Dear Lisa,

What fun that you are planning a new shade garden!

The Lenten roses that you are planning to order will be going through the stress of shipping and relocation, so it might be best to limit changes in their environment after that. I think I would sink them in pots in your current garden and let them adapt to your climate, and then pop them in their new, permanent home once you've got that garden area ready to go. If your Zone 6 ground is too cold to dig, my second choice would be to put them out in your current garden, very well mulched with leaves and soil.

I don't think that they necessarily need to go in your shade garden during this interim period. If you've got a warmer spot with filtered light, they should be happy to get the sunlight and work on photosynthesizing for more carbohydrate reserves in their root systems, so that when they are planted out, they have as much stored energy as possible to put into growth.

I hope someone closer to your Zone and geographic area will respond, as your New York climate is a long way from our Oregon climate.

Good luck to you both with your hellebores and your new shade garden.

Best,
Elizabeth

Thanks for your reply. Should I do this even though there is still about a foot of snow on the ground in my yard or should I keep them under lights in a cool area until the snow melts? I know they don't mind the cold, but I think this may be a bit too much for seedlings.

Yes, keep them inside. I have no idea what kind of lights you have, or what kind of hellebore.

Hellebore like light. A good indoor light system or a sunny window. Both are ideal.Hellebore like fresh air with good air circulation. Do not over water. On warm days try to place them outside but be careful, they need time adjust to the sun.

When you are able to play in your garden and feel comfortable the plants can handle a frost and the sun, plant them, probably earlier than you would think. If you wished to move them later it would not be a problem.

I have had good success in having to receive an early order of hellebores, holding them inside and then planting into the garden in the spring.