Hellebores do need shade in summer but do try to avoid planting them in very dense permanently shaded positions. They will grow and flower more prolifically if they get good light in the cooler months.

Feeding - A covering of leaf mulch and old manure is of great benefit. I also give them a good sprinkle of 8/9 month Osmocote as this gives the plant a balanced diet during the growing season. For a good crop of flowers, give them a good feed of anything low in nitrogen in late summer as this encourages flower production.

Leaf Maintenance - Their leaves do get ratty and sometimes get some black spots. I cut these off, or cut all of the leaves off in late summer, around when you fertilize them with a low nitrogen fertilizer.

Water - Do not over water your plants. If in summer they should get droopy, give them a good drink and keep them well mulched.

Pests - The Helleborus has relatively few problems. Aphids can be a problem in spring and early summer. You can spray for that but I find as I cut my plants back anyway they do no damage to next years flowers. Snails and slugs can be a nuisance in the early part of budding and flowering. Use any brand of pellet or liquid to deal with these.

About Hellebores - Hellebores are also known as the Winter rose, English winter rose, Christmas rose or even the Lenten Rose. They originate from central and southern Europe but have also been found in the Himalayas and Asia. Hellebores are found if a wide range of areas but prefer semi shaded conditions such as at the edges of deciduous woodland.

The genus Hellebore falls under the Ranunculaceae family, and there are about 17 different species of Helleborus.