When we think of late-winter bloomers, the daffodils and tulips usually take center stage. But with their combination of exotic beauty and tough-as-nails tenacity, Winter Jewels hellebores are about to demand their own time in the spotlight, and Tagawa Gardens is helping them do it!
If you’re new to growing hellebores…
… you don’t know what you’ve been missing! These dazzling but low-maintenance perennials should be a gardener’s best friend this time of year. Thanks to Richard, our Roses and Perennials Supervisor, the Winter Jewels collection is now making its debut at Tagawas.
I assure you, Richard’s smile is genuine, now that he has his long-awaited Winter Jewel hellebores in hand. (I would have asked for a picture of his happy dance, but I didn’t want to push my luck.)
Why does he love these plants so much? “It’s the anticipation,” he says. “Knowing that plenty of snow and cold is still coming, but the hellebores just don’t care! When they’re ready to show up, they show up!”
What makes Winter Jewels so special?
This special collection of hellebores is all hybrids, crossing desirable traits from two different parent plants. Many of the Winter Jewels will point their blossoms skyward, while others in the hellebore family usually have downward-facing flowers. Some of the Winter Jewels are single blossoms… the ones that are showy enough to stand out on their own. Others are doubles, and boy do they dazzle! And then there are the amazing rich colors! See for yourself.
Winter Jewels “Picotee Pearl”
Winter Jewels “Black Diamond”
Winter Jewels “Sun Flare”
Winter Jewels “Red Sapphire”
Winter Jewels “Double Painted“
Hellebores are so much tougher than they look!
Winter Jewels and hellebores in general are no divas! They prefer half sun/half bright shade daily, but will be fine with nothing but bright shade too. They won’t tolerate consistently wet soil, and can even be considered drought tolerant once they’ve been in the ground for two or three seasons, giving their root systems time to fully establish. They’re routinely pest free. And they make great cut flowers!
Mature hellebores will grow into a mound 18 inches by 22 inches, give or take. Once they begin blooming in mid- to late winter, their flower power is amazing. Buds keep coming and coming, and the flowers themselves last for weeks! The hellebores in our perennials department now won’t bloom again ’til next year, but Richard says by mid-winter next year, they’ll start pushing up buds. In the years to follow, have your camera ready. The show will be about to begin!
Just how cold-tolerant are these plants?
Much more cold tolerant than you might think. This clump almost looks like an ice sculpture!
There aren’t too many of our garden plants that can take an ice bath like this and come out just fine once the weather warms up!
All this beauty, and deer resistant, too!
Foraging deer and rabbits have no use for hellebores, which is good news for a lot of gardeners. The reason they pass these plants by is because they have compounds that are toxic to wildlife and to humans and pets, too. Be sure to plant Winter Jewels and other hellebores where that won’t pose a problem.
