Dahlias and hellebores

Pack away or prepare for flowering, as Ruth explains

- Ruth

TWO of my favourite perennials are dahlias and hellebores. Dahlias are a winner because of their infinite variety and the way they hold their colour right through to the first frosts.

I also love hellebores because they make their entrance at the other end of the year, bringing early colour to the borders, hence their common name of Christmas or Lenten roses.

Late autumn and early winter are busy times for growers of both plants. Once the first frosts have blackened their leaves, it is time to pack up your dahlias for winter while also preparing hellebores for next year’s flowers.

I deal with dahlias in the box below.

Hellebores at this time of year are easier to care for – simply cut off any old and damaged leaves, and mulch plants with well-rotted manure.

The old large leaves are removed to make room for new growth and to remove the risk of hellebore black spot.