New at Fairview!: Introducing the Helleborus Gold Collection

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Helleborus, let’s start with a quick introduction of this wonderful perennial. Helleborus is a part shade/shade, no fuss, long blooming, hardy and deer resistant perennial that is also virtually resistant to disease. It is known to many as the Christmas Rose (or the Lenten Rose) as there are many varieties that can provide our winter gardens with color from November through March (and sometimes even into April). They make our winter gardens come to life with shades of white, cream, pink, rose, red or maroon, often featuring contrasting spots. When not in bloom, the evergreen foliage adds beauty to the shade garden throughout the summer and fall seasons and blends beautifully with other perennials such as hostas, ferns, as well as shade shrubs and annuals.

We would like to introduce you to the Helleborus Gold Collection (HGC). HGC includes two groups: HGC Christmas selection and HGC Early Spring selection. The Christmas selection, which are Helleborus niger varieties, consists of varieties that bring late fall and early winter flowers to the garden. These varieties are always white blooming and begin flowering in November. The HGC Early Spring selection includes several different Helleborus, which are the hybrid varieties, and they begin flowering at the beginning of the new year and include shades of creamy whites, pure whites and pinks.

This year Fairview, for the first time, will provide Hellebore varieties starting in November. Our main focus will be HGC varieties which will be stocked according to bloom time. Our goal is to provide you with a perennial that is perfect for the holiday gift giving season and also provide you with a perennial that you can enjoy in your garden during the winter season. HGC varieties are a good choice for holiday gift giving because they can be enjoyed indoors (temporarily) as winter and holiday decorations, and later planted outside as a long-lived perennial. They are outstanding used in patio container gardens and should be placed where their early flowers can be appreciated.

So if you’re looking for something a little different this winter season, be on the lookout for the Helleborus Gold Collection at Fairview. HGC will probably be available sometime mid to late November.

Happy Holidays and Happy Winter!
Mary Ann G.
Fairview Greenhouses & Garden Center