Some of my pots are still too frozen to work in, but in others, the soil has thawed for the top six inches, which is enough to get a hellbore in. The hellebores we’re getting from Trader Joe’s are generally VERY root-bound — I had to cut one pot to get the plant out. If you cut an ‘x’ in the bottom of the roots and tease them out a bit, that’s probably going to help the plant start growing in a healthier way, making it more likely it’ll be in good shape to come back next year.
Don’t forget to water new-planted hellebores, and keep watering them whenever the soil dries out. They don’t need a lot of care, especially if they’re in the ground instead of a pot, but a little water is always nice.
I have a deep divide in my soul over garden aesthetics, because on the one hand, I’d like to be ‘classy’ and on the other hand, I have a hard time resisting adorable little fairy garden critters. I suspect as I get older, I will care about classy less and less. The potential delight of little children is starting to win out, especially as my own children get big. If you also have a weakness for fairy gardens, I’ll note that Etsy is a treasure trove for such things, and you can often find really awesome pieces from British stores that will ship for much less than you would expect.
The bunnies have taken over this pot, but these are not the kind of bunnies that ravage your vegetables. These are hard-working gardener bunnies. 
