Hellebore

Day 143: Hellebore is one of the most rewarding perennials in my outdoor garden. Throughout the year, it's always doing something whether it's producing blooms or showing off its luxurious deep green foliage. Admittedly, it gets a little worn by late November, but then it can be counted on for the earliest flowers of spring. Its alternate name "Lenten Rose" bespeaks its blossoming period, and its colour palette of purples and pinks echo the candle wreaths associated with the religious season. It spreads, but slowly, and the tough roots can be sectioned with a sharp shovel if you want to propagate it or keep it within bounds. It's tolerant of both heat and cold, produces its best colour in semi-shade or early-day sun, and thrives even in almost any soil as long as it is not clayey. Mine is one of the darker varieties, and although its hue has faded since planting due to poor soil and too much light, it flowers prodigiously for six weeks or so prior to peak foliage production. For the remainder of the summer, its mounds of palmate leaves provide a rich background for the obligatory annuals.