March 2007
Winter's Farewell Flowers
Leonard J. Buck Garden, Far Hills, NJ
Drifts of color awake beneath the bare bones of Leonard J. Buck Garden. The stately Hellebore, the dainty, common snowdrop, and the warm yellow petals of winter aconite, are just beginning to carpet this chilly, winter, landscape.
Along the garden's well-traveled paths you can find an assortment of Hellebores. Their handsome flowers, attractive foliage, and early blossoms make them essential in the winter garden. The botanical name comes from the Greek, elein, to injure, and bora, food, referring to the poisonous leaves and roots. Probably most Hellebores are poisonous if eaten, making them deer resistant. The three most common Hellebores are: Helleborus niger, Christmas rose, H. hybridus, Lenten rose, and H. foetidus, bear's foot or stinking hellebore.
Blooming along the edge of New Rock is the exquisite Christmas rose. This Hellebore has slightly nodding, white flowers that are stained pink inside with handsome evergreen foliage. The species name niger, means dull black, which in this case describes its blackish brown older roots. Provide it with a well-drained, reasonably, fertile soil in partial shade. Adequate moisture is necessary when new leaves are produced in the spring. Once established they can tolerate drier conditions. Caution: bruised leaves can cause severe dermatitis in susceptible individuals.
In the Azalea Field one cannot help notice the many hues of Lenten rose -- white, pink, plum, and pale apple green. Paler flowers may be speckled with maroon and crimson inside. Their flowers are saucer-shaped, with 3 to 4 blooming together on one stalk. This hellebore is considered to be the easiest to grow. They are happy in partial shade provided by deciduous trees and will reseed prolifically. Similar to Christmas rose, Lenten rose will also tolerate drier conditions when established.
You will find bear's foot Hellebore on the meandering path between Little Rock and Moggy Brook. This Hellebore has numerous, small, cup-shaped, unusual lime-green flowers, with a maroon rim around the edge. The dark green leaves are finely cut into four to eleven narrow segments, giving the plant a tropical look. After its seed matures the stems will die away and new shoots emerge that will over-winter. This hellebore requires a neutral to alkaline, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade or sun. It reseeds the most prolifically of all Hellebores.
Hardy bulbs such as Galanthus spp. are the first flowers to bloom in the garden. The common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, has an unfaltering tolerance to severe frost, bending to the ground and recovering on the next warm day. G. nivalis is the best species for naturalizing in a woodland setting, a semi-shady border under shrubs, or in the open. Their gray leaves are pressed flat together at the base and are narrow. The white flowers are 1 inch in length with the inner segments having a narrow green mark at the apex. The flowers commonly reach a height of six inches. You'll notice snowdrops flower in various locations in the garden. The botanical name comes from the Greek, gala, meaning milk and anthos, flower, alluding to the flower color. Caution: bulbs of the common snowdrop are poisonous.
A good companion to the common snowdrop is winter aconite, Eranthis hyemalis. Its small white bulbs produce a decorative collar of indented green leaves, surrounding a one-inch solitary, bright yellow, buttercup flower. Plant groups of winter aconite in front of the perennial border or in drifts in the rock garden. They look most admirable when left to naturalize beneath deep-rooting deciduous trees and shrubs. You can't miss the blanket of yellow in the Kennel Field. They like moist but not saturated soil in the spring, and sun or light shade. Winter aconite self seeds to form large colonies. The botanical name comes from the Greek, er, meaning spring, and anthos, flower, alluding to their season of bloom.
Glowing in the late winter sunlight, these few perennials are a sign of life that spring will once again arrive to restore us and our gardens. Come see these plants and more at the Leonard J. Buck Garden.
- Tricia Scibilia, interpretive gardener
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