Hellebores or Lenten Roses make an excellent winter hardy
shade perennial for the woodland garden.
I tried a variety of plants in my backyard wooded area but thankfully I
stumbled upon these evergreen plants that have thrived under the trees and require
only minimal care. They bloom during the
Lenten season when practically nothing else is ready to poke their heads above
ground until they are certain that freezing temperatures have passed.
These plants also self-propagate by bursting their seed pods
all around them at the end of the growing cycle. The plants were originally grown for their
medicinal properties. And although they
are toxic, the trait makes them prized deer-resistant garden plants for areas
that suffer from wildlife pressures.
We found a nursery outside our community that actually
specialized in growing these plants and was appropriately named Gethsemane
Gardens! The flowering heads of these
reverent plants are generally bowed in the garden and its always a surprise to
bend down to their level and look into the face of God, as we move from the
Christmas season of God appearing in the flesh on this vibrant Earth and defeating
sin and death at this imminent time of Easter.
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