Plant Inspirations
January 2008 ~ New Year Cheer
Christmas is over and we’ve just welcomed in a brand new year. How about welcoming some colour into the garden too? At this time of year, nothing is more uplifting than the Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger). A really rewarding plant, it brings snow white flowers to a dark winter garden when most other plants are dormant. This pretty evergreen has a nice compact habit, growing to around 30cm in height. Dainty white flowers appear from late autumn to early spring.

Other valuable plants from the same family include the Corsican Hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius), a tough number whose slightly serrated foliage is almost purple in colour. This contrasts nicely with clusters of beautiful pale green flowers which start to appear in early winter and will go on until early spring. Slightly larger than other members of this family, the Corsican Hellebore will get to a height of around 80cm. As it hails from the Mediterranean, it’s better planted in a slightly drier and warmer position than its cousins.

Helleborus x sternii is another little gem whose foliage is greyish-purple and contrasts beautifully with nodding, apple blossom-like pink and white flowers. Also being of Mediterranean origin, this beauty enjoys a sunny position and well-drained soil. It will grow to a height of around 50cm.

Slightly later flowering is the Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) whose blooms appear around Easter time. An elegant plant, the nodding creamy white flowers will age to a lovely pale pink. It has a nice compact habit, has leathery green foliage and will reach a height of around 50cm. Its preferred growing conditions are neutral to alkaline soil in dappled shade. Planting around the base of trees is the ideal home for these evergreen perennials. Another eye-catcher is Helleborus orientalis ‘Red Hybrids’. Its charming white flowers, speckled deep red, start to appear from mid-winter onwards. Slightly smaller than the species, this little delight will get to a height of around 40cm.

The Hellebore’s natural habitat is the mountainous areas of the Balkans where they are truly hardy. There, they grow in alkaline conditions but adapt easily to an acid soil environment. They thrive in both sun and shade and are the perfect plants for woodland situations where they can enjoy moist but well-drained soil conditions.  Although Hellebores are evergreen, as winter draws to a close the foliage can look decidedly ragged having endured our wild winter weather. Just cut back the untidy leaves and new foliage will begin to appear during the course of the growing season. And don’t forget to give them a treat in the autumn - feed them with some nourishing leaf mould!

Newington Nurseries, a haven for plant lovers, on the A329, Newington, nr. Stadhampton, Oxon

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