A boost to winter..... - Plants - gardenersworld.com

Verdun

30/01/2013 at 18:54

Had a delivery today, my pre-ordered hellebore. Beautiful butter yellow with gold nectaries. I have quite a collection now of singles and doubles ranging from whites to greens, to pinks and onwards to the darker ones but this new arrival is the best yet. I have yellow varieties but this is the colour I have been waiting for so I'm excited. Another plug for mail order.....large plant full of flowers and buds. Beautifully packed and totally intact. I have a pulmonaria Blue Ensign just budding and this will be the blue blanket in front of the yellow hellebore. Expensive but I could not have got such a plant from my GC. Anybody else expecting an addition to their garden soon

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 19:23

Love hellebores but only got a few so far, have plenty babies off my oldest plant.

Caz W

30/01/2013 at 19:48

Would love to see a photo when they're all at their best. I've only got a few and have waited patiently for a few years for some babies ..... maybe this year I will be lucky

Verdun

30/01/2013 at 19:55

Yes, will start posting few photos. Babies are fine but some of the varieties are quite special

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 19:58

Do you have any tips for helping babies along or just patience.?

nutcutlet

30/01/2013 at 20:10

I like the really dark ones though the lighter ones make more impact in the garden. And the ones with the dark rim and dark spots inside.

Couldn't find a hellebore picture. Iris stylosa is out though. Might even remember what it's called now if I think about it.

http://s4.gardenersworld.com/uploads/images/original/18047.jpg?width=300&height=350&mode=max

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 20:15

Nice colour that though , lovely.

nutcutlet

30/01/2013 at 20:17

I like it. I like anything that flowers now. It's just under a window so I can see it without going out in the cold. Hellebores are coming along nicely, have to make sure I take so pics.

nutcutlet

30/01/2013 at 20:26

Found a hellebore. It's the native one H. foetidus

http://s4.gardenersworld.com/uploads/images/original/18051.jpg?width=300&height=350&mode=max

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 20:31

Very nice. I'd like to have a few more, my mum has a lovely pale pink white one , I have a dark one and pale yellow by pond can see from kitchen window, my larger pink purple one sin the front garden but thriving so daren't move it, I have seedlings from it so hoping they do well with my other two.

nutcutlet

30/01/2013 at 20:36

You get to a point when they come up like weeds. They seem to come fairly true to the parent but I do dump the dirty pinks.

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 21:06

I hope they do get to that stage of coming up like weeds, garden pretty quiet here this time of year.

nutcutlet

30/01/2013 at 21:09

They'll seed about well if you're a selective weeder. You get to recognise them very quickly and their usually very close under the parent which is a bit of a giveaway.

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 21:13

The ones under front large plant are in a bark covered bed so pop up lovely, I've transplanted loads and given some away. Some seem to self seed easier than others ?

nutcutlet

30/01/2013 at 21:16

I haven't noticed that but it may be so. If you've got any of the doubles they may not. I've never examined a double hellebore but a lot of double flowers are sterile

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 21:19

I think my hellebore fascination is growing

nutcutlet

30/01/2013 at 21:21

It is a bit addictive but I still only grow the singles with hanging heads. I'm not so attracted to the newer ones.

Bunny ...

30/01/2013 at 21:28

It's the hanging heads I like I can't go near one and not lift up a head.

Verdun

30/01/2013 at 22:48

So, a lot of hellebore fans out there. Many now have upward faces and the doubles look as good from the top too. Doubles do not seed.....I think. I'm going to start "breeding" my own.....I have enough varieties. Nothing quite like hellebores for now and for a few weeks yet. Hey, bunnysgarden, if you want babies mulch well now and watch out for them later in the summer. Transplant into 9 cm pots and stand in a sheltered spot until following spring. Then Pot on again and plant in the garden in the autumn.

Bunny ...

31/01/2013 at 08:56

That must be why i found hundreds of babies around my original plant being surrounded by bark. My others being near pond have fine gravel.... what should I use for mulch there?
I still have some of the previous babies which have sheltered over winter, I shall pot on again soon and plant on as advised.

Oh yes creating your own, that would be great. How many varieties do you have?