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Growing hellebores

sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
edited September 2020 in Plants
From my books I gather that the best time to sow hellebores is July/August when the seeds are extremely fresh. If I order seed now, will they likely still germinate?

I am not averse to buying them in 9cm or 2ltr pots or whatever, but they all seem to be £20-30 pounds, which seems quite steep. Are they difficult to grow and are therefore always pricey? Or am I just looking at the wrong sites?

I do love the idea of some spots of beautiful colour in the garden during the bleak offseason... 
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  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    Visit a Garden Centre you will get them much much cheaper than that and be able to see what you are buying!
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    I'd love to. Sadly there are no proper garden centres as such near here -just the rather random and small selection at Homebase, Wilko and Lidl.:)
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    Thanks for the info. It did seem a bit much. I will refrain from buying and hope to get lucky at one of the above shops
  • PianoplayerPianoplayer Posts: 624
    I think if you want a particular variety, then they can cost that much - the special fancy hybrid varieties take a lot of breeding and cultivation before sale, and so that is what you are paying for. I think if you are happy with something more `bog standard` they won't be so costly.

    I don't know how easy they are to raise from seed, I'm afraid.

    Some interesting info here:
    https://www.gardenfocused.co.uk/shrub/hellebore.php

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Seed raised hellebores do take a long time to flower - 3 to 4 years on average. You might be better off buying one large potfull. 
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    edited September 2020
    That's massively useful info! @Lizzy27 I didn't know about the length of time between sowing seeds and flowering- that has saved me buying seed. I've planted four tiny camellias this year which, if they succeed, are unlikely to flower for a couple of years- so it seems buying a potted flowering hellebore is the way to go if I want any flowers this coming winter/early spring. (Am also planting a few dicentras for spring, and masses of bulbs, mind you.) Very good info about planting, and the colour of flowers not coming true from seed, @Pianoplayer . Many thanks :smile:

    So glad I asked here!
  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    If there is a good garden centre within driving distance, it might be worth the journey. I go to one 20 miles away because they sell good plants, some of which they grow themselves, and before Covid, there was an excellent restaurant too. I bought some hellebores mail order and they were reasonably priced but out of 10 plug plants, only 3 survived and it took 3 years to get them to flower!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    There are plenty of good online suppliers too. The only problem this year has been a lack of supply generally with plants, which is only to be expected.

    They take ages when raised from seed - years. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • sarinkasarinka Posts: 270
    Three years. I'll be 40 by then. No. 

    What will happen is one payday soon I will buy a bottle of wine. Then, I will order a super pricey hellebore from Crocus.


  • CatyRCatyR Posts: 2
    You could try twelvenunns to buy online. I got some smallish ones from them last year but all had at least one flower on.  Maybe a middle ground between seeds and full size, bank-breaking plants.
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