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Fill Your Spring Garden Bed With This Martha Stewart-Approved Flower
By LAUREN KRYSTAF
Home and garden maven Martha Stewart has blogged multiple times about one of the stars of her early spring garden, which can add color and life during the winter.
Hellebores bloom from March to May and come in various colors, including black, pink, and cream. Their tough, evergreen leaves remain visible year-round, even in winter.
Helleborus niger are also called Christmas roses due to how early they bloom in warm regions. These plants, hardy in zones 3 through 8, rarely grow taller than one foot.
Lenten roses, or helleborus hybridus, bloom slightly later and are hardy in zones 4 through 9. This species can grow up to two feet tall and almost three feet wide.
Both species grow best in alkaline to neutral soil and full to partial shade. Plant them in the front and middle of borders where larger plants can shade them from the sun.
Hellebores make excellent cut flowers due to their long vase life. All parts of the plants are toxic to pests like deer and should be kept away from pets and children.