Part Two was getting a little long, and our hellebores will be getting in full swing here soon, so here's Part III.
Helleborus - what is it doing? PART III
Thanks kbaumle
The Hellebore family is a really fascinating one that never tires!
Here is another one in the snow
Oooooooh, I really do love that color of pink and the snow on it is just gorgeous, too.
helloooooo - what's up with you guys? it's too cold to get outside here and i miss my dave's buddies
gina
Well, living in northwest Ohio and being in the middle of the blizzard this week, this is where my hellebores are at the moment - just in front of that 3-foot pine that you can barely see the top of ....
Brrrrrr....kbaumle!
But snow has its unique own beauty!
mcgina, I also wondered about the silence in the peak season of the hellebores.
There was only snow for one day over here. Now it looks like spring has really set in.
Just one more picture of the series I took during that single day of snow
Theres snow and ice everywhere out there now, and some of the leaves that are showing have turned black :(
We're supposed to get dumped on again this weekend, but next week they're saying it will be in the 50s. Keeping my fingers crossed!
We've had a cold spell with some snow, it was supposed to be warmer today but is cold, grey misty skies, but some Hellebores have opened more. My red seedling is getting there, it was laid down with the snow and cold but is stood again now.
Two days ago it was a little sunny, I got some shots, I was going to sow seeds and went back for the camera, got my priorities right!
The 'Red Shades' which is pink has some lovely flowers but very few compared to last year.
The spotted seedlings from the Ashwood Hybrid are all in flower, they are years old now and only the first one that flowered has increased significantly. I didn't have the others for it to cross with then so they are all spotted but with different amounts of spotting.
A 'lesser spotted' seedling
Thats such a clear, vivid pink- extra nice! I hope my spotted one has been protected by the snow; it was just starting to open.
Mine were all mostly in bloom in January and now frozen solid under this horrible ice...I hope they come around when the weather warms. I have never had them in bloom that early so I am wondering if this ice will kill off the blooms that were there.
I guess this will be a year we learn from. I have noticed some plants have fewer and much smaller blooms this year. Also seeing damage to blooms which i'm hoping is a result of simultaneous ice and bright sunlight, and more severe foliage damage than i've ever seen. Tomorrow may be warm enought for the poor flat babies to stand up again and i can get some pictures. Gray and bitter cold (for me) here, lows in the teens
Here are some hellebore photos from coastal Northern CA to warm your winter days. This was planted from a quart container in Nov 2005:
This message was edited Feb 18, 2007 3:22 PM
And a second photo - Hellebore flowers with variegated Aucuba "Gold Dust" leaves:
Third photo - this hellebore was planted from a quart container in March 2006:
This is my newest hellebore, "Ruby Lady" H. Orientalis, just planted 1 week ago.
Well it looks like some don't have fewer blooms! Your Hellebores have grown huge in the time jkom! Perhaps your weather suited them, thanks for the feast!
Well, I finally can post some pictures of my hellebores!
I really like this spotted one.
Janet, that multi-spotted one is great looking. How cool!
Another white one. Sure wished the flowers would be facing upward tho. I almost wished I could plant them up high so you can see the blooms, LOL
Now my pink/rose one. I have the 'Lady in Red' but it is still small and no blooms this year.
Carol
This is foetidus...would you ever know it? Will it stand up again.?..it was beginning to bloom in January before this terrible freeze. This thread is appropriately named.."what is it doing"?
They should stand up again levilya, my red sedling has done and it drooped like that. It's almost fully open but it's damp and drizzly. I saw my H x sternii has a folwer open today, it looks really apple green inside, if I get a chance tomorrow I'll get a pic.
Carol how have you managed to get so many flowers on Hellebores? They are absolutely full and gorgeous, I bet you're giving them that secret potion!
This is the Momma of the spotted one, very few on that this year too. It's still surrounded by dead stuff, one of those is pointing upwards looking for the sun! They are on a bit of a slope near the bottom of the bank, it shows them a little better.
Janet, that Momma still looks very nice. Don't blame them for wanting to get tanned, LOL
As for the many blooms, I am very surprised. These plants I have only had now for 2 1/2 years and last year they looked even better than now. But yes, many blooms. No secret here. They are in full shade thruout the year except the heart of the summer when they do get more sun late in the day. The soil is pretty rich tho nothing different than the rest of the yard. Maybe it just likes their spots they are in!
If you ever get any seeds from those pretty spotted ones, I would love to try to grow them from seed.
Levi, your hellebores will come thru fine. I am sure they are tough in your very cold area.
The snow is melting, and is gone from the bed where I have some H.foetidus and H.orientalis. H.foetidus is standing back up, but all the petal edges are light brown from our sub zero wind chills. The little spotted H.orientalis that was about to open is now brown mush. The leaves that were standing above the snow line are blackened too. The seedlings look fine, as they were protected by the snow. The snow has'nt melted from the bed with 'Royal Heritage' yet, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
I should get seeds Carol, this year if I get them in time I'll send some your way. I wonder if our mild weather has caused fewer flowers, last year was very cold and I had a lot more. Your rich soil must suit them, mine have to compete with the tree!
Neal, what a shame, hoping your Royal Heritage comes through it.
Wallaby, I love that pink you've posted on the 17th 3.04 p.m !
Daisyruffles, your hellebores are amazing!
I've heard that Hellebores like alkaline soil, and that seems to be true like I've noticed in my brothers garden. His hellebores were not doing well, until he gave them a generous gift of seaweed chalk. (his soil tends to the acidic) The year after that, the plants had 3 doubled in size and in amount of flowers. It was really amazing. Wish I had pictures of before and after.
His gift of seaweed chalk was given about 4 years ago and I think he should repeat that treatment, because they are in the decline again.
A couple of pictures from the hellbores of my brother that started blooming now
Helleborus argutifolius
a H. orientalis
That could be the problem bonitin, mine are in plenty of leaf compost which helps to make it alkaline, now where do we find seaweed chalk?
I read on the hellbbore site that H niger prefers alkaline soil, I have had one for years only just surviving, I should pot it up and move it as it's near the Rhododendrons.
The pink is called 'H. orientalis 'Red Shades' which I'm not sure is a proper name, but I saw some on a website for sale called by the same name. It seems to be a brighter colour than last year, while Queen of the Night is paler.
Very pretty, love the dusky speckled pink.
Wallaby,
They sell it in Belgium in more specialized garden centers.
It would surprise me if they don't sell it in the UK. Probably under another name; the name I gave : 'seaweed chalk' is a literally translation of the Flemish word :'zeewierkalk'. Its properties seem to be very beneficial for the health of the soil because of its richness in minerals unlike the industrial, but cheaper, produced chalk.
It is much used in the bio agriculture and by gardeners who like organic gardening.
Just found out that it is sold over here under the mark name: 'Osmo'
It seems to be produced in France ; Bretagne.
http://www.planten-vermeir.be/nl/osmo.html
This message was edited Feb 21, 2007 2:31 PM
Thanks bonitin, I searched for seaweed chalk (UK) and found an organic gardening site.
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/guidelines/fertilisers.php
Is leaf compost always alkaline ? Does it not depend on the type of leaves used ? I know that the needles of conifers make the soil acidic.
I think it does depend on the type of leaf, or perhaps conifers are just different. I read somewhere about mulching with leaf compost only every few years as it increases the alkalinity for Rhododendrons. My Rhododendrons did appreciate the mulch, which has grass cuttings too but mainly leaves, as did other beds, I think 5 years is the time gap for a re-do.
our posts have crossed each other.
I bought another of Helleborus lividus on the flower market.
Couldn't resist. I really love them.
(Only paid 5€ for it! Have the impresion that in general, plants and seeds are more expensive in the UK than in Belgium and the Netherlands when I visit the British plant nursery sites.)
I would have bought it too, amazing leaves! That's less than £3.50, I did see some Hellebores at the local garden centre for less than usual, but still £7, they were H niger, H Red Lady and Blue Lady which looked the same, they also had some Mrs Betty Ranicar which should be very expensive but they looked not a good double. They get many from the co-operatives in Holland, my Red Shades was only £2 in a 9cm pot as a young plant, some larger ones can be £12 or more. Seeds here seem to be twice as expensive as in the US. Everything here is expensive!
If I could find one in the supermarket Lidls they are reasonable.
tha one is gorgeous....unusual
Yes, they have sometimes very interesting plant offers in the Lidl and usually they're even of good quality . At least when they didn't stay too long in the shop. Their seeds too are unbelievably cheap. Don't know though whether these are of good quality.
I have the impression that Helleborus lividus needs more sun than the orientalis, because the one I had only made a few flowers and looks a little leggy. I moved it now to a brighter spot where it will get at least 3 hours of morning sun, it was in total shade before.