Helleborus pruning

Just a garden hint: if you have Helleborus in your garden, now is the time to prune it. In early spring when new buds are seen--they will be close to the ground, this is the time to trim off the old leaves which are lying on the ground. The new buds should bloom around Lent, hence the nickname "Lenten Rose." Helleborous is one of the earliest flowering perennials, in fact, the white varieties have been blooming for several weeks.