H
ellebores, with their array of colors and lengthy bloom period, are wonderful additions to “off-season” gardens. Their delicate flowers begin to appear in late fall, add fiercely colored displays through the harsh winter season and often last into April. For one of the most impressive hellebore collections around, head to Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood, Ky., just outside of Louisville. “Hellebores work well as evergreen groundcover,” says Yew Dell’s Executive Director, Paul Cappiello. “They are fabulous cut flowers during the winter, offer tremendous diversity in bloom color and they are very easy to grow.” Working with private collectors and commercial growers, the garden has amassed a collection representing over 90 different species and cultivars. The assortment includes both common and unusual varieties, many of which are hybrids, seed strains and clonal selections, in solid and multicolored variations of pale and deep yellows, pinks, reddish-purples, creams and pure whites, in single and double forms. The Yew Dell hellebores shine alongside favored companion plants such as hostas, cyclamen, camellias and ferns. Most reside in the Secret Garden, though others are sprinkled throughout the 60-acre grounds. Yew Dell’s hellebores are so impressive that they warrant their own special annual event, usually held in early April. “Each year we host Hellebore Day, a day-long celebration of this wonderful group of plants,” says Cappiello. “We offer tours of the collections, sales of unusual varieties, cultural information and related merchandise in our garden shop.” For tips and advice for growing your own hellebores, go to the next page.
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GREAT GARDENS