Strategies for growing helleboresHellebores are in landscapes
Hellebores are a striking contrast to every companion plant. They provide the perfect backdrop for the later blooming Daffodils and tulips, however, the robust foliage of hellebores is able to hide the dying leaves of spring-blooming bulbs. Plant hellebores on the slope, on the hillside as well as in raised beds, where their blooms can be appreciated. "Since hellebores generally nod," Colston says, "planting them on a slope will allow you to view the insides of the blooms that are more appealing in their color and design as opposed to the sides that the blooms. From this, you can learn
what is this plant. The reason that the flowers nod is so that they protect the reproductive structures such as pistils and stamens that are damaged by frost." In the majority of regions of North America, hellebores wait until winter's worst have passed to bloom in February and March after the snow has gone away or is about to melt. That's why you must have plenty of hellebores in your garden to signal spring's eagerly anticipated debut. Find a new species of hellebore for your garden.
American breeders began to bring hellebores for gardens at home in the late 1980s. Today's stunning hybrids with shades of plum, black, purple, lime-green, burgundy white, and shell-pink result from the hybridization of several species. The majority of the most successful hybrids within North America today are seed varieties, some of which were created through controlled cross-breeding each season, while others are mostly directly from plants that are open-pollinated. Take a look at the gallery below for some of the latest introductions by breeders from the United States.