Helliborus niger

Goodness, where do you all find these bargains?? What a lovely flower Janey. Bought one last year and stuck it in a dark corner. Going okay but didnt flower this christmas.

This was B&Q Tetrarch....there are some good bargains to be had.....so many bags of bulbs....Alliums and Dutch Irises marked down to 25p, then at the checkout....10p!!!
Couldn't believe it.....going to plant them tomorrow.....

Thats gorgeous! must pay a visit to B&Q knowing my luck they will all have gone when I get there!

Me too! Got to buy some compost. Tomorrow then.

Yes don't leave it much later....the Hellibores weren't in the sale though, so you should find them....:o))

You'll get sticky fingers planting this time of year Jane! ..x

That is a beauty, I usually prefer the red ones but this is lovely.

thses are lovely...so pretty

i have a few from last year janey but dont seem to be doing alot for this year, time will tell, i love them, hope these do well for you :o)

Lovely Janey, mine are in flower too, they were last year bargains :o))

Actually, hopefully not boring you..tell you a little story about a hellebore.
My neighbour was inveigled by her neighbour (not me!) into sharing an order from a well known foreign/english company catalogue. She chose a lovely double hellebore of a peach colour. The plant looked gorgeous in the picture and was a reasonable £7.95. The plant was described as a newish double, lovely colour de dah de dah and it was in full flower sat in a roughly 1 to 2 litre pot.
When it arrived, it was in a little plastic bag, was a very thin hairy root about 4 inches long with a tiny bud on top!!! She was sooo disappointed, but thought..thats life..and on closer inspection they hadnt quoted a size.
Well, this got my dander up..I was tamping..so I sent of an email toute suite threatening all sorts..she had her money back in a few days. In my personal opinion it appeared a misleading cheat..and Im surprised a big company like that did it.

You do have to watch some of these mail order catalogues. That plant sounded nothing more than a seedling..

AND it died!

Ooh, B&Q are very near our Asda and my lovely son in law is taking me shopping tomorrow. I wonder if he would like a little detour? That a lovely plant, Janey.

They are gorgeous Janey , it's nice to get an early start with something new .. :o)

Too right Blue...well wet soggy gardening gloves anyway!....:o)
Ooh yes the red ones are stunning Grandmage....Spritzhenry has lots to look at in her garden.
My last years addition is like yours San...a few leaves so far, but then I noticed the soil clumping up...:o)
Lovely Pam....I'm hoping these will like this position better...fingers crossed.
That sounds like a real con Tetrarch....I can't say that about these....they're good sized healthy looking plants with lots of flowers to come.
Hope you went Gee, and bagged yourself a bargain....
It is Amy, just in the right spot where I can see them from my window...brightens a dull corner.....

Never think to look in our B & Q for plants, will have to give it a go.

They often have good bargains Tog....like now when the weathers been bad, and some of the plants have been checked......have a look on a season change too... they often have planted tubs marked really low.

Ooooh ooooh want it:-)

:o)) x

so so nice, love them, they bring welcome, wonderful colour in the Spring.

seedlings are a bugger tho! ...:o)

Oh BlueS, do yours seed around then? Mine just struggle to survive here, lol

Pot them on BlueS, you can get rid of them to me anytime..and plenty of us would queue up!

I haven't really the right conditions Dawn....., they don't like it too soggy, this place is shady but very cold and damp, will see how they do.

You must have just the right spot then Blue....everyone is hoping theirs will grow....and you have seedlings in your Coniferous garden!

Too right Tet........:o)))

Nearly all the varieties I have always produce a carpet of seedlings around the base of the plants, I consider them a nuisance...the seedlings that is!

Must be your mulch Blue....decided now not to use the pebbles...they would be very cold in the winter months whereas bark would keep the cold out and encourage seedlings......:o))

good for you sweetheart! ..well done :0) x

Many thanks....2 gold stars then....:o))

3 at least! ..

Ha....adios!

nite again Jane ......x

Well done Janey, I picked up a good plant from Morrisons last week, full of buds too.

I got one..or three..or six!! Went to B&Q for compost yesterday and got 3 lovely hellebores with loads of buds..£10..I also picked up 3 dianthus plants..a bit worse for frost but okay..10p each! Thanks Janey.

10 pence you jammy thing, good old B&Q .

ive put this on my favourites ~ its such a lovely plant and you have taken the photo from a really interesting angle!

I get carpets of seedlings too. On one of mine, I dug some out and potted them up. Then the other day I went out and cut off the old leaves ready for the new flowers and lo...another carpet of seedlings under the same plant! It breeds faster than a rabbit! If anyone wants seedlings, just ask!

Lucky you Karen :-).

Yes, like the blue poppies, they seem to like it here, and as you say, it's just lucky!

Karen, are you blue poppies in a shaded area?

Thats good Dd and Tet...10p Dianthus! Wow, that is a bargain, isn't it exciting when they're so cheap...it's like Xmas all over again.....:o))
Thanks Sticki....I do think they're one of those plants that look best close-up, when they've spread a bit they'll look more interesting.
Oh, going to look under my one from last year tomorrow Karen, just to see, though my garden isn't very Hellebore friendly, I've decided to use bark mulch this year, so hopefully they'll feel more at home.
Its funny you should mention the Himalayan poppies....I've just been to our garden club, where the speaker showed us his trek through the Himalayas and China....lots of different Meconopsis to see. I managed to grow some, but again it's not the right environment really.

I'd love some blue poppies but they say they are difficult..dont they need acidic soil?

They are gorgeous Janey - lovely photo. I walked round the garden in the sunshine yesterday, and was delighted to see that I have 3 white hellebores in flower. Prefer the dark purple ones really, but hopefully they are still to come. I wonder if certain colours set seed more readily than others??

my white ones made lots of little seedlings but then they are the oldest of my hellebores. i like the white cos it stands out more.
im hoping my himalayan poppy has survived the winter ~ it was a birthday present and apparantly they are biannual ~ so i was hoping to get flowers next year??

Yes, Dawnsaunt, they are in the shaded area. Yes Sticki, sometimes they are biennial and sometimes short lived perennials, so you have a good chance of getting it again this year. All of mine have been perennial, but I think that's because they are in ideal conditions....cool! And yes, they do like a bit of acid in the soil, although my soil is neutral-acid, so they don't need very acidic conditions.

this is cool, shady and slightly acidic so in theory it should be ok ~ hope the plant has read the books too!!

Sticki, let me know if you would like some more blue poppy seeds, I have some from last summer I could send you.

Thats lets me out then..no room in the planter and my soil very clay in parts..I will enjoy seeing your pics instead.

that would be really lovely, many thanks karen ~ shall i let you know if my plant comes up?

No, it sounds like you have the right conditions Sticki. Just pm me your details.