82 POPULAR GARDEN FLOWERS 



the old leaves can be dressed off. The season for pro- 

 pagation is autumn, when the clumps may be divided. 



The Lenten Rose is a Hellebore, but not the same 

 species as the Christmas Rose ; it is H. Orientalis, or the 

 Eastern Hellebore, its native country being Greece. It 

 is a handsome plant, with deep rose flowers and abund- 

 ance of leafage. Blooming later than the Christmas 

 Rose, it gives successional flowers, and the colours of 

 the varieties are richer. It and its hybrids are plants to 

 study for late winter and early spring blooming. 



A description of the best varieties and hybrids may 

 bring our chat about Christmas and Lenten Roses to a 

 close. 



Varieties. Of the Christmas Rose there are two large 

 varieties, one called major and the other altifolius or maxi- 

 mus. Both have flowers which are rose outside and white 

 within. The latter is the earlier bloomer, often flower- 

 ing in October and November. Madame Fourcade is 

 a pure white form. Angustifolius (meaning narrow- 

 leaved), St. Brigid's Christmas Rose, is a beautiful pure 

 white variety. It is a strong grower, and altogether 

 desirable. These are a few of the best varieties of 

 Helleborus niger, but the reader need not allow himself 

 to become perplexed by the difficulty of choosing among 

 them. The old Christmas Rose is good enough for any- 

 body when it is well grown, and it is the cheapest. 



The following are pretty varieties and hybrids of 

 Helleborus orientalis : the Lenten Rose ; Apotheker 

 Bogren, purple, spotted; Frau Irene Heinemann, purple, 

 spotted; Gretchen Heinemann, purple, red streaks; and 

 Persimmon, white, with red spots. 



There are several green Hellebores, notably abchasi- 

 cus, viridis, and odorus, the last of which has sweet 

 flowers. H. f&tidus has greenish flowers also. But 



