I am interested in adding hellebores to my garden...having been late in discovering their beauty. Must I plant them in the fall or can I plant them in the spring so that I can tell how they will fit in with other bulbs...the locations of the other bulbs isn't visible in the fall.
Also, is there enough interest in Hellebores to have a separate forum?
Cheryl
Hellebores
I will definitely support a dedicated forum. It was the first thing I looked for when I joined in March and I just felt I was too new to suggest it myself.
As far as planting them, I've planted them in the spring and they've been fine. In fact I have 3 waiting to go in as soon as my last 2 jack-in-the-pulpits show themselves so I don't accidentally dig them up.
Cool. Thanks. So how do we lobby for a separate forum? I am pretty new myself.
I have planted them all year long here. You're probably only limited by time for the plant to grow roots before it freezes.
if you put Helleborus in the search box above in the right corner
you come up with over 500 messages :-)
they can be planted anytime before hard freeze as Doss says
Dick where Helleborus are happy
Twice I tried to raise hellebores from seed. Even after following the rather complicated directions, none germinated. So I gave up and just bought a few pots and stuck them in the ground in May. They have done well, and even survived being transplanted to a new house. Recently I even got a volunteer seedling which I hope will bloom next year.
On April 10 in this forum there was a post about Immanence series hellebores whose picture looked quite nice.
here is an image of one i got recently
i comes from Ernie & Marietta O'Byrn at Northwest Garden Nursery in Oregon
http://www.northwestgardennursery.com/hellebore.html
i hope it looks this nice next year :-)
Dick
OK, all you Hellebore geniuses! I have a few questions about Hellebores. I looked them up here in the plant files and it says they like light shade. I have a spot I would like to put some and in the spring it gets quite a bit of sun but then as the trees leaf out it is fairly shady most of the day-do you think they would do OK here? Also, do they need winter protection in zone 4?
Thanks!
Deb
Deb, I can't speak to zone 4 but I have one that is sun most of the day until the very late afternoon. It does fine but some of the leaves burn. Your situation sounds perfect.
I believe they are a woodland plant and like the full sun in the winter and then in the hotter months, the tree leaves filter the sun for them. I believe they also want a moist soil
Strevers- wow, that's a nice Hellebore.
DMurray- I have a stand and they are planted out in the woods. They get sun now, but once the leaves are out they receive very little direct sunlight.
Len, I thought that hellebores didn't like being over watered. In fact I heard that the only way to kill them was to give them too much water. Go figure.
moist. I know mine are not getting overwatered. HA! I bought some earlier this year from nursery. some had been in greenhouse 2 seasons! one died. the rest have some brown leaves for a long time now.
I have heard that said too, about Hellebores not liking their feet wet. Of course,this was AFTER I planted a bunch of Orientalis in an area that in spring time stays saturated from melted snow and spring rains. The area is sandy but still holds water. I then read that Orientalis is the most tolerate of wet conditions (my garden angel was watching over me). These plants are on their own, I do not water them. The rest of the year it is pretty dry and they seem to be happy.
I was always curious about "wet" feet. I always thought that meant don't plant in the pond or vase of water ha!
I love hellebores and they grow very well in my garden regardless of sun, shade, moisture or dryness. They seed around very happily and they have produced some lovely seedlings. I'd say go for it and give them a try. If you buy them in pots they can be planted at any time providing the soil is not too wet or frozen! I think a forum on hellebores would be very well supported!
Here is one of my established plants
A spotted seedling
A mature picotee
A picotee seedling
You have some lovely hellebores. Mine have been attacked by aphids this year for the very first time. What a surprise! I thought that nothing bothered them.
I love your picotees Galanthophile!
Wawknboots,
this is a link to a thread dedicated to Hellebores.
This thread was so successful it had to be split in 3 parts, so that certainly points in the direction of deserving its own forum.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/691619/
one of my picotee
Thanks. Mine have some aphids on them now but I leave them for the ladybirds to deal with! The plants don't seem to suffer.
Mine got absolutely covered with them so I had to get rid of the aphids by using the old neem and soap method. Guess I should import ladybugs early in the season.
This message was edited May 6, 2007 6:30 PM
I have acouple of hellobores and im really trying very hard do theylike slightly acidic soil? I think they ar so pretty I had two and moved them because they were doing absolutly nothing now they are growing alittle. They actually have new shoots coming up!!! When is the time that they blossom? Probably past huh?
If you live in the US your hellebores should be flowering by now. They normally produce the new leaves after the flowers so as long as they are doing that they are ok so just leave them and you might get flowers next year.
Gardenlady, Hellebores like neutral to slightly alkalic soil. They love to get a gift of leaf mould. The soil should be humus rich, well drained but humid. If your soil tends to the acidic, they would appreciate a gift of seaweed chalk.
This is my lone Hellebore outside my diningroom door. I love it as it is the first this to bloom each year. This photo was taken yesterday.
We have grown hellebores in West Tennessee in the US for years. Over the years the have formed a ground cover in places.
They bloom here from early February to mid April when the loose their color and go to seed.
The seeds are abundant and so is the range of color. A lovely plant year around.
Wolfgang
http://www.gardensoyvey.com/hellebore_show/index.htm
linjasar your photo is absolutly beautiful. I can not wait until mine actually start flowering the flowers are so pretty. bonitin I have never heard of seaweed chalk. What other plants like sea weed chalk? I guess I would just go to my local gardening store to purchase? I love this site I have learned so much info. Ive been gardening for about 10+ years but have more room in my brain!!!!! Thanks for the info. Ronna
At last ! Of the five packets of seed I tried to start three years ago there were four plants that survived, and of those one has come into bloom. The pups chewed up the plant tags so I don't know what they are, but I've been wanting a white one for a long time. Now to set this little one in the ground and wait for some good seed.
Congratulations! I"m always so impressed when people breed their own. It's a beautiful clear white, isnt' it?
My hellebores are blooming right now - I need to take a camera outside and photo some of them.
I just wanted share, I had some seeds sent to me from England, last summer, I planted them in July they have just now sprouted, I have so far 15 babies.
Heres a site you might enjoy. also check NW forum.
http://www.plantdelights.com/Tony/hellebores.html
This is one I Bought last summer just starting to bloom.
Enjoy
Tills
Gardenlady, I must have missed your last post from last year..
Almost all plants benefit from a gift of seaweed chalk, except the ones that like acidic conditions. It not only helps to neutralize the PH, but also feeds the plants and make them stronger.
I love your beautiful pure white Hellebore, Balvenie! What a joy it must give you being self-grown from seed!
That looks an interesting Hellebore tillysrat. Do you know its name.
I haven't seen a Hellebore yet with leaves that are purplish underneath. Very beautiful!
Helleborus lividus;
How fun to have hellebores blooming, isn't it? I need to get out and take a few photos. Maybe today's the day.
OK here are some photos. This is an unnamed seedling. The flowers are plain but there are a lot of them.
Another no-name seedling
A double seedling
Mrs. Betty Ranicar
Heronswood Double Pink
