The Lenten Rose is a beautiful, hardy and evergreen perennial to add to your garden. The Lenten Rose or Hellebore is not an actual rose, but it has a rose like flower. The Lenten Rose's name comes from this plant's tendency to bloom at Easter each year adding cheerful color to your early spring garden.

A Lenten Rose makes a beautiful Easter present that is well appreciated and unique. Select a special pot to add a personal touch to your gift. Then present your gift to the favorite gardener in your life.

Lenten Roses are hardy from zones 4 through 9. They love the shade and will grow well with both well drained wet and dry soil conditions. I have several Lenten Roses in my garden and they seem to thrive under the minimal care I provide them. Once established in your garden you'll love how a fresh coat of mulch each year is all these plants need to keep their flowers popping up even from under the snow.

My first Lenten Roses were acquired when my husband and I purchased an older home with an abandoned garden. We moved in and the only thing in the yard that was perfect, happy and didn't appear to need assistance was the Lenten Roses. I immediately wanted to go out and acquire more Lenten Roses for my collection.

The flowers of the Lenten Rose come in endless shades and combinations ranging from green to pink to a dark plum. The plant will be evergreen for the majority if not all of your winter. Planted in a group Lenten Roses make a striking easy to care for focal point in your spring garden.

Lenten Roses are poisonous so you'll want to avoid planting them in areas with children or pets if you feel they are likely to eat the foliage. Otherwise this beautiful spring flowering plant really doesn't have a downside. Once established in your garden Lenten Roses can even be divided after flowering each spring. It's the perfect way to create additional free plants for your garden.

Any gardener who has a shady spot would love a Lenten Rose as a gift. Lenten Roses can commonly be found at garden centers and your local nursery. The Lenten Rose is truly a gift that keeps on giving, whether for your own garden or as a gift to brighten someone else's day.