Helleborus 'Cinnamon Snow'

Snow may be covering the ground but every time I walk to or from my garage, I see this lovely budded hellebore and I smile.

I first noticed the buds in the middle of November and the flowers will probably not open until March or April but these buds are unfazed. I took this photo on December 19.

Hellebores are a perennial genus that rewards gardeners every month of the year. They have large evergreen leaves, single or double  flowers that range in color from white to deep purple, are critter proof, will grow in partial shade or morning sun in dry or average soil, and seed readily after mature if given some water.

I have several different types of hellebores but this is the only one that buds so early. Amazingly, most of the other ones will still bloom about the same time as ‘Cinnamon Snow’. One of my other favorites is ‘Blue Lady’, a somewhat misleading name since it is basically pale lavender rather than blue but it is truly beautiful.

Helleborus 'Blue Lady'

All hellebores bloom for a very long period of time, at least two months, sometimes three, depending on the weather.

If you want more information about hellebores, look in the Featured Plants section on my website under Helleborus.