Hellebore, Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybrida) 

By Debra Knapke

A bowl of hellebore flowers is a spring tradition in our home.  Hellebore or Lenten rose isn’t really a rose, but it does bloom during and after Lent, and sometimes before.  The nodding flowers are single, double; white to cream to pink to deep dusky purple.  They are dotted, spotted, picoteed, shaded and blushed.

If I had to point to a true workhorse in the garden it would be this group of plants.  I use the term group, because the complex, hybrid cross is made up of at least five different species, one of them being the original Lenten rose: Helleborus orientalis.  Culturally, hellebores are easy to establish and maintain.  They grow well in part sun to shade and will tolerate full sun (6+ hours) if most of that sun is from the east and south.  They bloom for 2-3 months.  You will notice that some flowers are “in seed” while others are just opening.  If you are looking for winter interest, the large, glossy, evergreen leaves offer an alternative to bare soil.  A bonus is that hellebores do not allow light to filter down to those pesky winter weeds that need light to germinate.

Hellebores take two to three years to establish roots that are drought tolerant. Do not let them dry out the first year and watch them the second and third during dry times and water accordingly.  Usually, deer do not eat the leaves, because they are well armed with very sharp serrations, or the flowers which are poisonous.  However, if a deer is hungry, all bets are off.  If you are a lazy or very busy gardener who doesn’t always get to dividing your perennials, hellebores are happy to grow in the same place for years.  I have three-foot-wide plants that have been in the same place for 14 years.  When you do divide them, do so carefully, as they are not fond of excessive root disturbance.

So what’s the downside of this plant?  They do have a tendency to self-seed; a lot.  But, the seedlings are easily raked up and left under the plant to compost back into the soil. Or, thinking about this in another way: you have lots to share.

By Debra Knapke

Warning: This is not one plant, but a group of plants that grace the table and are grown by your own hand.

Now is the time to order and set up a seed planting schedule for those favorite food plants of the summer: veggies!

Seed catalogs are my favorite late January and through March reading material.  You have to drool while reading this description of Black Cherry tomato:  “sweet yet rich and complex… irresistibly delicious” (Tomato Growers Supply Company, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds) and you have to find a place for the precious Pixie cabbage: “early maturing baby variety … dense 5-6” heads with excellent sweet flavor” (Renee’s Seeds)?  The Traveler’s tomato which is sectioned so it can be eaten a piece at a time, must be planted because it is so strange.  The list goes on and on.

Traveler's Tomato

If you are new to the world of seeds, start small.  Pick one or two varieties of your two to three favorite vegetables.  Order from a catalog or purchase from your local garden centers – seeds are arriving at your favorite garden center daily!  Read the packet, take a deep breath and just do it. Those who are old hands at seed starting know the selection of seeds, heirloom and hybrid, just keeps getting better and better.

This year, we are only planting out four varieties of pole beans, four of beets, five of chilies, two of cucs, one of eggplant, nine of greens, two of leeks, two of peas, two of spinach, twelve of tomatoes and one zucchini.

What are you planting?

Roses as ground covers? That’s one of the things we saw at the Willoway Nurseries display at the recent CENTS trade show and Ohio State University Short Course in Columbus. Wholesaler Willoway Nurseries highlighted Drift Roses as a tough adaptable rose for gardens and containers. They come in several colors and a few at the show delighted us with fragrance.