Tag Archives: lenten roses

The Late Winter Garden – More To Do

Winter damaged leaves of lenten roses...

Winter damaged leaves of lenten roses…

After clipping out old leaves...

After clipping out old leaves…

The lenten roses, Helleborus orientalis, are beginning to bloom in my garden, and I bet yours are too. These sturdy and dependable perennials don’t need much help from us to survive, other than providing a shaded, well draining area.

If they’re happy they’ll slowly spread by seeding themselves. Their older leaves usually look rough by the end of winter, and this year with our exceptional cold mine look awful.

It’s very easy to remedy this, though, and they’ll look so much better! Simply take a little time one nice day and clip off all those large, old cold damaged leaves.

You’ll immediately begin to see all the small flower buds down low, and, depending on the weather, some may already be open. The trick is not doing this too early – those old leaves are also protecting the new growth and flower buds from any late winter frosts and freezes.

An epimedium bloom (Shown later in the spring.) There will be many of these on a mature clump...

An epimedium bloom (Shown later in the spring.) There will be many of these on a mature clump…

Another evergreen blooming perennial you may not be familiar with and needs the same care, is epimedium. This early spring bloomer (there are many cultivars) has delicate flowers that can be overlooked if the old foliage isn’t clipped off. With this one it’s really important to clip of the old leaves before the delicate stems begin to come up through them.

If you wait too long it’s really difficult to do without inevitably cutting off the wiry  flower stems.  If you have a shade garden and don’t have epimedium, you’re missing out on one of the toughest perennials out there! Truly, it only looks delicate.

I'll cut this clump to the ground...

I’ll cut this clump to the ground…

 

Another  many of you probably are familiar with is cast iron plant, or aspidistra. This is another workhorse evergreen shade perennial. Usually each spring I give a good tug to winter damaged leaves, pulling them right out, effectively thinning the clump a bit.

This year I’m going to cut whole clumps to the ground, since the majority of leaves show damage.  With spring right around the corner, fresh, new growth will appear quickly.  Doing all of these simple late winter tasks will ensure an even more beautiful garden as the weather warms….

Late February is traditionally the time to prune roses – some say to prune them on President’s Day, others say to tackle this chore when the forsythia blooms. Well, we’re past President’s Day, and my forsythia is blooming, but  I haven’t quite gotten around to the roses yet…that will be next on my list!

 

 

 

 

 

 

More To See On A Winter’s Walk Through A Southern Garden

Enemion biturnatum - False Rue Anemone - January

false rue anemone…

Cyclamen hederifolium - January

cyclamen hederifolium…

January is frigid in many parts of the country and can be a bleak month at best. But it’s also a good time to take a walk through your landscape, observing and planning.  Here are some things I spotted on a short walk recently.

 

Geranium 'Biokovo' - January

geranium ‘Biokovo’…

Native plants like false rue anemone, Enemion biturnatum, are beginning to show through the fallen leaves and promise  pure white blooms this spring. Only the bloodroot is a purer white.   The cyclamen hederifolium blooms are past,  but the pretty mottled foliage is spreading. Here’s some under a native azalea. There are also crocus bulbs interplanted with these cyclamen that will be coming through the leaf litter soon.

 

Selaginella uncinata - Peacock Spikemoss

selaginella…

Perennial geraniums are good, tough plants too. Here the foliage of Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘Biokovo’, a cranesbill geranium,  is looking quite happy along a rocky slope. It’s a pretty groundcover here and gets enough sun in this spot  to bloom in the late spring. After the white flowers tinged with pink fade, I’ll clip it back to keep it tidy.

 

Acorus variegata - Dry Riverbed - January

acorus variegata…

 

 

A little farther down the slope, and in more shade, is some selaginella uncinata, or peacock spikemoss. This groundcover is closely related to ferns and likes this shaded, moist spot. By midsummer, with enough moisture, it will be a lush, blue/green carpet underneath the trees and sheltered by the rock outcrop.

 

 

 

Below the rock outcrop, and along a dry riverbed, a spring provides water for evergreen acorus. In addition to Acorus ‘Ogon’, a yellow variegated form, here is the Acorus variegata, with a white variegation. Both of these love moisture, and  they spread freely. In February these will get cut back at the same time the dwarf mondo is cut, making  way for new, fresh growth.

Cyrtomium falcatum - Holly Fern - January

holly ferns…

 

Other plants that will need old, tattered, winter damaged fronds cut off next month are the perennial ferns, including  tassel (polystichum polyblepharum),  autumn (Drypteris erythrosora),  and, shown here, holly ferns (Cyrtomium falcatum). Sure, they’re evergreen, but, by winter’s end, they definitely need  cleaning up.  Wait until at least the end of February to do any drastic cutting back, though,  as the old foliage also helps protect the crown of the plants from cold temperatures.

 

 

 

Itea virginica & Hellebores - JanuaryAbove the water but spreading down the slope toward it, is a planting of Virginia sweetspire, Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’ , still holding the garnet colored fall foliage of its name. Underneath this spreading, suckering, shrub is another common evergreen perennial groundcover, the reliable Lenten roses, helleborus orientalis.

These two have gradually spread over the years, and the itea will also show off it’s dainty fragrant white blooms along arching stems this spring. It is truly an all season shrub, and the long lasting lenten roses blooming under them are good companions. Soon enough  it  will be  time to clip off old, winter damaged leaves of the lenten roses, but not yet.  January is the month to simply observe, taking time to enjoy a quiet walk through the garden on a sunny, chilly day.