The reason why the Seed company gives such instructions is because by the time to see reaches you it has gone into deep dormancy and it needs a lot of persuasion for it to wake up and grow. In nature the seed drops from the plant and is ready to germinate straight away.
If you have plants then fresh seed germinates easily. I confess that these days I just dig up any self seeded ones from around the mother plants. As said they hate root disturbance, especially drying out, so I drop the babies into a bucket of water and they are taken out to be potted on. Also they make new root growth in early Autumn so that s the best time to move them.
Sadly they often do not come true to colour especially if you have more than one form in the area.
I wonder how hellebores survive when left to themselves - they should be extinct by now! What would happen if I just scattered them outdoors as Adam does...?
Left to themselves they germinate by the thousands. As Berghill says they don't stay true unless well separated in the garden. Not possible in most gardens. I have an area of really dark ones that looks after itself. The rest get the dirty pinks eliminated from time to time. Occasionally something nice turns up. I have one that's striped pink and gren on the outside. Might not win any prizes but I like it. Buying a plant you like is a good way to start. Let it seed, some of them will be lovely, the rest can go.
I had seedlings appear under main plant ...had no idea what they were at the time ... Watched carol klein and ohhhh I have seedlings. I sat there collecting must be 100 into trays , put them to one side ...forgot, they grew , potted on , handed out , forgot , looked at /planted this yr I have flowers , only a couple but its something .
I planted my first hellebore last year.......after reading these posts I can't wait for daylight to have a peep to see if there any 'additions' this year. If it wasn't so cold out I might be tempted to go out with a torch!
Aww poor you, luckily the sleet and snow here didn't come to anything today. I've just been watching the news, can't believe how much snow there is in some areas. Where are you nut?
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The reason why the Seed company gives such instructions is because by the time to see reaches you it has gone into deep dormancy and it needs a lot of persuasion for it to wake up and grow. In nature the seed drops from the plant and is ready to germinate straight away.
If you have plants then fresh seed germinates easily. I confess that these days I just dig up any self seeded ones from around the mother plants. As said they hate root disturbance, especially drying out, so I drop the babies into a bucket of water and they are taken out to be potted on. Also they make new root growth in early Autumn so that s the best time to move them.
Sadly they often do not come true to colour especially if you have more than one form in the area.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Be interesting to see if they do flower this year Lyn. As said I do take them for granted somewhat
... they always appear on time.
I love it when plants start to reproduce themselves.
In the sticks near Peterborough
you'd need a shovel as well here Woo2.
In the sticks near Peterborough
I'm near Peterborough. It's nothing here compared to some areas but I didn't want any. Perhaps this will be the last of it.
In the sticks near Peterborough