are getting ready to bloom That promise is what fuels a gardener’s spirit in winter.

by Master Gardener Carol Barany

Hellebores are strange yet pring is coming, and I have proof … the hellebores are inspirations in any garden. getting ready to bloom. Skeptical? Well, they won’t be CAROL BARANY PHOTO Sblooming tomorrow, or even next week, but trust me, the promise is there. That’s what fuels a Yakima gardener’s spirit in the long nights of mid-winter. For information For years, I could look out my living room window on the Yakima and easily spot January’s unfurled but beacon-bright County Master chartreuse heads of Helleborus foetidus. A gift from the extraordinary garden of Ann Stohl, that sweetly Gardeners increased under a wisteria canopy over a decade’s time into Program: a clump almost 36” across. The wisteria came down with a https:// crash, along with the tree it had climbed, in the Thanksgiving extension.wsu.edu/ windstorm of 2019. In the mayhem that followed, I was sure yakima/home-garden/ I had lost it. But last spring, I discovered that it had happily master-gardeners/ seeded in a new location about 8’ away. This beauty earned the unfortunate nickname ‘stinking hellebore’ or ‘dungwort’ because, when crushed, the roots and foliage give off an unusual aroma. I have never found a single thing objectionable about this harbinger of spring. Drooping clusters of small, pale green, bell-shaped , some edged with maroon, contrast with dark evergreen foliage. This hellebore is caulescent, with

1 all along the Flowering stem, and even though the foliage seems a bit ragged, I won’t cut it back until blooming is complete, or I’ll lose this year’s Flowers. Recent balmy temperatures lured me outside to take on gardening tasks I usually don’t even think about until March. I checked on H. orientalis, or the Lenten Rose. Seeing nothing more than a nest of last year’s winter-worn foliage, I coaxed my Fingertips through a layer of mulch to the center of the . Waiting were the soft buds of fresh Flowers, simply formed, and just biding their time before shooting from the warming soil. They will Flower in early spring in shades of dusky pink and purple, around the period of Lent. Since winter is far from over, I’ll wait to remove last year’s foliage, since it offers a measure of protection to the Flower buds.

Exotic hybrids These days, the most popular hellebores are exotic hybrids, like the ones that dazzled us from displays at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle (cancelled again because of Covid-19). In non-hybrids, the Flowers have Five "petals" (actually sepals) surrounding a ring of small, cup-like nectaries, which are petals modiFied by evolution to hold . The sepals do not fall as petals would, but remain on the plant, sometimes for months. While they assist in seed production, they also add interest to the fading Flower. Hellebore hybridization has varied the form of Flowers, giving us anemones and frilly doubles. The color range has been extended to slate grey, near-black, deep purple and plum, through rich red and pink to yellow, white, and green. The outer surface of the sepals is often green-tinged, and as the Flowers age, they turn a ‘vintage’ green. The inner surface of each sepal may be marked with veins, dots, and blotches of pink, red or purple. Hellebore hyridizers dream of creating ‘picotee’ Flowers, with pale-colored sepals etched in a darker color, or hellebores with dark nectaries which contrast with the outer sepals Hellebore Flowers droop down at a 45 degree angle. There’s a reason for it, when you consider the vagaries of spring weather. The drooping habit is a brilliant adaptation for survival and the natural defense against snow, sleet and rain that kills pollen grains which would prevent pollination. Some new forms may showcase more upright Flowers, but is that really necessary? A lovely way to display hellebores is to cut them with about an inch of stem and Float

2 them in a bowl of water. They can last for weeks as they slowly fade into completely different colors. Grow hellebores in a spot that receives winter sun but is later shaded by deciduous trees or shrubs. They prefer rich, well-amended, neutral to alkaline soil. Don't fertilize more than once or twice a year. Lenten rose can be divided, but doing so is not recommended, since divided plants take several years to recuperate. One of the joys of growing hellebores is that they can self-seed. Look for babies nestled under the mother plant, ready to be moved to another spot in the garden, where they will bloom in 2-3 years. But be prepared. If you plant different hellebore cultivars, any resulting seedlings may differ dramatically from their parents. Cross-pollination can yield a kaleidoscope of Flower shapes and colors that you weren’t expecting. !

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