Hellebores - Ice-n-Roses 'Rose'

Hellebores for 2025 | Lenten Roses

Hellebores Charmer

Hellebores Charmer

In January, Hellebores, also known as Lenten or Christmas Roses, provide a much-anticipated highlight during the winter months. They are not related to roses, but their elegant, understated flowers are much-needed and remind us that not everything in the winter garden has gone to sleep. What Foxgloves, Echinacea and Rudbeckia bring to spring, summer and autumn, Hellebores bring to winter.

There is much to love about Hellebores. The flowers come in many colours, from white and pale green to deep, almost-black purple. Some have freckles, whereas some have one single, striking colour.  They flower for many weeks throughout the winter and spring as the cooler weather increases the longevity of each flower.

Helleborus Ice n Roses 'Picotee'

Helleborus Ice n Roses ‘Picotee’

Hellebores are perennial so they come back into flower every winter. They grow happily in shade, even dry shade, so they will fill those spots in your garden where many plants won’t grow such as underneath trees or in darker areas of the garden. They are low maintenance, low-growing and have large leathery leaves that are often evergreen.

Hellebores will cross pollinate. What this means is that when you get new self-seeded plants, they most likely will not resemble the parent plants.  If you want to keep the look of the original plants, you can avoid this by deadheading the flower stems before the seed pods release the seeds.

Helleborus Ice-n-Roses 'Early Red'

Helleborus Ice-n-Roses ‘Early Red’

Helleborus Ice-n-Roses ‘Early Red’We have a selection of hellebores in stock. ‘Hello Red’ has shadowy, deep metallic dark-pink/red flowers, and when the light shines through those petals they gleam like stained glass windows. ‘Guess’ pleases us with creamy-yellow flowers like primroses, dancing above dark green leaves, while ‘Picotee’ will perk up anyone’s mood with their pink and white flowers. Another one, ‘Early Red’, grabs our attention with the most dramatic dark reddish-purple shades.

If you venture out into your garden to experience the crisp air and sunshine of a January day, you can see the graceful flowers of Hellebores carpeting the ground.

 

Roger Eavis
roger@greenshutters.co.uk