Hellebores

Trond, I will let you know when the seeds are ready. It will be probably late June to early July.

Hope your plants are protected under the snow! We've had a mild winter so far and lots of plants have started to grow. I'm a bit concerned about a potential coming cold snap which might kill the new shoots...

Some more Helleborus

A really nice range! Do they all look about the same foliarly?

Quote:

Do they all look about the same foliarly?

All Ashwood hybs and much the same.

Last few for this year.
Helleborus ashwood hyb
Helleborus ashwood hyb
Helleborus niger

I am particularly pleased with that Niger,I have difficulty keeping that one in good condition. I don't think it likes our climate.

You have a lot of nice ones, Michael! At work they are selling some Hellebores in the floral section- something simple- white flowers long petals, maybe niger.. I was wondering if it would be worthwhile trying to get one to plant out later-- but I'd have to keep it happy indoors for most of 3 months yet! Plus they are $20, and I'm cheap...lol but its probably the only time I'll see them in person (as temporary indoor flowers), I doubt if local nurseries are likely to carry them for outdoor planting in summer, with no flowers on them, though I guess I can watch for them...

I'd be happy if I could find some young plants in small pots for $5 or so, but I'm probably dreaming...lol I really don't like buying one plant of something, but at $20  I can't afford multiples (unlikely I'd buy even one).. I'd really rather have species than hybrids, but I'd take anything locally reasonable... probably have to wait for seed in the end anyway...lol

Hoy wrote:

Try seed! Seeds germinate easily as long as they are fresh. You get nice plants in a couple of years!

I agree with Trond! The seeds don't like to be dried out but if you sow them fresh, they germinate like weeds! ;D I have been trying to cross some of my plants and get some interesting colors and forms. We'll see how they turn out in a few years... :rolleyes:

Here are some more flowers... ;)

And the last batch for now... ;D

Thanks Trond and Saori- good to know they don't take forever from seed.. I think Kristl at Gardens North has offered some- a good source for any ephemeral seed since you know she handles it right! Any other seed sources you know of?
Saori- lots of beauties there!

Wow Saori! What a great collection! I love 20 & 24!
But...Are you Saori on the Facebook group Heavenly Hellebores?  ;)

Some of Koen Van Poucke, Martine Lemmonier and Thierry Delabroye :

A little more...

Some very interesting colours, Geoffrey!

Amy- I'm still not an actual NARGS member, the seed-ex would be the only reason to join (no clubs to attend near enough) so it hasn't happened yet...

cohan, Three years ago I managed to get 3 from Canadian Tire, I think it was.  I bought them about 6 weeks into the "garden centre season" and didn't pay too much, maybe $6.00 each? They aren't species which I would prefer, but what the heck ! I'm going to try some more from seed, but for now the ones I have are doing great ( at least I hope they still are .... ) and the flowers last for the longest time.  For all I know they may have turned up at Canadian Tire by mistake, but I'll check there again this year, just in case.

Your hellebores are absolutely wonderful, Michael and Saori and Geoffrey! (Hope I didn't miss anyone there, in that beautiful parade of spring blooms.)  The doubles, bicolours, apricot tones, and the oh-so-dark ones are especially captivating to me!

Thanks everybody for the nice comments!

I've been enjoying looking at everyone's beautiful flowers.

Cohen, joining the NARGS is great! The Rock Garden Quarterly is really good and the seed exchange is wonderful! You will be amazed to see lots of very rare seeds that you won't find anywhere else.

Geoffrey, I love your collection! I especially like the pink flower with yellow nectaries! It must be one of Thierry's creations, right?

Geo wrote:

But...Are you Saori on the Facebook group Heavenly Hellebores?  ;)

Yes, I'm the same Saori. :P  Nice meeting here, as well! ;)

AmyO wrote:

cohan wrote:

Some very interesting colours, Geoffrey!

Amy- I'm still not an actual NARGS member, the seed-ex would be the only reason to join (no clubs to attend near enough) so it hasn't happened yet...

Cohan...I would still encourage you to join NARGS for the seed-ex and the quarterly..but if that's not going to happen another way to get free Hellebore seed is to join the Hellebore group on Yahoo groups. They have a lively discussion and a free seed-ex. I get loads of great seed from this group from all over the country!! Give it a look-see. :D

Thanks, Amy- I should give the yahoo group a look :) I wouldn't  ask for seed coming into the group  without something to contribute though, but its okay, no hurry!

cohan wrote:

Thanks, Amy- I should give the yahoo group a look :) I wouldn't  ask for seed coming into the group  without something to contribute though, but its okay, no hurry!

I donated tons of seeds last year to the Yahoo Group as well and lots of other people (including famous nursery people) did, too! There were some species seeds as well...

Thank you all.

RickR wrote:

Glorious flowers, Geoffrey!  That hybrid H. torquatus flower has the attraction of a double with the eloquence of a single!  :o  It looks like the plant inherited the beautiful foliage of the species, too.

I plan on hand pollinating my Helleborus purpurascens this season.  Protecting the pistil from contamination won't be as easy as Lillium spp.  If I am successful, I'll offer the seed them here on the Forum.  They open pollinated easily with lots of seed, so it should work.

Absolutely Rick, this torquatus hybrid has the dissected foliage of the species (my favourite species I think), I love it, it's a Koen Van Poucke's selection, he has very beautiful species in his nursery garden (great form of dumetorum, viridis etc.).

Saori wrote:

Geoffrey, I love your collection! I especially like the pink flower with yellow nectaries! It must be one of Thierry's creations, right?

Geo wrote:

But...Are you Saori on the Facebook group Heavenly Hellebores?  ;)

Yes, I'm the same Saori. :P  Nice meeting here, as well! ;)

Yes indeed Saori, it's a Thierry's selection, I live near his nursery and I enjoy every year to go to its special Hellebore open days.
It's a pleasure to see your pics.

Helleborus Harvington double yellow

Perfection,  ;D ;D ;D

Helleborus black. well it is almost black. ;D

Beautiful colour! and nice simple form

I just got my first two- from the plants that were on sale as florist plants at the supermarket- they are really no good as florist plants unless you can sell them fast! The creamy flowers quickly turned green, then the leaves started to yellow...lol So they were marked down sharply, and when I asked if they expected to be chucking them soon, they said probably and gave me two...lol.. they are starting new leaves, so hopefully are healthy- though there was a lot of water in the plastic pot covers (stinky!!!!) now I just have to keep them healthy indoors for the looooong time till I can put them outside....

AmyO wrote:

Cohan...Keep a close eye out for aphids!! The ones sold in bloom at supermarkets are so stressed they are aphid magnets!! :o

I'll watch for that, thanks.. almost all of the old leaves are gone, just flower stems left.. I do agree with Rick though- as someone who has had to battle with mealybugs indoors for years, aphids are like a holiday...lol

Those rounded flowers are what the famous hellebore breeders like Helen Ballard and Elizabeth Strangman aimed for. They also crossed plants generally in the garden, rather than greenhouses, so as a result developed good garden strains - but it must have been freezing and hard work at times so early in the year! Elizabeth Strangman repeated pollination several times to ensure good results, and chose the warmest days. The plants were dotted about the nursery marked with different coloured wools. Somehow nice to see this with all the beds of plants for sale in between - harks back to the small individual specialist nurseries of old, which would be nice to see more of again. Must go out and get some pictures, but I haven't many as striking as Michael's.

RickR wrote:

And I hope you have cut the flower/seed pod off.  Otherwise you'll just be draining energy from the plant to the seeds that probably won't be "healthy" anyway.

I'll take  a closer look, I don't think there is any seed forming, though I left the flower stems-- since the flowers have turned green, I assumed they are photosynthesizing!