Good-looking Hellebores

Every gardener knows that not all varieties of a particular species are created equal. Some thrive, some sulk. I know I've posted lots of images of hellebores in previous years, but it's worth highlighting the ones that have flourished and expanded to give the most satisfactory results.



My favourite this year is 'Rose Quartz', which has not only blossomed enthusiastically, but gone through an interesting colour change in the course of four weeks.

In February it looked like this:

A month later, it had opened out to show the stamens while the colour had changed to a warm pink with darker feathering.

'Cherry Blossom' is usually first of the Lenten types to flower and never disappoints. It lasts for a long period too, at least 6 weeks. In this photo it's beginning to lose its freshness but still looks pretty good.

'Rachel' has been another star performer and complements the colour of our house. Its green ruffs frame it enough to allow it to stand out.

Finally, I've mentioned in the past how sad 'Jade Tiger' was when I acquired it and how well it seemed to be responding. This year it looked much more like a happy plant although it still needs a bit of support to keep it upright.