March 12, 2010, Richmond,
B.C. – Phoenix Perennials recently welcomed hundreds of gardening
enthusiasts
to its sixth annual Hellebore Hurrah(!) Opening Weekend.
March 12, 2010, Richmond,
B.C. – Phoenix Perennials recently welcomed hundreds of gardening enthusiasts
to its sixth annual Hellebore Hurrah(!) Opening Weekend. Featured was one of
the largest selections of hellebores in North America. This year, the nursery
will offer over 90 different species, strains and cultivars sourced from some
of the best breeders in North America and around the world.
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| Lenten rose, Helleborus x hybridus begins to bloom in British Columbian gardens in February, and continues blooming for at least two to three months. PHOTO COURTESY PHOENIX PERENNIALS |
“Many of our regulars now
call the Hellebore Hurrah(!) the official start of spring in Vancouver,” said
owner Gary Lewis. “Visitors came from all around the Lower Mainland, from
Victoria, Nanaimo and elsewhere on Vancouver Island, from the Sunshine Coast,
and even the Okanagan.”
Visitors included hard
core enthusiasts who lined up each morning before opening, to families out to
do a little gardening with the kids, “to curious people wondering what a
hellebore is. Everyone has a great time marveling at the beauty and diversity
of this early spring blooming plant.”
Hellebores, or Helleborus, is the first major group of
perennials to put on a colourful display in the garden in early spring.
Hellebores are a member of the buttercup family. The wild species hails from
southern and Mediterranean Europe. In the last 10-15 years, this genus has
become one of the most popular groups of perennial plants for the garden.
Hellebores have inspired legions of fans and collectors but are also extremely
useful for the average gardener and homeowner. Once their flowering is complete,
they produce an attractive evergreen mound of foliage that is also quite
attractive.
Hellebores are easy to
grow and are great plants for every level of gardener. They are tolerant of
shade but do best in part shade to part sun. They are hardy to Zone 5, which
means they can be grown in many parts of British Columbia, southern Ontario and
Québec, and the Maritimes.
Phoenix Perennials
produces a Hellebore Hurrah(!) catalogue each year that includes information on
hellebores and their cultivation, the breeders whose hellebores we’ll be
offering plus descriptions and images of most of the plants that will be at the
Hurrah! The catalogue can be downloaded from www.phoenixperennials.com.
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