The Christmas Rose

With my magical gardening powers, I’ve made a flower bloom in December, in my garden, where we’ve had snow and cold and some occasional sun.

Dear Reader, you too can have these magical gardening powers and have winter-blooming flowers, though I will confess these powers don’t seem to work in all climates. But here in my Midwest garden, they work quite well.

Please lean in toward your screen and make sure no one is looking over your shoulder.  Then, and only then, may you continue reading and learn the secret of how to get these magical gardening powers.

You’re lucky, Dear Reader, because I don’t divulge how to have these magical gardening powers to just anyone.  It’s kind of a secret.

Well, I did divulge the secret in one of the programs I presented this fall to several different groups of gardeners. And I did talk about it on the latest episode of The Gardenangelists podcast,  episode 7, where I neglected to mention that it is a big secret.

Oh well. Cat’s out of the bag, the bird has flown from the nest, and the bees are all abuzz about it. Might as well tell you, Dear Reader.

You can display your own magical gardening powers with December flowers if you plant Helleborus niger.

That’s right. Aptly named the Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger blooms in December! In the Midwest!  All it wants to thrive is a partly sunny location where it doesn’t stay too wet.  And an occasional trimming back of the old foliage.

You’re welcome, Dear Reader!