Home Garden Companion

Ilona's Garden Journal




good garden plants

Hellebore Happiness

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This month, during a couple visits to Whole Foods, I picked up some indoor pots of hellebores that were on sale. Considering that they are pricey to order, I have the enjoyment of blooms on my windowsill, and later (hopefully), three new hellebores to put into my garden this year -all for a sale price. These are true Christmas roses(H. niger), while the one that has been growing in my garden for years is a “Lenten rose” (H. orientalis) with dusky maroon spots and shadings.

I don’t know why I like hellebores so much, they bloom when I have little to do with my garden, and the ones outside are very shy; but they are very fine indoor plants, at least so far. Now that I’m thinking about it, I should transplant a start of those to a more visible and prominent place. In the potting soil my new plants droop when dry, but a splash of rejuvenating water causes them to recover. The flowers also yielded some seed! I was sort of surprised about that.

The name of these newly acquired hellebores is “HGC Jacob“, which is sort of an unwieldy name for a pretty flower. The “HGC” part of the name stands for “Helleborus Gold Collection”.

The Christmas rose’s Latin name is Hellborus niger. Of the Ranunculaceae family, related to buttercups and Trollius, and thus poisonous: “Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested”. It was used medicinally in ancient times, one of the applications being a treatment for insanity, but since it can cause cardiac arrest… I doubt if that is the way you want to end your mental distress. A better way is to look at the flowers blooming away with abandon at the bleakest period of the year. That will do your heart good, does mine!

The growing conditions are part shade to shade, although some experts say full sun is fine. I bet that expert doesn’t live in the South, though. They like moist soil with organic matter, but my Lenten rose grows in a somewhat dry spot under a Maple tree. I do think it would be happier with more moisture, though.

I think it is safe to say that once established these plants will tolerate and survive less than ideal conditions. Originally from areas with limestone soils, Helleborus niger should like my plot just fine. It is very hardy, to zone 4, which is highly encouraging to know.

Buying plants on clearance is a favorite way of adding to my garden. My problem with indoor plants is always keeping them alive until spring, mainly due to allowing them to dry up- but the countdown to spring is on. I believe I may be able to plant these out in March if I harden them off a bit first. Regardless of their future in the garden, they have bloomed long and well inside my house, and that has been a pleasure.

I took pictures… a very unusual feat for me 🙂

Growing Hellebores, Christmas Roses and Lenten “Roses”
hellebore niger
Christmas Rose, just opening.

my Christmas roses

Four O’Clocks

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Emily from her Garden Living blog had a post and pictures on four o’clocks that remind her of “grandma”. Hers are a cheerful hot pink color, but four o’clocks come in a mardi gras variety of colors that really brighten up the garden. I grew some a couple years ago and hoped to winter them over, they are hardy- better be as they are native the Andes (hence the name: Marvel of Peru). They are warm-season annuals, but produce lasting underground tuber-like roots. Kind of like skinny dahlia roots, they also can self-sow. But mine did not survive, and I really don’t know the reason. A good gardener tries again for something that is wanted in the garden, so Emily’s post inspired me to try again.

My own memory is of a neighborhood lady who lived on a corner shoehorned tight against the street. Her house was raised up and bounded by a retaining wall that held the four o’ clock hedge right at eye level of pre-teen passersby (me!). The pink, yellow, and fuschia flowers were fascinating to observe as they opened in the late afternoon each day, and their bright colors were striped and speckled red and yellow, mostly. She had them planted on the western sunny side, facing a busy neighborhood street, and as I recall now, she liked to plant other equally interesting (if poisonous) plants. I think she had the biggest Castor plants I had ever seen by her back porch, but it was her stand of four o’ clocks that I remember with nostalgia.

Mirabilis jalapa as they officially known, are easy to grow which makes them one of those fun flowers for children. In fact, if I had a little side garden for my grandchildren I would give them four o’clock seeds, zinnias, and nasturtiums, all which have those fantastically bright colors and grow so satisfactorily quick. I would be very careful to oversee the planting of them, though, as the seeds are reputed to be poisonous. They are planted like morning glories,soaking the seeds for a day before planting. Come to think of it, morning glories would be a fine addition to the easy, bright and cheerful children’s garden. Summer’s delight as remembered on these cool and waning days of October, notes on what to plant in next years garden.

Four O’Clocks are fragrant, drought resistant, butterfly attracting, and easy, bushy little plants.

companion planters take note

supposedly the alkaloids of the plant make for toxic feeding of the Japanese beetles they attract. One more reason for me to plant them in my garden next year