My poor Hellebores are taking a beating this winter. The poor dears lost all their protection when the pine trees went down. Now we are having snow, ice and today rain turning to snow. Geez... They are such tough creatures they are hanging on with all their might. As you can see this pile of yuck doesn't look very promising...
Look a little closer...there is hope.
This poor little guy doesn't look quite as heady. It is a different type. I can just hear Frances now "girl get out there and cut off those awful dead looking leaves" and I would reply "But Frances I am afraid that those leaves are the only cover that will protect the crowns now" Should I cut or not cut??? This is the question.
Look a little closer...there is hope.
This poor little guy doesn't look quite as heady. It is a different type. I can just hear Frances now "girl get out there and cut off those awful dead looking leaves" and I would reply "But Frances I am afraid that those leaves are the only cover that will protect the crowns now" Should I cut or not cut??? This is the question.
No no no don't cut until the weather warms up. It does give them a little bit of protection.
ReplyDeleteHows Luna, hope she is home and well.
I'm not gardening in such a cold weather Lisa, but I would't cut them. Maybe they don't look nice but a garden doesn't have to be tidy all the time..
ReplyDeleteI vote no cut! Keep some protection around them.
ReplyDeleteMy ears were ringing and so had to come see what was up! I would not cut now, not with the weather you have been having, but as I told Jodi, maybe if you could find some evergreen boughs, like old Christmas tree limbs or something dense like that, cover them until the weather breaks, whenever that may be! Our thoughts will be with you and your hellebores.
ReplyDeleteFrances at Faire Garden
Cheryl, Thank you for the get well for Luna. I guess I will post about it soon.
ReplyDeleteGintoino and Jayne thanks for your vote of no vote.
Frances, I am glad you posted. I have figured that I wouldn't cut just yet. It is tempting with it looking so ugly. The hellebores are tucked under a blanket of snow this morning. They should be ok. We will hope for the best.
oh, Lisa, I know you want to pretty up that bloom and are itching to cut back the brown. It is every gardeners dilemma this time of year. I am with everyone else on this one. That mush and brown is your hellebores only winter coat in the snow and ice. Soon you will be out and about with pruners in hand... it's coming ... really!
ReplyDeleteLisa, I must have missed something, I'm anxious to hear about Luna. I hope she's alright. Sorry about your hellebore, I hope it perks up soon.
ReplyDeleteOh my! Don't read my blog today-you will be jealous.
ReplyDeleteI can't even find my Hellebores now! :^( I'm with the "leave the leaves" camp, just be very careful when you do trim them off. I've ended up with too many unintentional blossoms to float indoors that way. Very soon your Hellebores will be in bloom!
ReplyDeleteI'm dealing with a similar decision today, Lisa... some iris started blooming and we had a frost. All I did so far was take off the frozen open flowers and have fingers crossed for the buds.
ReplyDeleteHope your hellebores will still open! Are you planning on relocating them to a more sheltered position or will you plant some kind of small 'guard' tree over them?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Lisa, mine look just as miserable, but they looked like that last year, too, and they snapped right out of it. I vote not to cut!
ReplyDelete