Heavenly HELLEBORES
Hellebores have enchanted since Neolithic times and, with exquisite flowers that appear at the most dismal time of year, it is no wonder that gardeners continue to fall under their spell. They certainly captivated Prince Charles — when he married Camilla Parker Bowles, it was a hellebore, the king of winter flowers, that he wore as his buttonhole.
Nowadays hellebores are the mainstay of midwinter gardens, commonly known as either Christmas Roses (Helleborus niger) or Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis), referring to the seasons in which they mostly flower. They are evergreen perennials, their leathery leaves adding architectural interest to beds and borders, and their flowers delighting from February until early April with their central arrangement of nectaries, surrounded by richly coloured sepals, held aloft on stiff stems.
Yet hellebores are surprisingly resilient, defying frost, wind and rain for weeks – the tendency to hang their heads is a natural defence against driving rain. However, a sharp
