jo4eyes

Hellebore Addiction

Lorea wrote (see)

Hi guys, does anyone have any tips on getting hellebore seed to germinate? I've got helleborus foetidus in my garden which has self seeded but I recently bought some seed of a purple hellebore (that's all I know) and I've read that some can be difficult to germinate. Is there anything special I should be doing?

Cheers

nutcutlet wrote (see)

Hi Lorea

Sow it when it's ripe, ie about to drop out of it's seed case, leave it outside and wait. It will germinate in spring if not before. I usually cover mine with grit, saves the winter rainswahing them out.

Lorea- yes sow it asap when ripe. Cover with grit as NC says & then wait. They can take quite a while to germinate. I leave mine in a shady spot. Take care re slugs though as the seedlings can be attacked. Pot on/up as nec & eventually you'll get a flowering plant. No guarentee of a decent colour though. J.

Fritillary (Snakes Head)!!!!

IME double headed flowers do turn up sometimes. Mine are just out in one border & well up in a 2cnd. Mine have also self-seeded into a 3rd border.

So far no sign of LB attack, but the bright red beetles pretty easy to spot on them. Need to be careful to get them into a jamjar, then tipped onto slabs & stamped on!

If anyone gets the chance the Oxford water meadows are full of them- a site once seen never forgotten. J.

Fork Handles

I gave in & took painkillers again earlier. Am now comfy again.

My hand/arm problem though is going to be a real b****r. Oh well I'll cope, have to.

Paperwork done & dusted & shredded. OH has tried to cancel something on an apparent 24hr/7day phoneline, only to discover that they arent actually functioning today! Website also non-existent as well...... J.

Beechgrove Garden Goes National.

Loved it. Have regularly watched it on i-player, so now to have recorded it to watch as & when is bliss. J.

MORNING FORKERS

Verdun wrote (see)

Hey Fairygirl,
Joining the hellebore club.
Remember the better you prepare the hole the better your plant will be

Verdun, I never replied to your query about the colour of my new Ashwood Hellebore. Well it's a lovely double white one. Not a colour I've already got. Now am having to wait to see if anything else shows itself in the gap that I plan to use in my Ashwood bed. We need some serious rain up here. Everywhere is very dry & the soil too dry for me to safely try digging without doing more damage to my arm!. J.

Fork Handles

Morning, no afternoon, all.

My gardening activities are 'on hold' with continuing sciatica- drat- & having to take care of my arm. Oh well can see me having to delegate the pot moving & compost bin turning to OH, who as a non gardener may not be the best person..... Any hints Dove?

He was to be seen using a spade at daughter's yesterday- fine by me, it's covered in rubble in places & clay beneath!

Today we must do some paperwork, so tomorrow shall move dahlias around as struggling with space in the house. We did go down to a rather cold Dunham Massey on friday for a walk around the gardens there. Too windy for OH to do much photography though as branches/plants wouldnt stay still! J.

What's the weather like in your area?

Morning Frank.

Today bright rather than sunny. Frost again first thing & we do actually need sone rain!

Yesterday was sat out on daughter's patio, in Bolton, & now have an interesting stripe across my arm where had pushed my jumper sleeve up! was warmer out thetre than realised.

My gardening is really 'on hold' as have sciatica, still, & an 'unhappy' arm waiting on physio attention. Never mind, lots of seeds up on sills inside & dahlias shooting..... now just some rain pleeze so I can do the mulching, arm/leg permitting. J.

Fork Handles

Yep got a lot done. Am resisting more p/killers but know I shall have to give in later.

I found that the Polygonatum is retrying, despite being totally eaten by sawfly last yr. Rather messed up my plan to fill the gap with a moved Hellebore, oops, so moved that further to one side & replanted the Solomons seal. Rescued another struggling hellebore from beneath the Viburnum & put it into the hole left by the removal of the first- I wanted the one colour in another bed.

Still not sure what space I have in my back bed for my new Ashwood hellebore, so it's still in a pot. I just have a feeling that some herbaceous plant is already in the gap that's there. Shall wait a bit until it's rained & things really got going.

OH thinks his 'neighbours from hell' have left. Let's hope any replacements are better......

Off to flop soon, didnt sleep brilliantly last night. J.

What's the weather like in your area?

WManchester was below freezing again first thing today, but some brightness. Then it tried to snow again!!

By mid morning was brighter, but freezing in that wind. Got a lot of little jobs done out there & the washing was nearly dry.

Soil very dry though & am having to regularly water the big pots of permanent plants. J.

Two Hellebores

Personally I dont like the 'black' ones, but having seen some very dark ones at Ashwoods last week, then theirs are a very dark, matt black with an almost purple/burgundy 'tinge' to them in some cases. J.

Care & maintenance of elderly Bramley apple trees.

Suggestions for planting in a sunny, boggy site.