Winter can be tough for gardeners. The short days and miserable weather often feel like something to endure rather than enjoy: a time to prune plants, tidy up sheds and wait for spring to return. 

Even seasoned horticulturalists hunker down in winter, and it’s understandable if those less green-fingered assume their garden is just lying dormant in the colder months. Yet winter is a crucial, if blunt, season. Nothing can bloom year-round and most perennial plants will hibernate beneath the earth, gathering energy for the long days ahead. Some, however, take advantage of the quietude of winter to unearth themselves, blooming in the dimmer days. Of these, the hellebores are perhaps the most reliable and delightful. 

Hellebores—or Christmas or Lenten roses, as they are more commonly k...