Helleborus × hybridus Harvington double pink speckled

Lenten Rose hellebore

• Position: partial shade
• Soil: heavy, neutral to alkaline soil
• Rate of growth: average
• Flowering period: February to April
• Other features: all parts of the plant cause severe discomfort if ingested; the sap may cause skin irritation
• Hardiness: fully hardy
  
  Add colour to the late winter garden with this pretty hellebore. The nodding, double flowers are made up of rich pink petals, each with scattering of prominent maroon spots towards their base. Hellebores are wonderful woodland plants, which mix well with other shade lovers like ferns, pulmonarias and primroses.
  
  A top tip from the Crocus crew is to cut back the old leaves down to the ground in January or February. This will show off the new emerging flowers to best effect and it also helps to get rid of foliar diseases such as Hellebore leaf spot.
  
  
• Garden care: Add lots of well-rotted leaf mould or organic matter to the planting hole. Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant in autumn and provide a top-dressing of general fertiliser each spring.