When everything else in the garden is dormant, say hurrah for Hellebores!

Hellebores can be relied on to bring a splash of colour to the winter scene. Hellebores (Helleborus) are hardy perennials which grow up to 90cm (36in) high. They are great for shady spots. And they make excellent cut flowers for winter.

They come in a range of colours from green and rich purple to pink and delicate lilac. Some have a distinctive 'freckled' appearance in a contrasting colour. Most are evergreens.

If you choose your varieties carefully, you can have a succession of blooms from mid-winter right through to late spring. Above all, hellebores need rich, moist soil. If your soil isn't ideal, you can improve it by digging in well-rotted compost before planting.

Once your hellebores are established, apart from keeping them well-watered during dry weather, they need little attention. However, they don't take kindly to being disturbed once they have put down roots so don't move them unless you have to.

Most gardeners would probably agree that the best garden hellebores are the orientals. They come in gentle shades of pure white and apple blossom pink as well as deep purple and black.

Many have distinctive spots or mottling which look particularly striking on pale flowers.

The oriental hybrids have the most interesting range of colours and shapes and many have a fuller or more ruffled appearance.

The Lenten Rose (H. foetidus) has distinctive shiny evergreen leaves which makes it useful as an architectural plant. The velvety saucer-shaped purple-red or white flowers are a bonus.

If you only have room for one type of Hellebore, then go for H. niger 'Potter's Wheel' which produces masses of very large, pure white blooms in late winter.

For the unusual, Helleborus foetidus 'Wester Flisk' has red stems which give added colour through the winter months.

If your soil is on the dry side, try H. argutifolius, the Corsican hellebore which is capable of surviving in poor, dry soils. Its pendent green flowers will open in late winter. Remove the old flowers and leaves to make way for new ones each spring.

Some hellebores are slightly scented. The unusual green-flowered Helleborus cyclophyllus has a light, delicate fragrance. However, don't crush the leaves of hellebores as many give off a rather nasty niff.

Hellebores hybridise easily so, if you save seed, the off-spring will be different to the parent plant. This makes for interesting and unexpected plants and possibly a few surprises.

Collect seed in early to mid-summer and plant in sandy compost in a cold frame. You'll need to be patient though, it will take three years before your plants will flower.

Divide mature clumps in autumn. The best time is September when the plants produce a surge of root growth. Lift the plant, wash the soil off and then use a knife to cut the rhizome.

One thing to watch out for with hellebores is leafspot which can do a lot of damage. Pick off infected leaves and spray with a fungicide if necessary.

Although colour is always thin on the ground at this time of year, there are other flowers that bring cheer to the winter garden.

Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) have bright green collars and vibrant yellow buttercup-like flowers. I think they look best naturalised in grass but they can also be used in borders. You can plant when they are in growth, in good soil enriched with organic matter.

The common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) too is a lovely addition to the winter garden. Their single, nodding flowers look charming. They need light shade and rich, moist soil.

Another very pretty winter flower is Iris reticulata. They range in colour from pale lilac to deep blue and have bright yellow markings on the outward petals.

And no winter garden should be without the reliable winter-flowering pansy. They outperform most other winter flowers, blooming during mild mid-winter until spring. Great in beds, borders and containers.

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