A Rose for the Winter Garden
By Ms Sherry
the lenten rose dresses up a winter landscape
Yesterday we had a good rain here in East Central Alabama. Although we are always glad to see the rain, the dreary days can make us dream about summer’s sunny skies. But activity in the garden can continue to lure us out of our warm houses. My daffodils are just about ready to burst into bloom, despite the 25 degree morning and the threat of snow flurries. Around the yard are spreading beds of lenten roses which are covered in flowers. The lenten rose (helleborus), a perennial ground cover, spreads easily as it reseeds. Mail order catalogs and garden centers sell a variety of species all of which have different growing habits—from the shape of the flowers, to how the leaves grow. My husband is not as avid a fan of the lenten rose as I am, as he says the drooping flowers are hard to admire. There are thousands of small lenten roses coming up everywhere in the garden, including the cracks of a rock dry stream that wanders my back yard. The lenten rose blooms for months in the deepest part of winter and the leaves are evergreen, although the leaves may get raggedy and the older ones may require some grooming as the new shoots emerge from the ground. The flowers appear on the new growth. One patch may sport flowers with a different color from pink to white to purplish; as they age they turn a greenish hue. From years of growing helleborus I have found the following to be true:
1) they do not like prolonged drought and need water when it is dry;
2) they do not like to be covered over with leaves or pine straw;
3) they do prefer full to part shade;
4) they like good, well drained soil;
5) they do not like to be moved once they are established (unless you are transplanting them from a nursery container), although it is pretty easy to move the baby ones;
6) they are a wonderful asset to the winter garden;
7) they are nice in flower arrangements (but I can’t bear to pick them as I love them in the garden);
8) deer don’t eat them.
I can guarantee you that a bed of lenten roses will cheer you on the most gray of winter days. Buy one and you will soon have a yard full.
Garden hints:
• time to give your liriope a haircut with the weed eater or a lawnmower set at the highest level: this garden chore must be done before the liriope begins its new spring growth or else you will have raggedy blades all summer long
• if you are troubled with white fly and aphids on your gardenias and crepe myrtles now is a good time to spray with dormant oil—but read the directions carefully and follow them exactly!
