splendid hellebores
Hellebores are almost too good to be true. They grow in the shade, start blooming in February and their flowers last until August. Somewhere in between they produce seed that volunteers readily.
They are evergreen, drought resistant, clay loving, poor soil tolerant, no care garden unicorns.
I take pictures of them in late August when I find their flowers, still looking fresh next to the plantain lilies, just to prove to myself they are real.
Hellebores love soggy weather and look their best during mild years with warm winters and rainy summers, when they flower abundantly and their offspring sprouts eagerly around the mother plant. If the weather is dry, water them well in spring and fall during their active growing season.
Shearing the faded foliage in spring promotes fresh growth and keeps the clumps from sprawling.
Avoid dividing these plants, they hate having their roots disturbed. The volunteer seedlings should provide more than enough material to fill up several shade borders.
Hellebore flowers are downward facing and thus more visible when planted on a hillside.
A dressing of fertilizer at the end of winter will encourage them to bloom more, but they’re fine either way; they are resilient, long-lived plants whose lifespans equal ours.
Their only drawback, if you want to find one, is that they are toxic.
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