Hellebores from the Rodney Davey Group, Penny's Pink, Anna's Red etc have taken over at my local Garden Centre. Yes they have the bonus of large flowers and marbled leaves but I much prefer H Orientalis which offers such a huge choice of flower colour. There were just a few at the GC. When they are at their best I like to visit the Garden Centre's as much as I can. Often the best colours go quickly. Always best purchased in flower I think.
I agree about purchasing in flower but you are completely right about the best colours and heathy looking plants go quickly.
That said I did buy one for 6.99 with had just one massive leaf and only a photo of the flower to go by.
This one and it turned out okay for a risky buy. Would like to try and divide next year but worried I’d mess it up and kill the plant
My collection numbers two.I bought the white one last year, don't remember what variety, but happy it's flowering so well in a difficult part of the garden. The red one is Ice'N'Roses Red, bought from B&Q a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to put that one on top of a bank - it's currently still in its pot. Final picture is a bonus scabious I found in flower when looking at the white hellebore!
I have a new build garden with heavy clay, topped up with lots of manure compost yearly for 4 years or so. The hellebores are at the front of a west facing border, but hardly get any sun — especially from September to March — due to houses/walls close by.
The soil has been pretty soggy since the rains started in November. I cut off all the old leaves at the start of December and thought I had pruned the plants too harshly (almost nothing was left above ground level), but they seem to be doing ok now.
Whenever I work in the garden, I use a parking grid tile thing like the one below (I bought just one piece off Amazon), as the ground gets really mushy where I’m standing if I spend even a little time on it pruning hellebores or roses.
@Athelas You have no idea just how helpful your post is, like you I am having a battle with heavy clay. I also have a similar west facing spot, so that is where I am going to give the hellebores a home, when I move them from the nursery bed I am using for now.
I have just taken a look at mine, H Snowdrift has at least six flowers, so I am pleased for year one. The buds are tight to the ground and I will remove all the old leaves in January. In my old garden I would often do this job in December but January is just as good if not frozen. H Magic Yellow is a smaller plant but I am hopeful of a flower it may be a little later anyway. I have grown Hellebores over the years in most colours but never a yellow so should be exciting.
I have always had some marks on the old leaves and have needed to remove them. No problem for the plant but I have wondered if clay soil and winter wet is the cause. I also had problems with virus years ago, with a heavy heart I dug it up. The others were fine.
Leaving my Hellebores behind was difficult, split them and you will probably give the best piece away. Starting again with clean stock isn't such a bad idea anyway. You do see some Hellebores for sale where the leaves look dreadful, they can keep them. I would only buy if they were in top condition.
A parking tile grid is such a good idea especially in a deep border, now why didn't I think of that!
@Escarpment Your photos are lovely, I noticed a couple of flowers were pollinated on the white one I think it must be a 'niger' by the leaves, which flowers earlier.
@MenaintheGarden I would only split a Hellebore if it has just got too big and then into generous size pieces. That one is a beauty!
The best Hellebore I have ever grown I purchased over ten years ago from Ashwood Nurseries it was a white Picotee with a maroon edge and centre. Never suffered fro disease very floriferous and at the time very expensive. Over time it was worth every penny.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I think this is 'Pink Frost.' It shows a lovely dusky pink on the outside but unfortunately the interior is a rather unimpressive solid pale green with none of the blush that the marketing pictures showed. Should I be clearing away the older, red-edged leaves?
H. Anna's Red (Marbled Group). Not red, of course, but a very reliable and stable dark pink that doesn't go sludgy or colour-slide. They are quite upward-facing (rather than dropping) and I like that. Mine do get so munched by slugs and later aphids. I'm very glad to have them and esp the strong colour at this time of year. They make for terrific cut flowers and last bloomin' ages.
Worth remembering that some Hellebores, including foetidus and argutifolius and their hybrids should not routinely have all their leaves removed. They will usually die if you do.
How can you lie there and think of England When you don't even know who's in the team
@GardenerSuze My best hellebores came from Ashwood, and although it takes a few years, some of their seedlings are lovely too. I bought them in flower from the nursery, the big polytunnels full are a sight to see. Johns Garden was lovely too.
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My collection numbers two.I bought the white one last year, don't remember what variety, but happy it's flowering so well in a difficult part of the garden. The red one is Ice'N'Roses Red, bought from B&Q a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to put that one on top of a bank - it's currently still in its pot. Final picture is a bonus scabious I found in flower when looking at the white hellebore!
I have a new build garden with heavy clay, topped up with lots of manure compost yearly for 4 years or so. The hellebores are at the front of a west facing border, but hardly get any sun — especially from September to March — due to houses/walls close by.
Whenever I work in the garden, I use a parking grid tile thing like the one below (I bought just one piece off Amazon), as the ground gets really mushy where I’m standing if I spend even a little time on it pruning hellebores or roses.
I have just taken a look at mine, H Snowdrift has at least six flowers, so I am pleased for year one. The buds are tight to the ground and I will remove all the old leaves in January. In my old garden I would often do this job in December but January is just as good if not frozen. H Magic Yellow is a smaller plant but I am hopeful of a flower it may be a little later anyway. I have grown Hellebores over the years in most colours but never a yellow so should be exciting.
I have always had some marks on the old leaves and have needed to remove them. No problem for the plant but I have wondered if clay soil and winter wet is the cause.
I also had problems with virus years ago, with a heavy heart I dug it up. The others were fine.
Leaving my Hellebores behind was difficult, split them and you will probably give the best piece away. Starting again with clean stock isn't such a bad idea anyway.
You do see some Hellebores for sale where the leaves look dreadful, they can keep them. I would only buy if they were in top condition.
A parking tile grid is such a good idea especially in a deep border, now why didn't I think of that!
@Escarpment Your photos are lovely, I noticed a couple of flowers were pollinated on the white one I think it must be a 'niger' by the leaves, which flowers earlier.
@MenaintheGarden I would only split a Hellebore if it has just got too big and then into generous size pieces. That one is a beauty!
The best Hellebore I have ever grown I purchased over ten years ago from Ashwood Nurseries it was a white Picotee with a maroon edge and centre. Never suffered fro disease very floriferous and at the time very expensive. Over time it was worth every penny.
I think this is 'Pink Frost.' It shows a lovely dusky pink on the outside but unfortunately the interior is a rather unimpressive solid pale green with none of the blush that the marketing pictures showed. Should I be clearing away the older, red-edged leaves?
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When you don't even know who's in the team
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