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The Helleborus is a tough, old girl

Flower meanings· Gardening

18 Jan

“She’s a tough, old girl.”  For me this phrase defines some of the Suffolk ladies I grew up to admire.  They are strong but kind.  They speak sense in a straight forward way.  They do not fuss about their appearance but they are always neat and tidy.  They usually survived the war with a stoic attitude and a make-do-and-mend ethos.  Many of them have lived into their eighties and nineties and still never grumble.  These are the type of people for whom our society has great affection and respect.  If there were to be a plant that could embody their characteristics I think it should be the Helleborus.

Hellebores are resilient and beautiful

The hellebore grows in the shade and is a woodland plant.  It does not feel the need to be in the centre of the border shouting about its beauty.  Unlike some garden perennials, it can thrive on very little while it is under trees and can make its home in most soils.  It is a resilient plant with leathery leaves.  It is rhizomatous, so spreads by putting roots and shoots out underground and, once established, there is no stopping it.  Stoop a moment and lift its drooping head and there, in your sight, is an exquisite flower.  There are so many varieties of Hellebore varying from lime green, cream, white, pale pink to deep purple.  Yet they all have the power to touch you with their demure beauty.

Helleborus is known as the Christmas rose

Helleborus is commonly known as the Christmas rose and how true that is.  Just like the rose, it has the power to make us feel good.  Usually flowering at Christmas, it continues to bloom right through January and February too.  These stark, winter months are often times when I personally feel deprived of colour and light.  The hellebores become like saviours for me.  They delight me with their subtle flowers.

What is the symbolism of the Helleborus for us?

We can be resilient like the Helleborus. During this winter we are facing yet more lockdown challenges including home schooling, working from home, loneliness and being frightened of contracting, or spreading a potentially fatal disease.  So this plant is here reminding us of our own inner beauty and that there is strength to be found in unlikely places.  It is amazing what we can do.  We are a product of nature just like the hellebore. We too can flower in the shade and in dark times.  We are resilient survivors.  Just like those ladies in the past, we are coping with a type of war and, just like the Helleborus, we can still flower.

Ruth Goudy

The Flower Writer

Thank you to Caroline Horne Suffolk Photography for these beautiful photos of hellebores.

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Hello

My name is Ruth Goudy.
I am a professional garden writer and speaker. I have run a nursery and garden centre for twenty years with my husband and this inspires me to share the joy I feel when I am around nature and flowers. I am on social media and Youtube and would love you to follow me. I believe flowers are good for our wellbeing and the more people that are involved in the conversation about it the better!
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Download my free ebook ‘How to connect with the Flowers’ here.

You will also receive newsletters so that you are the first to hear about talks and events, are notified when I publish flower blogs or YouTube videos and find out what is going on in the world of plants and horticulture.

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Download my free ebook ‘How to connect with the Flowers’

You will also receive newsletters so that you are the first to hear about talks and events, are notified when I publish flower blogs or YouTube videos and find out what is going on in the world of plants and horticulture.

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