Cuttings from the Flower Garden February 2017

Posted on 06.02.2017 |
Updated on 28.03.2017 |
Added in Sophie Leathart's Column

Cuttings from the flower Garden

Amongst the debris of last summer's verdant extravaganza sits the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger. It has been happily holding its head up for the last few months, and even when the temperatures dropped it was undaunted, its petals took on a translucency briefly, but as the day wore on the flowers reclaimed their snowy whiteness. 

What makes this little plant, which can be capricious when grown in the garden, flower at this time of year? It is a child of mountainous, snowy regions, from the Ranunculus family, so enjoys the icy wetness of our British gardens. The soil does need to be free draining though. Mine is planted in a sheltered bed which is dominated by a clipped bay tree. The bed can be dry in summer, but as it is shaded it remains cool. Last year I didn't get a single bloom. This I put down to slug activity, or perhaps the previous summer had not been hot enough.
It is a flower that has been passed down my family, so to speak. My aunt held a bouquet of Christmas roses and ivy at her January wedding fifty eight years ago.

My mother had recommended the choice to her, as she could recall being shown the Hellebores in their grandparents' garden. I have to admit that I have not used this flower for any weddings myself, but looking at the picture, the 1950s structured bouquet setting off and being set off by the brocade dress, does make me wonder why not? The delicate heads can be clearly seen against the dark Ivy and the golden stamens would have looked rich amongst all the white. The symbolism of both, the Christmas rose created out of the tears of a young shepherd girl and Ivy representing eternity, fidelity and strong affectionate attachment such as wedded love and friendship, give this bouquet even more poignancy.
Hilda Davenport Jones, who ran the well-known Washfield nursery, taught music at my junior school.  I learnt the recorder.  Hilda had introduced the cultivar Helleborus niger ‘Potter's Wheel' from a chance seedling given to her from a garden in Staffordshire in the 1940s. Washfield nursery later passed to Elizabeth Strangman, doyenne of Hellebore breeders. 
The Christmas rose can be difficult to establish and does not appear to be as vigorous as its cousin Helleborus orientalis, or Lenten rose. However, breeding has been taking place to produce a more robust form with large flowers and several highly attractive niger varieties can be found in the Helleborus Gold Collection, which is the result of work by German breeders Peter Oenings and Josef Heuger.
The Victorians would pot up the Christmas rose in September and bring it inside at Christmas to enjoy its delicate scent, as alluded to in an old German 15th century poem. 
‘The Flower, so small, whose sweet fragrance fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendour the darkness everywhere;'
Author unknown
How wonderful to have an indoor plant that doesn't require a warm room, but would favour a cold porch or conservatory during the winter months. As long as it is kept watered, in well drained but humus rich soil, it will continue to flower happily, with the flowers turning from white to pink to green, it is certainly good value for money. And no slug damage! The plant's simplicity means it would be equally at home in a wicker basket or a zinc container perhaps placed on a mirror so that any hanging heads can be reflected to their best advantage. As the night draws in night lights can illuminate the waxy flowers.

My mother has planted her Christmas roses in pots by her back door and the profusion of flowers is quite incredible and being slightly raised up the flowers can be better appreciated and growing conditions can be monitored carefully.
It is time to re-look at this winter flower and certainly if I am asked to do a winter wedding bouquet, it will be at the top of my list of suggestions.

Sophie Leathart