It has been a very mild winter here with large fluctuations in temperatures. A lot of my hellebores and newly fall planted gardenias have their leaves looking like they have been scorched. Anyone else have this problem?
Linda
Hellebores this winter
My hellebore foliage looks pretty ratty this year. I can see new growth underneath at the dirt level, and this year will be the first time I cut back the old leaves. But my winter was wetter and icier this year, which is more normal for me, not as mild as it has been the past few years.
Gardenia is a tropical for me - what kind did you plant in the fall?
Gardenia augusta Grif's Select
it is suppose to be hardy to zone 6 and evergreen .
I bought it from Park's. The leaves did stay on it but they are half green and half brown. I hope the reason for its burnt look is because it was a young plant that did not have enough time to adjust to its environment. I guess I will have to wait until next year.
http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10066&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=46893&FromTextSearch=select%20grif%20gardenia
http://www.tropicalesque.com/pg_trees_gardenia_augusta_grifs_select.html
Linda
We are in zone 5 and every Winter some of the leaves on mine turn brown...in the spring I just clear the mulch from the top and trim off the brown leaves. before long the plants have taken off and look wonderful. been growing them this way for several years.
I usually remove the old foliage from my hellebores in Jan.- by then it looks pretty ratty, and I am ready to see the flowers! Mine are blooming pretty well this year, although our frigid (almost record) cold spell froze a few blooms. I was disappointed that the seedling white one was lost!
The plant looks ok though. I don't have any white ones, so I'm really watching over this seedling- it's three years old now.
Susan K
I had removed the decaying leaves a month before. When these new sprouts were burnt I thought maybe I should have left the older stems on for protection.
Mine have looked ratty since about Nov. I really hope they bloom this year. Last yr was a disappointment.
Tina
I find that as the flowers stay on, they all fade to white. That's why I don't really look for white flowers. I love the dark ones, and would really like to get doubles and picotees.
Are any of you growing them in the woods.
just curious.I'd like to naturalize them.
Thanks,Jody
I think mine need to be moved because of a drainage issue. They just haven't been able tho thrive. The naturalizing idea sounds interesting though. Haven't thought about that.
I have about 12 acres of woods to naturalize,it's mostly steap hills.I'd like to ripe out any envasives.Are hellebores native to the US?I wonder since some of the best hellebores I've seen are growing in a woodland setting.
Seems most of the sites that sell them have them in natural settings,maybe the grow on hills with rich leaf mulch.You might have a defincency.
I was ill last spring and didn't get out there to take photo's of the plants
I have a hill top covered with with then in early spring,they were blooming i just didn't get down to take a good look at it,I came across trout lily and I think that's what it is.I have thousands of them if it is.It had moltled leaves.I noticed the darker areas on the leaves.I hope that's what it is,I know a friend with a hillside of wild ferns.I want to relocate some here.heehee
They grow on the north side of the hill.I wonder if that makes a difference in how well they grow,they are beautiful.
Jody
The leaves of mine looks scorched also and so far I only have two blooms this year. Guess we just didn't have enough cold weather.
Hellebores are not native to the US- they come from Europe or Asia- sorry!
Susan K
Mine are in their second year from the co-op. I am soooo pleased with them, I thought I just had just green and white, but this year pinks have arrived, I love them!
Here's a nice article on them http://www.floridata.com/ref/H/hellebor.cfm
They do say that you can cut off the ratty leaves in winter in an another article.
Good article! Thanks so much. It answered a lot of questions I've had. I even posted a thread trying to get info and nobody had any for me - I guess I just tried the wrong forum - http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/foliage/
With the warmer weather I have seen flowers blooming again. My sheltered hellebores did not have the winter burn. It is good to see their nodding heads.
The newer hybrids have several where the blooms turn upward. I hope the co-op will have these.
Linda
I live in the Uk and have milder winters but I always remove the old leaves as soon as I see new growth and flower buds.
I remove the foliage that is tattered and worn-out. I do leave some if it looks fairly nice. I guess I like the look of the flowers best amongst some foliage...
I like this variety...Hellobores hybridus 'Red Lady'
A new one to me this year....H. hybridus 'Slate Blue'
I wish I could see my hellebores! They are still under about 3 feet of hard crusty snow - do you think they're doing OK under there? (This was their first winter; I planted them last May.)
Mmb, mine have been slowly emerging from the same covering of hard crusty snow - well, the dead stuff is anyway. The weather's going to be warmer over the next week and on Friday we'll get rain, so maybe by this weekend I'll be able to get the garden cleaned up and see if anything's coming up yet. Its been such a nasty, long winter here too.
mmb, they will be fine. Remember snow is an insulator. Linda
Horray!!! Mine finally bloomed!!
Tina
ceedub, if your hellebores don't come up, let me know. I have lots of seedlings I'll gladly send to you if you'd like.
pins2006
I lost a couple of mine....maybe one of your seedlings needs to come live here....in exchange for something you would like to come live in yous??
Let me know....
Jamie
ps. Some things that may need to come live in your garden....LOL :)
Oh my goodness! What are those beautiful flowers that are blooming?!? You know that anything in my garden can be sent to your garden (on the second year of growth when I have babies, that is). Send me you address for some helleborus seedlings.
Thanks so much for the offer pins, but I'm still hoping....its been such a happy plant every year for me-its just this dang long nasty winter that's slowed everything down up here. All I have up so far are a couple of Oriental Poppies (south side) and creeping flox (10 ft north of house). S'pose if I'd planted some bulbs last year they'd be up...oh well, hindsight and all that...lol. Oh. yeah, and I've got some weeds...lol. Thanks again.
Pins~
Those are two bulbous plants I ordered and planted last Fall...the blue and red large blooms are Anemone coronaria, and the dark purple/yellow bell shaped blooms are Fritillaria michailovskyi....I will gladly trade some of one -or both -since you so kindly offered the Hellebore. When I dig and divide in the Fall...I will send them....OK??? Let me know!
I found some other pics I thought you might like...:)
Jamie
And some really pretty little Daffodils ( Cheerfulness) that I forgot I had planted all around another perennial when I divided and replanted it last fall. When they first started to come up, I almost pulled one out, as if it were a weed...LOL :)
Jamie those bell shaped blooms are gorgeous!!! Are those bulbs also?
Tina
After a major attack of cutworms, my callas have recovered well and put out some really pretty blooms.
Tina,
If you mean the purple/yellow bells from a few replies ago, those are Frittillaria michailovskyi....one of the easier Fritts to grow.......and one of the cuter ones...:)
Our local nursery had these anemones last year: http://www.bradleygardens.co.uk/pages/catalogue/Perennial/8910.html
Jamie: Thanks for giving me the name of the frittillaria. I traded for some last year and they are in bloom now. Will they multiply rapidly? They are in partial shade.
Tina, how do you like the new dentist office on the hill? Linda
You bet...mine have multiplied quite quickly....and mine get a good deal of sun, but our summers are rather mild...I would love to see your Frittillaria....can you post pics???
Jamie
Linda, the new office on the hill is fantastic....but...."a million dollar office and a million dollar practice DOES NOT a million dollar dentist make!!" I quit in Feb. Just could not take the harrassing and money hungry attitude any more. But the office is something to behold. I do miss the technology and the girls that are still hanging in there. Go by and see it some day. Tell Tara I sent you in for a tour!!
Tina