Helleborus in the landscape...

I everyone! It certainly has been quite awhile since I blogged here on Fishtail Cottage.  I've really missed interacting with my gardening friends here on blogger, but I certainly was fine with taking a break.  Sometimes I feel like I just share the same photo's over and over, year after year and wonder if anyone out there gets bored?  I have continued to share my garden on Facebook and have really found Instagram to be an extra special place for me.   But honestly I truly miss sharing my garden here on blogger.  So here I am back to recommit myself in 2018!  It's been cold here in both January and February with temperatures ranging in their forties. The rain here in Seattle hasn't felt as debilitating for me as it did last year, sporadic days of sunshine has certainly brought the spirit of spring to us earlier than last year.  A few days of birds flying through the gardens and bulbs peeking out of the ground is always a welcoming site. 

 

What has caught my attention this year, is the amount of Helleborus, also known as Hellebores and Lenten Rose I have been collecting over the years.  They have come up in masses this year and they are absolutely wonderful!  These beauties are the one of first to appear in my landscape....a winter blooming flower. When I have planted mine, I have chosen small plants as they are less expensive.....However, doing so takes a few years to establish and bloom these types of prolific blooms I am sharing with you today. So many colors are available so it's very easy to grab a few each year. I had a yellow one I added years ago, but still have not seen a bloom in the garden of that variety since I planted it. 

 

Growing tips from me..... (I am in Washington State, Growing Zone 8)

• Hellebores are a shade plant  (a little sunshine is okay)
• They prefer some moisture but not soaking wet. 
• The plant itself will grow approximately 2 feet by two feet.
• No dividing is necessary, the older the plant the more blooms you get. Some of mine have close to 25 blooms right now. 
• I don't cut these blooms and bring them in the house because I love having color in the garden right now, if you want to you just need to wait till the stamens fall off (otherwise they will wilt really fast)
• I've noticed that they aren't happy to be moved around in the landscape, so be picky about where they are planted. 
• These gorgeous plants will reseed, but will take several years to bloom.
• Super low maintenance plant. Cut last years foliage off in November to avoid disease in spring.
• Leave the foliage after blooming as a good filler in your garden (also so you don't accidently dig where you have this plant)
• Deer, bunnies and other garden pests leave these plants alone.
• I do sprinkle a little slug bait during bloom season around these plants. 
• These are poisonous so keep pets and children away from them. 
• be aware that many of these blooms point down to the ground, very few are upright...
• Great companion plants (for me) is Heather, Pigs Ear, Daffodils, Primroses, Lungwort.
• WARNING! they can be very addicting as you can tell! 

Thanks so much for coming to visit me today, Please do comment so I know someone out there is reading this and share with your friends!  Happy to answer any questions if you have any ~ I will always try to share my personal knowledge and experiences! xoxo, tracie