The Lenten Rose Almanac January 2011

The phrase that comes to mind when I describe the Lenten Rose in January is this: The darkest hour is just before dawn.

Most of my plants go unattended throughout the year. In other words, most of them don't get cut back in late September, early October and because of that the decomposing old growth from last year is now painfully obvious.

To manicure mature Lenten Rose, you can cut them to the ground in early fall.....around late September, early October. If you do this, you won't have all of this decomposing foliage which is part of the natural cycle of the plant but is not very pretty to look at in a manicured flower garden.

If you have mature plants, right about now, look down into the center. Those are the flower buds. So, here they come. The flower stalks of the beautiful hellebore Orientalis, commonly know as the Lenten Rose

January is also the month when seeds that dropped from the flowers, last May, will be breaking ground as seedlings. I haven't seen them yet in my garden, it's a little early, but they're coming soon.

To summarize, the Lenten Rose in January is starting to send up young flower buds, last years foliage is continuing to lay over and decompose and seedlings are pushing up through the soil.

OK, let's leave it there. Next month we will see these baby flower buds become strapping young flower stalks.

The Lenten Rose Almanac December 2010

We are about two months away from a Lenten Rose garden full of flowers. The gardens will be in full bloom in Feb/Mar. In Decembers video we have a look at the progress of the new foliage growth in contrast to the old growth which is beginning to decompose and lay over. I also take a moment to show you how I divided a large hellebore root ball into many new sprouts.

Where Your Lenten Rose Order Comes From

November 2010

This month we take a look at two schools of thought concerning the way you treat your mature Lenten Roses around this time of year. The first way is the Lawn Mower Method. Sometime in October, take a lawnmower and just mow them to the ground! A month later, around now, after a few good rains, nice clean growth will appear and usually plenty of it.

The second method is the do nothing, ala Natural Method. Just do nothing. The new growth morphs up as the old growth lays over and decomposes. The process takes months and months and in fact, never ends. On some plants in the garden, I can still see the decomposing leave & stem from last years turn.

Both schools work. Both schools are good. It just depends on your preferences. The manicured, clean bed look or the seasonal charm, ala natural. We love them both.

And if you can't reach them with a lawn mower........you can trim them by hand.

Lenten Rose Almanac October 2010

The beautiful shade perennial, hellebore Orientalis, commonly known as our hero, the Lenten Rose, prized by master gardeners throughout the world, in October, is putting up new growth as it begins the 'foliage phase' of a new perennial cycle. The hardy lush green ground cover of last years growth remains and continues to thrive even as the inevitable perennial clock ticks away at its' time left before laying over leaf and stem to compost, protect and nourish its fallen seeds. Perennial cycles cross fade slowly. The new growth with the old - ever so slowly.

We ship 'moisten bare root' all year round

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