Herculean Hellebores

Helleborus ‘Peppermint Ice'

Will winter never end? That is the question Midwesterners are asking themselves on a snowy mid-April day.

There is such a sense of held breaths in the garden. Plants are just waiting to lift a finger off the pause button and leap into fast forward. I can almost hear the soil humming with anticipation. And then we plunge back below freezing again.

My five little hellebores are toughing it out in these conditions. They bow beneath the soggy snow and frigid temperatures, then spring back with the slightest hint of sunshine. Although they are small, they are mighty.

Helleborus ‘Golden Lotus'

I have planted them under the redbud tree against the retaining wall, so they are a little protected, but not much. I've sited them so that I can see them when I pull in or out of the driveway. It gives me an excuse to trot down the drive and say hello as I wrap my scarf around my neck and shiver. I haven't cut back the old foliage because the weather is being a beast and I don't want to risk the crowns. Eventually, they will add more stems and be a beefier plant, but for now I'm just happy something is blooming with gusto.

If you've got a shady spot with some decent drainage, try a hellebore. They'd probably appreciate a top dressing of compost now and again. Bonus - the bunnies don't eat the leathery leaves. There's hundreds of cultivars, so give one a whirl!