I bought a variety of viridis last year, it's out there and flowering but I don't know if it's really hardy enough to survive a proper winter. But maybe we won't get one. Nothing lower than -2 forecast at the moment
Hello Dove. My friends tell me the new hellebores have been flowering constantly since bough on 15/12 and planted out the following day. They've left them whole so they can get established in their new home but may divide in a year or two.
They have acid clay soil which Jon mulches every year with his own garden compost plus a truck load bought in from the local council every November. We've had a mild winter so far but temps down to -15C are normal for them and good rainfall most of the year though we had a long dry spell last year which cost them several trees and shrubs.
I have a similar one but yes hellebores are just perfect, they are the only thing flowering out there right now and we were wondering earlier why we don't have more of them. They are covered in flowers.
Thank you Obelixx that's very good of you (and of your friends - what a lovely garden they have - I love those pulsatillas).
re the helleborus thibetanus - your friends' garden is acid clay - we're on chalk which is very near the surface. Hmmmm I shall do more investigating ............
Thank you once again
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I made the mistake of looking at Ashwood's website after reading this thread earlier today. Oh my, lots of lovely hellebores I think I'd better get my other half to hide my credit card!
Dove - I have alkaline loam on a clay subsoil and hellebores do well so you'd just need to beef up the soil with lots of organic matter to keep them happy.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I've got plenty of H. orientalis, foetidus and ericsmithii doing well here - I just wondered whether the thibetanus were fussier re acidity/alkalinity - given that they appear to be the only Chinese hellebores grown in Western Europe, and relatively new at that.
I've found this which describes and pictures the blooms better than the earlier links
I have a friend that gives me her old copies of the RHS magazine 'The Garden' which I save and read in the month they belong to. In the Jan 2014 copy there is an article on Mikinori Ogisu who introduced this hellebore .... and quite a bit of info. about it (and a lovely pic.).
Seems like it should be hardy down to -5C / -10C if protected from spring frosts. The leaves need some shade from strong summer sun, but it will be dormant from July until the winter. It likes a moist but well-drained soil .... rich loam ... but no mention of acidic. It also says it is best kept away from free seeding H. x hybridus to minimise competition.
Hope this is helpful.
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Posts
That looks rather fine
In the sticks near Peterborough
Are you falling in love with it too Nut?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Might be Dove
I bought a variety of viridis last year, it's out there and flowering but I don't know if it's really hardy enough to survive a proper winter. But maybe we won't get one. Nothing lower than -2 forecast at the moment
In the sticks near Peterborough
Hello Dove. My friends tell me the new hellebores have been flowering constantly since bough on 15/12 and planted out the following day. They've left them whole so they can get established in their new home but may divide in a year or two.
They have acid clay soil which Jon mulches every year with his own garden compost plus a truck load bought in from the local council every November. We've had a mild winter so far but temps down to -15C are normal for them and good rainfall most of the year though we had a long dry spell last year which cost them several trees and shrubs.
They belong to the Belgian Yellow Book scheme.
http://s211.photobucket.com/user/Obelixx_be/library/150421%20Ginny%20and%20Jon?sort=2&page=1 last April.
I have a similar one but yes hellebores are just perfect, they are the only thing flowering out there right now and we were wondering earlier why we don't have more of them. They are covered in flowers.
Thank you Obelixx
that's very good of you (and of your friends - what a lovely garden they have - I love those pulsatillas).
re the helleborus thibetanus - your friends' garden is acid clay - we're on chalk which is very near the surface. Hmmmm I shall do more investigating ............
Thank you once again
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I made the mistake of looking at Ashwood's website after reading this thread earlier today. Oh my, lots of lovely hellebores
I think I'd better get my other half to hide my credit card!
Dove - I have alkaline loam on a clay subsoil and hellebores do well so you'd just need to beef up the soil with lots of organic matter to keep them happy.
I've got plenty of H. orientalis, foetidus and ericsmithii doing well here - I just wondered whether the thibetanus were fussier re acidity/alkalinity - given that they appear to be the only Chinese hellebores grown in Western Europe, and relatively new at that.
I've found this which describes and pictures the blooms better than the earlier links
http://www.hazlescrossfarmnursery.co.uk/hellebore%20species%20t-v.html
it warns that the leaves are prey to slugs and snails as they're not as leathery as other hellebores.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi Dove,
I have a friend that gives me her old copies of the RHS magazine 'The Garden' which I save and read in the month they belong to. In the Jan 2014 copy there is an article on Mikinori Ogisu who introduced this hellebore .... and quite a bit of info. about it (and a lovely pic.).
Seems like it should be hardy down to -5C / -10C if protected from spring frosts. The leaves need some shade from strong summer sun, but it will be dormant from July until the winter. It likes a moist but well-drained soil .... rich loam ... but no mention of acidic. It also says it is best kept away from free seeding H. x hybridus to minimise competition.
Hope this is helpful.
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime