Stinking Hellebore Plant Profile

Stinking Hellebore Plant Profile

Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) is a perennial plant that is native to the mountains of Europe and south-west Asia.

Despite the common name, the flowers don’t smell bad at all. In fact, to notice the “stink” you will have to actually crush the foliage and take a whiff of that. So don’t let that scary name keep you from growing it.

This tough plant has beautiful, finely cut leaves and bright-green flowers. They bloom in late winter and early spring.

It is very low-maintenance. In mid-spring, you can prune off any spent flowers as well as any old, tattered foliage. The plants spread fairly quickly and form large clumps that can be divided every few years. Plant the divisions immediately and water them in well to give them a good start.

Stinking Hellebore thrives in part-shade and rich, well-draining soils. It is hardy to USDA zones 6 through 9. They are fairly drought-tolerant once established. Like its Hellebore cousins, it is poisonous if ingested and therefore deer-resistant.

Stinking Hellebore: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Video and editing by Jessica Harden

Audio and text by Kathy Jentz

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April 2021 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine – Flowering Quince, Deer-Resistant Native Plants, Heirloom Corn Salad, and much more

The April 2021 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

Inside this issue:

·         Flowering  Quince

·         What Happens to All Those Plastic Plant Pots?

·         Petal Porches on Parade

·         Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast

·         Why Do Soil Tests Not Include Nitrogen Levels?

·         Meet the Chief Veggie Officer of Little Wild Things City Farm

·         Seed Swapping Carries On

·         How to Grow Heirloom Corn Salad (Mache)

·         Crystal Installation Shines Amidst Dark Year

and much more…

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the May 2021 issue are due by May 5.

 

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: http://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

GardenDC Podcast Episode 50: Deer-Resistant Native Plants

This episode we talk with Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregg Tepper, authors of "Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast," on gardening with deer. The plant profile is on the Yucca filamentosa and we share local gardening news plus a contest to celebrate our 50th episode!

Ruth and Gregg will be hosting a Virtual Book Talk on Thursday, March 18, 2021. Register here.

Ruth will be speaking at the 34th Annual Lahr Symposium Redux Daylong Virtual Symposium on Saturday, March 20, 2021. Register here.

To enter to win a free copy of their book and a digital subscription to Washington Gardener Magazine, subscribe by March 20,2021 to our YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine. We will draw a winner from among all our YouTube channel subscribers past and present.

You can order their book at:

https://amzn.to/38DfPH1

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!See how at: https://anchor.fm/gardendc/support. 

The episode is posted at: 

https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Episode-50---Deer-Resistant-Native-Plants-esbj3d

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We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

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Upcoming Webinars by Washington Gardener Magazine

All of the webinars are held via Zoom. Once you register, you will get a confirmation and a link to the Zoom connection details. Note that if you cannot attend the live class, you can still register and get a link to view the class recording for two weeks after the actual class date.

Sunday, October 4, 2-3pm

Dealing with Deer and Other Mammal Pests in Your Garden

Bambi may be cute, but he and his mother, cousins, and rest of the herd are very hungry and they would love to make a feast of your garden. This talk will cover proven and humane tactics for gardening with deer, rabbits, rats, groundhogs, and other creatures that are attracted to both edible and ornamental gardens. 
Speaker: Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine. 
Fee: $10. Register at: https://py.pl/180w3U

Sunday, November 1, 2-3pm

Small Tree (and Large Shrubs) for Urban and Small Gardens

We will explore the possibilities of what small trees and large shrubs you can plant in small urban lots. Tailored to the greater Washington, DC/Mid-Atlantic region (Zones 6-7) and what grows best here. The choices will cover natives, edibles, and ornamentals -- from full sun to full shade. For every place there is a tree that is a perfect fit. 
Speaker: Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine. 
Fee: $10. Register at: https://py.pl/6HkgAJ21d3A

Sunday, December 6, 2-3pm

A Truly Green Holiday: A Talk on Seasonal Plants and a Bulb Forcing Demo

Have you ever given or gotten a beautiful blooming poinsettia or amaryllis and then slowly watched it decline? What a New Year's bummer! This talk will teach you how to care for classic seasonal plants. She'll also cover some unique holiday plant choices as well that make great gifts and additions to your home decor. Finally, she'll teach you bulb forcing basics--tricking spring-blooming bulbs like tulips into flower earlier to enjoy during those seemingly endless gray days of late winter when we crave green the most. 
Speaker: Kathy Jentz, Washington Gardener Magazine. 
Fee: $10. Register at: https://py.pl/4oRnjFT9Xc0 

Dealing with Deer and Other Creatures in Your Garden

By Ashley O'Connor

“Managing deer and other wildlife in your garden;” that was the topic of Kathy Jentz’s recent class at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. The publisher and editor of Washington Gardener told an attentive audience of 16 how to humanely handle pesky animals destroying their home gardens. Some of her tried and true tips are below.

For Managing Deer:

• Cage small saplings during the fall to protect them from antler rubbings
• The first line of defense is your dog, just make sure he/she is leashed and no closer than 15 feet from a deer
• Use mesh fencing around property perimeters, but be sure to bring the mesh to the ground (This will prevent the deer from slipping under)

Rabbits:

• Sprinkle the border of your garden with used cat-litter; they hate it!

Moles and Voles:

• Use peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball to deter these critters

Rats:

• Clean up rotting fruit on the beds of your gardens

Crows:

• Scare these birds off with fake rubber snakes

Groundhogs:

• Plant chicken-wire in an L-shape facing out around your vegetable beds

Squirrels:

• soak bird seed in a "flaming squirrel seed sauce” like Cole's brand

Chipmunks:

• Incorporate sharp gravel or Chicken grit into your garden, it won’t hurt them, but the texture will irritate their paws

Dealing with multiple creatures at once? Try an activated motion sprinkler. It’s a great way to scare off any creature, just remember to move its location every few weeks during the season.

About the Author:
Ashley O’Connor, a senior multi-platform journalist at the University of Maryland. This autumn, she is an editorial intern at Washington Gardener.