Need a winter flower fix? Head to the nursery to get some hellebores

Hail to the hellebore! The second week of January may not give you a garden filled with flowers, but there is one perennial plant that is often blooming this week no matter what the weather. The humble hellebore survives freezing temperatures and a rainy climate so this is the week to consider adding this sturdy winter bloomer to your garden.

How do I find hellebore plants for sale?

If you live in Western Washington, you are in luck. Local, independent nurseries as well as big box stores will be displaying hellebore plants for sale in January, February and March and these are the three months that are best for adding hellebores to your landscape.

Tip: I do not recommend buying hellebores through the mail because our local growers offer better, bigger plants at a lower price.

Where should I plant a hellebore?

There are many different varieties of hellebores and some can handle more sun and more dry soil than others (that would be the Corsican hellebores with light green blooms). Most other hellebore varieties do best in part shade with soil that has lots of organic matter added. However, hellebores are adaptable plants and will survive in just about any situation as long as the soil is not sandy and dry and there is some protection from the hot afternoon sun.

Tip: The north or east side of the house and under the skirts of rhododendrons and Japanese maples are happy homes for hellebores. Remember to plant where you can see the blooms on winter days.

Can hellebores be grown in containers?

Yes! But hellebores have thick, fleshy and brittle roots so the container needs to be at least 18 inches deep to keep the roots cool. To give these plants a long life, transplant them out of the container after a year or two. They really want to spread out those roots so they can find their own moisture and nutrients and reward you with baby hellebore seedlings that will pop up around the mother plant.

Tip: Fill your empty patio planters and porch pots with hellebores now for instant winter color. You can dig into the potting soil and just set the potted hellebores into larger containers still in their nursery pots until spring when they can be transplanted into the garden.

How do I add a hellebore to the garden in winter?

Pick out a plant in bud or bloom then bring it home and let it sit on the porch or covered patio for a few days to several weeks so it can get used to the cold nights. Some nursery-grown hellebores need this hardening off so they can more easily adapt. Keep the soil moist.

Then when the ground is not frozen, dig a very large hole. You want the roots to have plenty of room to spread out so a hole twice as wide as the container is best. Turn the pot upside down and knock the edge to loosen the plant without pulling it from the pot. Remember the roots are fragile. Add some compost or leaf mold to the planting area all around the plant, not just in the planting hole.

Now loosen the soil in a 1-foot radius around the plant. Again, this is to encourage those roots to spread out so the plant will take care of itself. No fertilizer is needed at planting. Plant at the same level the hellebore was at in the container. Firm the soil with your hands, not your feet, around the roots. Water, and welcome your new hellebore to the garden.

Tip: When planting, bring a waterproof kneeling pad and get down close to the soil when you dig. The bacterium in the soil you work can then enter your nasal passages. Science proves that this soil bacteria gives a natural high to the brain. So now you know why gardening makes you feel good.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.

This story was originally published January 7, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Need a winter flower fix? Head to the nursery to get some hellebores."