woodland gardens, cut flowers, deer resistant
Here are a few of the 12-15 different varieties available in the store this week:
Anna’s Red
Black Diamond
Blue Diamond
Cotton Candy
Onyx Odyssey
Bouquet Tip:
Usually we like to cut flowers from the garden for bouquets when they are the most fresh, however it’s best to wait a bit with Lenten Rose. Wait until all of the sepals in the center fall out and a small seed pod begins to form before cutting to put in a vase. Waiting until the hellebores are mature will give you the longest lasting bouquet.
