Helleborus preparing to bloom...

Last week I discovered that almost all of my Hellebores are having flower buds. I thought this is a bit early, as the winter hasn't started yet officially. They are most the Helleborus orientalis species, but also the foetidus already made flowerbuds since beginning of last November, also the Helleborus lividus has a couple of flower buds, although it is rather sulking, I find this one quite difficult to keep happy.
I was wondering if any one else's Hellebores are also having flower buds already, I never had them before starting off that early....
Problem is that they won't get any sun whatsoever at this time of the year in my enclosed garden, on top of that the light levels are very poor because of this long period of really bad weather over here...

Helleborus orientalis;

and this is my H.foetidus; a bit poor looking because of a plague of aphids....

bontin, I checked all my Hellebore and I had no sign of buds yet except on the H.foetidus which is always the 1st to bloom for me. That one is not as far along as yours and I'm glad of that because some years it blooms too early and the blooms freeze and are lost. The H. foetidus is my favorite and longest blooming hellebore but also short lived for me. It never lasts more then 2 years and I only have a grouping left because it reseeds well. It just collapses after blooming.

Thanks for the response Sempervirens. But I see you're in a colder climate, but even in my zone I've never seen them starting off that early.
I love the H. foetidus very much, but it seems a one-sided love, as I never had luck with them until now. This one is the first that lasted almost a year and it also doesn't look that vigorous, although I gave it the best conditions possible and the best soil.
Perhaps it doesn't thrive being spoiled ?

I had to go and check mine! The seedling that flowered last year at two years have buds at the same stage, covered in horse chestnut leaves so I had to remove them to see. They are still in their pots and although not suffereing yet they would have benefited from being in the ground, the roots are travelling underneath the pots. Another I can see a light pinkish bud, others coming.

I also meant to take the few seeds off them last year, but the weather turned foul at the time so they were left. There is a newly gemniated seedling in a pot! Slugs like them though. They usually germinate from late December to the new year, I think the winter temperatures we have had, now milder weather, has fooled them into thinking it's spring.

I also have the Helleborus seeds germinating which you sent me bonitin, my brain has suffered computer overload so it can't come up with the species, lol. It has white veins on it!

I haven't check H. foetidus yet, there's still a lot of dead foliage around it them from winter die back.

Have you ever had them making flower buds that early before, Wallaby ? Last winter was also very mild, but mine didn't start off that early then...
How nice the Hellebore seeds I've send have germinated. The name is Helleborus lividus and I think its origin is Greece if I remember well. I did sow myself 3 seeds of them and 2 germinated. I had sown them on 22 June and they came up on 30 Sept. I also noticed that slugs love them so one of them had been eaten one of its early-stage leaves, but to my surprise has overcome this and is making its first true leaf.
I can imagine what a hell you've been through with your computer problems...
That was early for your 2-year old seedling to flower for you last year.

The Corydalis you've send (both of them) are doing very fine, making lots of new growth, also the Oxalis.

The one on the left is the seedling that had lost one leaflet by a snail..

That' the one! Yes, the leaves have white veins on, as well as my brain, lol. I had a couple germinate earlier, now if I could only check those pics for a date...I wonder if they are meant to germinate earlier anyway, but then I have a seedling from mine too. Early sowing is best, and to keep them fairly dry until the autumn.

The seedlings flowered early I think last year, but only in January, I can't remember having any flowering this early before. These newer orientalis hybrids are very robust, and my own seedlings have carried through the traits. The thread from early this year will have them on it!

I had intentions of sowing some Lilium seeds this afternoon, but winds brought in rain, I got the labels ready! Your Oxalis is looking good too, in a pot in the greenhouse.

bonitin Sure don't have any buds showing on my hellebore clumps, will be several months yet I think. Yours look good.

wallaby, hope your computer problems are pretty much resolved now, and the you get your camera back soon. Lovely cool, in 30s, day here.

Donna

So far so good Donna, I've been messing about trying another award winning free scan for spyware (just for comparison!). It took forever to load, then put in it's updates, and only found 13 lowest category adwares so I tried to delete it from my programmes. At that point a screen came up asking me if I thought it was free! That was insulting for a start as the price had been shown, not like some others who try to lead you into fearsome waters, then they offered it for free if I accepted an offer from one of their associates! The names I could see were Lanscombe, ebay, T Mobile, another one or two, but they wanted my name and email address before I could even view the offers. It was no good to me anyway so I deleted it, what a way to get business!

I have tried taking a couple of pics with my old compact, but now that seems so inadequate, originally it was great. Time to get my camera programmes reinstalled, I've done enough searching on computer problems for a life time!

It can be nicer in the thirties when the sun is shining than the weather we had today, it went down to 9C (48F), but the winds were sharp.

Thanks Donna!

I have downloaded a free spyware program about a year ago and am very satisfied with it, Wallaby. It is called Spybot.
It is really for free, also the updates, although there is some psychological pressure for a donation.

http://www.spybot.info/en/download/index.html

I had Spybot S&D, it was good as it found Spyware that AOL hadn't. I will probably download it again as an extra. The Registry cleaner I purchased is only for a year but with a crash there is much rubbish on the registry built up, that's often what causes it. RegCure deletes empty registry keys and other unnecessary paths so it was a necessary route to make the computer run quickly again and tidy tings up, or risk another crash as it was very slow.

You should try a free scan, you can delete it from the programmes after but Netcom3 will push it a little further, you can still delete.

http://www.regcure.com/

Netcom3 was the other one, possibly a little better but didn't list the empty reg. keys, and it was $9.95 a month as opposed to $29.95 for a year with RegCure. Cheaper than a new hard drive and all the problems with reinstalling everything.

http://www.consumers-reports.net/

Thanks Wallaby!

The scan with the first link reported more than 1200 errors!!
and a scan with the last reported more than 1500 errors !!!!! WOW!!! Time to do something about this!
Thanks again.

I think it is time! I do mine twice a day at least just now as the upgrades, downloads etc have been endless and left all sorts along the way. I downloaded Spybot again, it found a few adware which may have been linked to a hijacker trying to access while I was reading their 'Help' section before the actual scan. It had already done a file immunisation, I was wondering if it had come with the programme, an AOL alert popped up with the message including ISTBar (high alert, hijacker) and Mirar, low security nuisance. I blocked them and it came up again when doing the scan, blocked again, then I searched for the hijacker on the internet and it came up again! I blocked it a third time, a fourth attempt came up when logged off the internet where AOL had already blocked it.

I think I have done it all now! Printer, camera, only the Sony left to do if I need it. It's lucky I had all the reload discs from Dell, the Photo Shop and Norton virus protection which should come with Windows was included on 2 CDs which also had read only Help on other subjects, took me a while to realise I had to download them from there!

It's a good job you posted your hellebores or you might not have found out, lol! RegCure does a good job and is very speedy. Along with AOL Firewall and Windows Firewall and virus protection, automatic updates, AOL Computer check up running automatically as well as their auto spyware searches, plus Sypbot S&D, and CWShredder I should be OK! That's also free and I had it before, now owned by another company but still free.

Cool Web Searchers are Trojans which can take over your computer completely, I found one when I got it originally but have been clean since. My computer was supposed to be new but I found someone elses name from London on it when I went through a 'tour' of "how to's" some time later, I was lucky I found it. Of course I had to do a System Restore to return to my ownership!

To download CWShredder to your desktop you need to click 'save', 'run' will only run this one.

http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/personal/CWShredder/

Thanks again, I have scanned with CW Shredder and fortunately it said I was free from Cool Web Search. Although I had it last year for a very long time and the spy program I had at that time (also free but forgot the name) always got stuck on it, but Spybot managed to erase it.

I probably did something stupid yesterday, being too impulsive, as after visiting the first link, the RegCure, I went on for a further search on myself, before visiting the second link of the 'www. consumers-report.net' and ended up with purchasing ' 'Free Registry Fix Unlimited Fixer', a very misleading name by the way...


I've started a thread on the computer talk forum about the subject as I'm afraid we are dwelling off too far from the Hellebore-world (lol)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/795657/

bonitin,
I checked my records from last year (sounds impressive that I do have records I can retrieve from last year easily. Actually I simply remembered a thread I had posted on last year.) I had blooms on my hellebore on Dec. 14th. Last fall was mild and we had a long spate of 50 degree days so it was tricked into early budding. It's really cold this year and we've already had 3 or 4 dustings of snow.
It is interesting that you also had trouble with the H.foetidus. I've had years that it's bloomed from Feb. through the spring. When nothing else is blooming in the garden it is very showy and welcome. I wonder if it is just a short lived plant or we are missing something critical to it's culture?

Can anyone tell me when or if to fertilize hellebores? What do you use?

I just grow them in a gritty fertile soil with plenty of leaf compost, they like woodland conditions where they will get the shade in summer and sun if lucky in the winter when leaves are off the trees.

Sempervirens, your hellebore that was blooming on the 14th of December last year, was that a H. orientalis and was it only one?

Last fall over here was also very mild, but it still didn't trigger my Hellebores to make flower buds that early, so there might be still other elements involved.
This year our summer was more like an autumn, so cold and wet, not that much difference with the actual autumn (nearly winter now)
I don't have a clue why we both have no luck with H.foetidus, although its considered an easy one, at least according to my perennial book. I wish I had the space for making leaf compost..

Wallaby, is your H.foetidus also so short-lived ?

I think because we had such a cold summer, then a very short mild spell late in autumn, the hellebores decided it was spring. This does happen sometimes with other spring flowering plants.

My H. foetidus so far are looking very robust and healthy, I have just checked on them and I have a few stems with flowers just opening. I'm not sure when they usually flower as I can't check any pics now, but I feel sure they don't flower until early spring. I grew mine from small seedlings which had self set from a display area at a garden centre, there was lots of them amongst gravel so I quietly helped myself to a few! Soon after that they removed the display plant area and slabbed it for a plant sales area.

I ended up with 3 good plants, I think this is their third flowering. It may be because I grew them in the correct compost from the start they are healthier, plants bought when larger have usually been grown in artificial compost which is no good for them and often leads to an early death.

I've read that H.foetidus can bloom as early as October and persist through the winter, but I think that is in milder winter zones than my neck of the woods. Mine bloomed in January last year and the blooms were damaged by some cold weather we had later. My mature one is on its 3rd year, and seems to be diminishing now. I attributed this to a drought this summer, but the seedlings look fine.

How nice, you rescued the hellebore seedlings, Wallaby!
I feel you're right that being raised in the wrong substrate causes them to be short-lived. Perhaps if mine will make seeds this year I can grow them up in better conditions!

According to my books they bloom from late winter to early spring, Gemini, but then it is also a fact that different books or sources often contradict each other on the same issue..
In my own experience I've never seen them for sale in bloom earlier than in early spring, often after the H. orientalis. But then the blooming period could be earlier in warmer zones..

I feel sure that my H. foetidus was blooming at the same time as gemini's last year, in our milder than usual winter.

I did feel a little guilty at having swiped the seedlings, but they went to waste anyway, which is what I thought would happen but not in the way it did happen!

I think you did a good deed, certainly from the point of view of the helleborus!

bonitin, Sorry to take so long to answer but after writing a long post I lost it, my fault this time. The usual bloom time for the 5 H. orientalis I have is some time in March. Last year in the mild winter the 2 plants that had budded and bloomed in Dec,. were smaller plants I had just purchased that spring .They were placed under deciduous trees in a protected spot that received more warmth and light. The 3 older plants that are quite large by now didn't bloom until January, which is still early. I also had 2 "White Beauty"hybrids and an "Ivory Prince" I had purchased the spring before also and they did not bloom until March. The "Ivory Prince" is really quite a lovely plant in bloom with delicate coloring. The "White Beauty" has nice leaf coloring but did not bloom well for me last year, I hope to have better luck this year with it. I can't wait to see the blooms. There is not a sign of bloom on any here yet so I'm glad you posted your buds.

Here is the Ivory Prince from last March. It is still a young plant.

Hi Sempervirens, thanks. I know how it is like to lose a long post just before you finish it! Very frustrating!!!

I just checked on mine and one H.orientalis started blooming last year around the middle January, that is the one that gets the most sun, and the others followed from beginning February on.
Your Ivory Price is very beautiful and the buddha too (lol).
The flowers look very much like one I had last year, but sadly has died this year, I thinks by beetle larvae, as the plant withered in late september and I discovered all the roots were gone..
I forgot the name but will try to dig it up..

Thanks bonitin, too bad you lost that hellebore, it was quite pretty. I wonder what kind of beetle larva attacks hellebore? I just found out about a weevil that attacks heuchera my other shade garden staple.

I was so lucky to find the same one back for sale.
It's name is Helleborus Silvermoon.
I hope it's going to stay with me this time..
I'm still not sure if the culprits were beetle larvae, I haven't really found evidence of it as I didn't find them in the soil, but I uplifted the plant later in the season, so the larvae might already had become beetles... I suspected them because the symptoms were so similar to other plants I have lost in the past due to these . The roots were simply gone, not rotten..
When I compare the pics. from last year the flowers had more 'old pink' in them, that looks so well with the silver-green foliage, but I've read that it gets that colour later on in its flowering stage..
It's difficult to make good pics of it in these dark dull days..

Another one I bought last year and seem to thrive very well..
It's the one from the bud I started the thread with..
I bought it without a plant tag so don't know its name..

What a treasure! I hope it stays with you too, I wonder if it likes your soil.

The flower stems are still very low so to see its heart I have to go on my knees for it (lol)

I like the picotee edge on the second one.

Most of my seedlings have flowers just opening, or making, I need some sun and dry weather!

Queen of The Night I took last night just before dark.

I love that deep colour of the 'queen of the night' Wallaby. very suitable name!
I don't think the soil is a problem, in fact all the soil in my garden is the best quality potting soil I can get. Gradually I have replaced all the original 'soil' (in reality stinking junk and rubble!).

But this time, I took your advise and have used a good deal of leaf compost I harvested in my brother's garden.
This time I might be more lucky to harvest some seed from it if you wish..

This is one of my darker ones, not opened yet and also without a name.

Leaf compost should help, they don't like to have their roots in too heavy soil. Your red one has an interesting shape, short and bulbous.

These are some of mine I took last night, in their pots but not easy to get pics. It was still a little 'damp', I will need to get them out when it's drier to get proper pics.

The darkest one with a white, a deep pink just showing and one not yet showing colour.

I have posted the two first ones to open in the photos forum, byt they belong here too!

This one I took on the 12th.

This on the 14th.

The same as the one on the 12th, when we had sun on the 9th.

They are all lovely Wallaby! The hearts of Hellebores are so unique!
Did you raise these all from seeds ?
I wish I had a greenhouse, it is so much more adventurous and rewarding to see the wonder developing from such a tiny thing like a seed! I see you also have that miserable weather over there, it makes me 'grumpy' (lol)

They are all from Queen of The Night and a red (which is pink with dusky slatey backs) oriental, which will have crossed with each other. A greenhouse is useful to raise them for a start, but it can be done in a sheltered spot outside. I have a few which self set but some can get eaten by slugs. They do seem to grow more quickly in pots, I selected the biggest which seem to have inhereted the robustness of the oriental.

It is very rewarding to see the results from seed! Yes, we have wet, cold, dull weather only around 4-5C. The sky cleared by nightfall but it will be raining again tomorrow. It makes me grumpy too, lol, it's not good sitting around too much.