Helleborus Orientalis – Lenten Rose

Helleborus orientalis is a hardy perennial plant that will flower early in the growing season and provide some colour and interest In the garden border even when the spring temperatures are chilly. 

  • Plant Family – Part of the Ranunculaceae family or Buttercups. 
  • Native to – These flowering plants are native to Greece, Turkey and the Caucasus, especially in the mountainous regions.
  • Common Names – It is often called the Lenten rose due to it flowering throughout the calendar period known in ‘christian’ lands as Lent. 
  • Flowers – The flowers are, as most Buttercups, a cup shape and are many shades of maroon, purple, pink, white and even a green tinge. They tend to droop and face the ground once fully bloomed.
  • Foliage – The dark green, glossy leaves grow in a rosette form around the main stem with the flower emanating from the centre. These leaves are palmate, dissected into long this fingers with sawtooth edges. The stems are thick and hardy. Once they have flowered the leaves will last throughout the winter, gradually turning brown and drying out. These can be pruned back to keep the plant looking fresh or just left to wither and decay, depending on the look you want produce.
  • Height and Spread – Typically grows to a height of 12 to 18 inches and can spread about 18 inches. These plants tends to spread over time into a cluster.
  • Position – These plants thrive in a shaded or partially shaded location with a well drained soil, more on the acidic side, but tolerant of alkaline. This makes them ideal in a woodland garden, or any moist, shaded and cool position. Too much sun or frost can scorch the leaves and turn them brown.

Overall, Hellebores are an ideal flowering plant that can be left to grow year on year, in the right conditions, and provide an interesting feature before many other garden flowers have emerged from winter.

helleborus orientalis

Rank

Species

Names

Scientific name:

Helleborus Orientalis

Common Names:

Hellebore, Lenten rose

Genus:

Helleborus

Family:

Ranunculaceae

Related Plants:

Anemone, Aquilegia, Clematis, Delphinium, Helleborus, Ranunculus (Buttercup)

Growing Conditions

Position:

full shade, partial shade

Soil Type:

chalky, loamy, clay

Soil pH:

weak-acidic, neutral, weak-alkaline

Moisture:

moist, well drained

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    Meconopsis is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Papaveraceae or Poppy family. These plants are often known for their beautiful blue petals, but they also come in a variety of purple, white and yellow. Commonly referred to as Himalayan Poppy as they are found natively in the Himalayan Mountains. Given their natural habitat, these plants are fairly hardy, but remain difficult to because being monocarpic they only flower and set seed only once.

    Meconopsis Taxonomy

    The name comes from the Greek for ‘poppy like’, and so other Poppy type flowers were Meconopsis genus. Most Poppies are listed in their own Papaver genus, Papaver being Latin for Poppy, but the Meconopsis genus is kept separate for these Himalayan flowers. All poppies belong to the Order Ranunculales, or Buttercups.

    Meconopsis Strathspey Himalayan Poppy single

    Rank

    Genus

    Names

    Scientific name:

    Meconopsis

    Common Names:

    Himalayan Poppy

    Genus:

    Meconopsis

    Family:

    Papavercaceae

    Related Plants:

    Poppy, Buttercup

    Growing Conditions

    Position:

    partial shade, sheltered

    Soil Type:

    clay, loamy

    Soil pH:

    acid, neutral

    Moisture:

    moist, well drained

  • Pieris Japonica – Andromeda

    Pieris japonica  is a hardy evergreen flowering shrub that has distinctive new red leaves early in the season. These new red leaves turn yellow then green as they mature. Certain cultivars can have very dark red leaves.

    • Plant Family – Part of the Ericaceae family or heath family, same as rhododendron, heathers, cranberry and blueberry, and my favourite bilberries. 
    • Native to – These flowering plants are native to China, Taiwan and Japan, especially in the mountainous regions.
    • Common Names – It is often called the Andromeda. 
    • Flowers – The flowers are small and bell shaped, similar to lily-of-the-valley. Colours ranging from reddish pink to white.
    • Foliage – The leaves usually start red when they first emerge, fading to yellow, light green and through to dark green as they mature. Being evergreen the leaves are glossy and leathery in form.
    • Height and Spread – Typically a slow growing shrub that can stay within 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, although they can develop into a more straggly, woody tree up to about 12 feet.
    • Position – These plants thrive in a shaded or partially shaded location with a well drained soil, acidic side. This makes them ideal in a woodland garden, or any moist, shaded and cool position. Too much sun or frost can scorch the leaves and turn them brown. They need regular water in dry conditions but don’t like soggy wet conditions.

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    Pieris Japonica 4

    Rank

    Species

    Names

    Scientific name:

    Pieris japonica

    Common Names:

    Andromeda

    Genus:

    Pieris

    Family:

    Ericaceae

    Related Plants:

    Rhododendron, Heathers, Cranberry and Blueberry

    Growing Conditions

    Position:

    partial shade

    Soil Type:

    sandy, loamy

    Soil pH:

    acid

    Moisture:

    moist, well drained

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    Achillea or Yarrows are very tolerant border perennials that can do well in most situations but don’t like heavy, wet soil.  They are native to more temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere.

    There are more than 1000 named species, sub-species, or varieties assigned to the genus of Achillea. Two popular species are the Achillea millefolium, common yarrow, and the Achillea ptarmica, sneezewort. Generally, the millefolium has smaller and more tightly packed flower heads, whilst the ptarmica has larger more openly spread flower heads.

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    Achillea Yarrow 1

    Rank

    Genus

    Names

    Scientific name:

    Achillea

    Common Names:

    Yarrow

    Genus:

    Achillea

    Family:

    Asteraceae

    Related Plants:

    Aster, Daisy, Sunflower

    Growing Conditions

    Position:

    full sun, partial shade

    Soil Type:

    clay, sandy, loamy

    Soil pH:

    weak-acid, neutral, weak-alkaline

    Moisture:

    moist, well drained

    White with yellow centers such as Achillea ptarmica ‘Aunt Stientje’.

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    Convolvulus arvensis - field bindweed

    Rank

    Species

    Names

    Scientific name:

    Convolvulus arvensis

    Common Names:

    Field Bindweed

    Genus:

    Convolvulus

    Family:

    Convolvulaceae

    Related Plants:

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    Growing Conditions

    Position:

    full sun, partial shade

    Soil Type:

    chalky, clay, sandy, loamy

    Soil pH:

    weak-acid, neutral, alkaline

    Moisture:

    moist, well drained

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    Calceolaria are a genus flowering plant from the family, Calceolariaceae. Commonly called the Slipper Flower, Lady’s Purse and Slipperwort, due to unusual flowers that resemble slippers or purses and calceolaria being from the Latin for shoe. Currently, there are only 3 genera in its family, although others may soon follow as modern dna analysis is re-classifying plants into their families. There are over 388 species of Calceolaria and that covers a wide range of different plants

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    Calceolaria Slipper flower acid yellow close up 1

    Rank

    Genus

    Names

    Scientific name:

    Calceolaria

    Common Names:

    Slipper Flower, Lady’s Purse, Slipperwort

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    Calceolaria

    Family:

    Calceolariaceae

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    sandy, loamy, clay

    Soil pH:

    acid, neutral

    Moisture:

    moist

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    Callistemon Bottlebrush 3

    Rank

    Genus

    Names

    Scientific name:

    Callistemon

    Common Names:

    Bottlebrush

    Genus:

    Callistemon

    Family:

    Myrtaceae

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    Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Myrtus (Myrtle), Pimenta (Allspice), Psidium (Guava), Syzygium (Clove)

    Growing Conditions

    Position:

    full sun, partial shade

    Soil Type:

    sandy, loamy

    Soil pH:

    weak-acid, neutral, weak-alkaline

    Moisture:

    moist, well drained