One day it feels like the garden has officially woken up. The hellebore are open, the light is warmer, and you start thinking the cold nights are behind you.
Then the forecast drops to 30–32 degrees and suddenly you remember we’re not quite there yet.
That happened here last night. Welcome to Montana!
Hellebore are incredibly tough plants. They’re one of the first flowers to bloom in the garden and they can handle a lot of cold. But when the temperature dips right around freezing, especially with open blooms, I like to give them a little protection.
Nothing complicated.
Just burlap.
I grabbed a few burlap bags, cut them open, and lightly covered the plants before the temperature dropped. The goal isn’t to seal them tightly or build some elaborate structure. You simply want to fully cover the plant so the fabric traps a bit of warmth from the ground.
It acts like a breathable blanket.
Burlap works especially well because it lets moisture and air move through while still holding enough warmth to protect the flowers.
The key things I keep in mind:
• Cover the plant completely, not just the top
• Let the fabric sit lightly over the blooms
• Remove it in the morning once temperatures rise
It’s simple, but it can make the difference between waking up to flowers that look fresh or flowers that look like they had a rough night.
Hellebore are one of my all-time favorite plants in the garden because they bloom early and they keep growing for months. Last year we were still cutting stems for arrangements well into the fall.
A plant that beautiful deserves a little help on the cold nights.
Gary ❤️
