For early colour, plant Hellebores

Varied and versatile, these fail-safe flowerers combine a tough constitution with blooms in different colours and shapes, plus interesting foliage, says Tamsin Hope Thomson

- Tamsin Hope Thomson

MORE than any other month of the year, in January we’re waiting for colour, eager to glimpse bright flowers or foliage that will bring a foretaste of spring. What we need are hellebores. Snowdrops are fêted for their early arrival, but many hellebores are also in flower in January, and with the right varieties you can have a display until April.

The appeal of hellebores is huge – they bring winter interest from colourful flowers and evergreen or sometimes marbled foliage; they’re good for early pollinators and for different-sized spaces, whether you have a container or a generous border. They’re also great mixers: a hellebore makes an excellent partner for spring bulbs, winter stems, early-flowering evergreen shrubs such as viburnums, and many others. You can use them in a groups to perk up areas beneath trees, or plant up a winter pot.

Hellebores come in a spectrum of colours, from pure white, yellow, green, pink and red through to deep purple; many feature lovely markings, whether speckles or picotee (where the edge is a different colour to the rest of the petal), and blooms can be single or double with a ruffled look. Some are more unusual; for instance, H. foetidus, which offers architectural interest rather than colour.

Low-maintenance plants

These hardy flowers are a doddle to grow. Seed-raised Lenten Roses (H. x hybridus) are among the easiest and so reliable. Try plants from the Ashwood Garden Hybrids series; given a spot in partial shade, in well-drained, moist soil, they should flourish. This goes for most hellebores but it’s a good idea to check plant labels as a few, such as H. x sternii, prefer a sunnier spot. The Christmas rose (H. niger), meanwhile, grows best in the light shade of a woodland setting.