In February, all my hellebores put up flower stalks. Hellebores are truly magical plants. With so many flower types and colors, these long-lived and cold-hardy evergreen perennials bloom in winter, providing a much-needed pick-me-up.

What was unexpected were temperatures in the 20s. I moved everything I could to the porch, but the plants looked bad. The flower stalks drooped like limp celery. I thought this year’s bloom was a loss.

But you can’t count out the hellebore. This plant is tough. The temps swung back up, and so did the flower stalks! The additional 10-15 degrees were enough to bring it back to life. Much to my surprise, the plants are in full bloom or moving in that direction.

Don’t give up on your plants.