Hi nutcutlet. Exactly the same thing has happened to me before. I've thought that my Helleborus niger just got too dry in its shady site during summer, and didn't pull through. I've never got it to establish, unlike the Oriental hybrids and H. argutifolius that are far more reliable. Helleborus lividus has been good for me too.
My garden is dry (East Anglia) but I have hopes that now it's got away H niger may survive. H. corsicus gets very big, falls over and doesn't live long. Just long enough to set seed and start the whole process again
I often think of hellebores as exquisite watercolour paintings. I just can't credit that I can have something so beautiful thriving in my garden and I barely touch them. I have two large clumps laden with heavy beautiful deep rosy violet blooms. On Monday I found my long lost white one - it is in a tub with a bamboo - unfortunately it is so tightly packed that I would lose the plant if I tried to remove it but I had wondered where it had gone - It's very strange but I'm delighted to see it - I had always wanted a white one but after I'd planted it I didn't see it again and assumed it was more delicate than the mauve - I got it at a gardening group plant exchange a couple of years ago so I can report the success at our next meeting.
Got a nice one flowering at present, mid yellow, but instead of facing downwards they face outwards, so you can see the interior without having to lift the flowers up.
You have to rogue out the wishy washy colours, or else they take over!
My worst colours are a washed out pinky/mauve, they get the chop as soon as I see flower colour!
Last year a brimstone yellow appeared from out of the blue, it has just had it's first flower this season "AND" it appears to have kept it's colour, not reverted as they sometimes do!
Wow Jimmy, are you going to try seeds from the yellow one? You may have found something extra special there, but even if it doesn't seed true - which, let's be honest here - is unlikely - what a lovely thing to see. Could you post a picture of it for us to enjoy - albeit at a distance?
Agree about the washed out mauve colours, but even some of those can be lovely in the right places. I am hoping my glorious spotted one will seed itself about and come true - but no matter what, the new ones will be welcome.
Posts
My garden is dry (East Anglia) but I have hopes that now it's got away H niger may survive. H. corsicus gets very big, falls over and doesn't live long. Just long enough to set seed and start the whole process again
My lividus shared the fate of yours Dove.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I often think of hellebores as exquisite watercolour paintings. I just can't credit that I can have something so beautiful thriving in my garden and I barely touch them. I have two large clumps laden with heavy beautiful deep rosy violet blooms. On Monday I found my long lost white one - it is in a tub with a bamboo - unfortunately it is so tightly packed that I would lose the plant if I tried to remove it but I had wondered where it had gone - It's very strange but I'm delighted to see it - I had always wanted a white one but after I'd planted it I didn't see it again and assumed it was more delicate than the mauve - I got it at a gardening group plant exchange a couple of years ago so I can report the success at our next meeting.
then you see a different colour and then some have anemone centres, and off you go again! at this time of year they light up the garden.
Got a nice one flowering at present, mid yellow, but instead of facing downwards they face outwards, so you can see the interior without having to lift the flowers up.
Hi,
You have to rogue out the wishy washy colours, or else they take over!
My worst colours are a washed out pinky/mauve, they get the chop as soon as I see flower colour!
Last year a brimstone yellow appeared from out of the blue, it has just had it's first flower this season "AND" it appears to have kept it's colour, not reverted as they sometimes do!
Cheers
Wow Jimmy, are you going to try seeds from the yellow one? You may have found something extra special there, but even if it doesn't seed true - which, let's be honest here - is unlikely - what a lovely thing to see. Could you post a picture of it for us to enjoy - albeit at a distance?
Agree about the washed out mauve colours, but even some of those can be lovely in the right places. I am hoping my glorious spotted one will seed itself about and come true - but no matter what, the new ones will be welcome.
Hedge and they look lovely and fill the gap/messy bit at the
bottom.