The hellebores in our garden were in residence when we moved here over a decade ago so we have always regarded them as a gift. They like the conditions because they come up year after year and add sophistication to the spring show. Some people say that the foliage lets the flowers down and whilst I agree that the leaves often look unattractive, sprawling over the soil and looking blotchy, when it comes to hellebores, it’s all about the flowers.
Hellebores are shy creatures. They dip their heads and you have to get down to their level to see the detail. It is worth getting down on all fours to examine them closely because the markings really are exquisite. Hellebores enjoy secluded attention and nestle quite happily in dappled shade - though I am told that they will grow well in sunshine too. Much of our garden has a woodland feel to it, so there are lots of large shrubs and trees offering plenty of leaf mould to keep our hellebores fed.
Our hellebores get very little attention and seem to thrive on it. Now and then we split and transplant clumps to increase their presence in different parts of the garden. They also quietly seed themselves around. If the leaves do look tatty in the spring or show signs of a virus, we snip them off and put them in the council green bin. This keeps the plants healthy and the flowers show up much better, especially when the fresh foliage starts coming through.
We have two other un-named cultivars, a ‘stinking’ hellebore variety (with slightly smelly leaves) and a creamy coloured specimen. But who cares if we have not been formally introduced to our hellebores? I adore the pinky-plum colour and the flowers look rich and welcoming when paired with the yellow narcissi and purple crocuses.
Apparently, you can treat hellebores as cut flowers but I never brought them into the house. For me, the hellebore belongs in the garden, tucked into a corner where you least expect to see it.
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