Christmas Rose

Cutting Hellebores Before Christmas Day

As the garden settles into its winter hush, the hellebores are quietly getting ready for their big moment. These lovely “Christmas roses” are often the first brave souls to bloom, pushing up through cold soil when everything else is taking a rest. And if you want them looking their absolute best for Christmas, a little bit of TLC now makes all the difference.

By December, the older leaves usually flop over the crown and can look a bit worse for wear. Those black marks and spots are completely normal but not especially lovely. They can also trap moisture and block the new buds that are just waiting to come through. So a quick tidy-up is well worth doing. Simply snip the old foliage right down at the base and you will instantly open things up for the fresh growth.

Once you have done that, a light sprinkle of leaf mould or compost around the crown gives them a boost and helps protect those emerging buds from the cold. And then the magic begins. Within a short while, you will start to see tight little clusters of flowers pushing through in soft creams, blushed pinks and deep plums. It is one of those small winter joys that never fails to lift the heart.

A bit of tidying now means your hellebores will be looking clean, fresh and glorious by Christmas morning. It is such a simple job, but it pays back beautifully during the darkest weeks of the year.

Orlaith