All about Lenten Roses in the garden

Low-maintenance tips on how to keep your Lenten Rose the highlight of your garden all winter long

Just like Christmas and Snow Roses, Lenten Roses from the Helleborus Gold Collection® are extremely easy to care for. If you follow a few basic rules, Lenten Roses can thrive in your garden and grow to be healthy and beautiful plants for many years on end.

A place in the shade

Lenten Roses prefer a shaded to partially shaded location. If you are contemplating a flower bed that does not receive enough shade, you can create the perfect environment by planting shade-givers. A deciduous shrub, such as witch hazel (Hamamelis), would be a good choice. Ideally, choose a spot your Lenten Rose can remain in for a long time, because the long-lived perennial doesn’t like being disturbed much.

Preparing the ground

Lenten Roses prefer a limy, humic and deep garden soil. Waterlogging is one of the few factors that can really give them a hard time and should be avoided wherever possible. Lenten Roses are also easy to please as regards nutrients. Only sandy (low-nutrient) soils need to be improved by adding mature compost and algal limestone. If compost is added to good soil prior to planting, your Lenten Rose will not require any further feeding after planting. There is no harm in mulching them well in the autumn to suppress weeds.

Natural beauty doesn't need much cosmetics

No pruning or deadheading is needed to keep Lenten Roses healthy, but it is helpful to remove any wilted leaves in spring as the flowers fade. If you find some leaves infested with blackspot in the autumn or early winter despite removing old leaves, cut these as soon as you see them to prevent the fungal disease from spreading.