The Winter Rose is a true gift from Mother Nature as they bring joy and delight to the garden during a time of year when there are very few other flowers to admire. Hellebores establish reasonably quickly and with the right amount of care and attention soon form a good solid clump with many stems of gorgeous blooms rising above the foliage from about July through to October.  

Hellebores originate from Europe and Western Asia. They prefer a soil that is moist yet not damp and cloggy. They should not dry out in summer if at all possible. They love a side dressing of lime - probably best applied just before flowering. They also will thank you for a mulch of well rotted compost or organic matter being applied after flowering. Any old tired looking leaves can be removed just as the new flower buds appear in June/July. This will make the flowers stand out and give the new leaves the opportunity to emerge.  

Hellebores are notoriously promiscuous and will cross pollinate and seed exceptionally well. If you dont want a carpet of these little seedlings then it would be best to remove any spent flower heads towards spring. Any little seedlings that do emerge are quite tenacious once they get their roots into the ground and take a bit of an effort to weed out. Therefore the sooner you deal with them the better. Mind you if you want to fill your garden with Hellebores then this is the easy way to do it!  

Hellebores are most effective planted in drifts or massed in the shade of deciduous trees. In NZ they are definitely better with protection from our harsh afternoon sun. Hellebores will grow in full sun but this is not their ideal location and watering in summer becomes essential. Watch for aphids in late spring and summer, they love to hide under the large leaves. The aphids dont seem to do a lot of damage but it is advisable to eliminate them. Slugs and snails can sometimes be a nuisance as well as they like to hide in the middle of the clumps.

At Wairere we often have discussions about plants we cant live without. Most of us have a list that is far too long but all of us would definitely include Hellebores in our top 10!

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