Diggin In: Lenten rose a cold-hardy beauty

20.05.12

Winter is no exception to flower power in your yard when you include the genus Helleborus among your shade-loving perennials.</p><p> These cold-hardy beauties are perfect for several reasons - they do not attract deer and voles, they reseed and spread and they flower for months, often January through May. They are cold hardy in zones 3-8, so they are suitable for most U.S. Gardens.</p><p> In southeastern Virginia, perennials expert Ann Weber of Smithfield Gardensrecommends them as low-maintenance, long-lasting plants.</p><p> The genus Helleborus includes several cultivars, but the one most people know and the one most garden centers carry is Helleborus orientalis, nicknamed Lenten rose, she says. The 12- to 18-inch-tall, evergreen perennial comes in a wide range of natural flower colors from cream to wine, while hybridizers are debuting yellows, near blacks and reds, as well as double flowers.</p><p> "When Lenten rose is happy, in a lightly shaded spot with well-drained soil (automatic sprinklers can keep roots too wet), and a light layer of mulch, they reward you with many seedlings," said Weber.</p><p> "Spread the seedlings around ferns, ligularis and hostas for foliage contrast. When you plant Lenten rose, keep the crown of the plant on the soil's surface because plants tend to decline if planted too deep."</p><p> If the foliage turns tattered-looking after a severe winter, cut away the old foliage as flowers form and you get a fresh flush of leaves. Removing the old foliage also makes it easier to see the nodding flowers when they open. Hellebores dislikes being transplanted, so place them where you want them and leave them be.</p><p> One of Ann's favorites is Ivory Prince with gray-green foliage, silver marbling and upright ivory flowers flushed with pink and streaked with green; its rose tones deepen with age.</p><p> In addition to brightening your winter garden outdoors, Lenten rose flowers can be cut for long-lasting enjoyment indoors, according to fresh-cut flower farmer Lisa Ziegler of The Gardener's Workshop, also in southeastern Virginia www.thegardenersworkshop.com</p><p> "They aren't normally hardened off enough to last until April," she says.</p><p> "They are in bloom now but the stems turn down when they are this fleshy. I usually begin cutting for Mother's Day, but expect they will be early this year like everything else, around April."</p><p> To find Lenten rose by mail order, visit three specialists - Pine Knot Farms at www.pineknotfarms.com, Sunshine Farm and Gardens, at www.sunfarm.com,and Lenten Rose at www.lentenrose.com. You'll also find them potted at retail garden centers nationwide.</p><p> (Kathy is gardening columnist for the Daily Press, Newport News, Va.; e-mail her at kvanmullekom@aol.com; follow her at roomandyard.com/diggin, Facebook.com/kathyvanmullekom, Pinterest.com/digginin and Twitter.com/diggindirt.

Source: Kansas City Star