HGC Melin Hellebores - Pair - Planted - May 2023

Over the years, we have SLOWLY added to our Hellebores collection.  This year, at the Morton Arboretum Sale, I found a new (to me) variety and brought home two nursery pots and decided to add them to the small cluster of Hellebores that already exist in our backyard.  My journey with Lenten Roses or Hellebores starts with our plan that was developed in 2017.   I first started planning for these evergreen(ish) early bloomers in 2020 with this post showing that the plan calls for 10 Hellebores.  

I bought our first one - Sally's Shell - in 2020 during a drive-thru visit (curing COVID) to The Growing Place.   Then, last year at the 2022 Morton Sale, we bought three more - Ivory Prince.  Those four all came back this Spring. 

When I was at the sale this year, I saw these flowers (below) and read the sign that these were outward-facing blooms.  Lovely, right?

They're named MERLIN Hellebores.  Here below, is the tag that came with these:  HGC Merlin - COSEH 810.  

That "HGC" prefix was new to me, so I went stumbling around to figure out what it meant.  Turns out, it means Helleborus Gold Collection.  

Bluestone Perennials adds this:

Outward-facing, medium-pink flowers on thick plum-colored stems cast their spell nestled within the foliage. As the flowers mature, their color magically transforms to deeper cranberry-pink tones.

They're different, yet similar to the ones we have.  I bought two of them, so these two bring our collection up to six Hellebores.  Four left to go - per the plan.  

Check out the foliage in the photo below. 

Below you can see them planted together - in the understory of a Catalpa tree.  The two new Merlins are in the 'back row' on the left side.  The Ivory Prince are dotted around the initial Sally's Shell.

Here's my 2023 Morton Arboretum Plant Sale Posts:

• A single Orange Queen Epimedium for the understory garden in back. 
• A single Island Breeze Hosta with red legs and bright yellow foliage planted in the understory garden in back.  
• A pair of HGC Merlin Hellebores planted amongst the existing Lenten Roses.