Hellebore Ice 'n' Roses Red
Introduction
Hellebore Ice 'n' Roses Red is a stunning early-flowering perennial that brings elegance and charm to winter and early spring gardens. Part of the acclaimed Ice 'n' Roses series, this compact hellebore produces masses of pristine red blooms when little else dares to flower, making it an invaluable addition to any garden seeking year-round interest.
Key Features
This remarkable hellebore stands out for its generous flowering habit, producing an abundance of pure white, outward-facing blooms from late winter through to mid-spring. The flowers, measuring approximately 5-7cm across, display a classic cup shape with delicate petals surrounding a prominent centre of golden stamens. Unlike some hellebores that nod shyly towards the ground, Ice 'n' Roses red holds its flowers upright, allowing you to fully appreciate their beauty without stooping.
Growth Habit and Size
Ice 'n' Roses Red forms a neat, compact mound typically reaching 30-40cm in height with a similar spread. This well-behaved size makes it perfect for smaller gardens, container planting, or positioning at the front of borders where its winter blooms can be admired up close. The plant maintains attractive, evergreen foliage throughout the year, with deeply divided, leathery leaves in a rich dark green that provides excellent structure even when not in flower.
Ideal Growing Conditions
This hellebore thrives in partial to full shade, making it an excellent choice for those tricky spots beneath deciduous trees or along north-facing borders. It prefers moist but well-drained soil enriched with organic matter, though it's remarkably tolerant once established. The Ice 'n' Roses series has been specifically bred for improved garden performance, showing good resilience to varying soil conditions and reliably hardy throughout the UK
Planting and Care
Plant your Hellebore Ice 'n' Roses Red in autumn or spring, spacing plants approximately 45cm apart. Prepare the planting area by incorporating plenty of compost or well-rotted manure to create the rich, moisture-retentive conditions hellebores adore. Water regularly during the first growing season to help establish a strong root system.
Maintenance is refreshingly minimal. In late winter, just before the flower buds emerge, remove any tatty or damaged foliage to showcase the blooms and reduce the risk of leaf spot diseases. Apply a mulch of compost or leaf mould around the base each spring to conserve moisture and provide gentle feeding. These hellebores are generally pest and disease resistant, though slugs may occasionally nibble young foliage.
Design Ideas and Companion Planting
Ice 'n' Roses Red excels in woodland-style plantings, where its winter blooms create magical combinations with snowdrops, early crocus, and winter aconites. The white flowers look particularly striking when underplanted with dark-leaved heucheras or contrasted against the burgundy foliage of Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby'. For a sophisticated winter vignette, combine with other hellebore colours from the Ice 'n' Roses range, adding early-flowering pulmonarias and ferns for extended seasonal interest.
This hellebore also performs beautifully in containers on shaded patios or beside doorways, where you can appreciate the delicate blooms during winter months when you might not venture far into the garden.
Why Choose Ice 'n' Roses Red ?
The Ice 'n' Roses series represents a significant breeding achievement, offering improved flower power, better disease resistance, and more compact growth than many traditional hellebores. Ice 'n' Roses Red specifically delivers:
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Exceptional flower production with blooms lasting 8-10 weeks
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Upward-facing flowers for maximum visual impact
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Compact, manageable size perfect for modern gardens
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Evergreen foliage providing year-round structure
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Excellent cold hardiness and low maintenance requirements
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Reliable performance year after year
Additional Benefits
Beyond its ornamental value, this hellebore provides vital early nectar for emerging bumblebees and other pollinators when food sources are scarce. The long-lasting flowers also make interesting, albeit slightly unusual, cut flowers for indoor arrangements. Deer and rabbits typically avoid hellebores, making them a good choice for rural gardens.
Final Thoughts
Hellebore Ice 'n' Roses Red is an investment in winter garden beauty that rewards with minimal effort. Its pristine Red blooms arrive at the darkest time of year, offering hope and elegance when the garden needs it most. Whether you're an experienced gardener or just beginning your horticultural journey, this exceptional hellebore will quickly become a treasured favourite.
Buying Perennials from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we lightly trim back our perennials after flowering and trim them back at the end of the season to ensure that the plants remain neat and tidy whilst in the pot. The more tender the plant the less we cut back to help protect exposed stems from winter frost. Depending on the plant variety we will then prune back further in spring once the risk of the more severe frosts is over.
As a result, depending on the time of year you buy perennials, they may not look like images showing their ‘prime time’ in flower and looking at their best.
From late autumn onwards and dependent on variety, there may be very little visible above the soil except for a few cut back dormant leaves or stems. It is perfectly normal for dormant plants to look like this from autumn onwards, they will however burst back into life in spring.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
Perennials are described and classified differently by different gardeners but all would agree that they are plants that come into flower every year from early spring to late summer, the exact time dependent on variety and most die back to ground level in autumn and winter.
As for all plants, soil preparation is time well spent. Dig over the area to be planted ensuring that the ground is free draining. If not then you may wish to either consider planting in a different spot or raising the level of the planting area by adding additional topsoil, well rotted garden compost and/or well rotted manure. Add ‘Fish, Blood and Bone’ fertiliser or a high potash fertiliser to encourage good root growth and development.
It’s always a good idea to plant a few of the same plant together, we recommend planting in 3’s or 5’s to provide a bold effect but allowing them plenty of room to develop.
Always check eventual plant heights when planning borders to ensure that the taller plants are at the back (or at the centre of an island bed) followed by the medium and then smaller low growing plants.
Remember to deadhead perennials after flowering, trim back lightly in autumn as required to tidy the border and if necessary trim again in spring once the risk of heavy frost has passed.
If perennials get too big, start to flower less and less or if it seems to be dying off from the centre, consider dividing the plant but always check that the particular variety is happy to be divided and that you divide at the right time of year for the plant.
By using this simple guide and a little time, perennials can make an absolutely spectacular difference to your garden.
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£24.99 |