Shy - but beautiful!

Lovely blog, how do you stop them invading everywhere though?

They are lovely Spritz, I`m really envious because I still haven`t got any and it`s not for want of trying...........

You have lots. They are early with you. It's nice to see them brighten up the winter.

Hywel - I've posted some photos from last year's plants, although some are in flower now. Sorry if I confused you!

Denise, I wish they would seed themselves! They just don't - except the H. foetidus.

Ll - what happens to yours?

Sorry, it doesn't take much to confuse me anyway lol. I should have realised.

Enjoyed the blog very much. The varieties that you have got are amazing and the way they can be combined with other plants - love them :~)))

I agree, Spritz - all hellebores are lovely. You have a stunning collection there.
:-))

I have just got two they are the lime one and a deep purple .Yours are lovey so many different ones.

Lovely blog Spritz: I like the look of the semi double pink.

you can't beat these, you have some lovely ones :)

I like all of them but I think that the doubles are my favourite.

A smashing collection !!

Thanks - I have to admit that I love them all - but if I had to choose just one, it would be a double. :-))

The anemone flowered ones are beautiful, as are the doubles but the upward facing ones are great for the creaky-backed.

C-c-c-reak! I can hear it from here! Yes - maybe that's why the breeders are working on them? To appeal to the 'silver market'....

Lovely pics,Spritz..another" must have " for my list...so many,I'm running out of paper :o).I wouldn't have thought of putting them in pots,a better idea for my small garden.What kind of soil and conditions are suitable for them?I like the doubles and upward facing too....

lovely blog barbara and i agree so pretty, i like the double ones to, great pictures :o))

Youv some real beautys there Spritz :)Thanx 4 showing them :)

Super photos....I often `sacrifice` a couple of the flowers on some of mine and float them in a bowl of water...that way I can bring them into the house and really enjoy their beauty..and they last ages.....worth trying if you`ve never done it!

What a great show of such a fantastic Plant.
So very, very clever of you.

I could not take my eyes of them, love the cream one.

Thank you, for giving me such pleasure!!!!

Freesiaperson x

You never cease to amaze me Spritz, with your knowledge and passion for all things flowery I can't wait for my visit! I do think you will have to evict me when it gets late though! Lol ;~))

Bloomer - I'll PM you.

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments. I enjoy flowers - (can't you tell -lol) and I couldn't live without something in bloom in the garden.

Ian - you'll have to come several times to see various plants, then - you won't see Hellebores in June! :-)))))

Spritz you have some lovely collections of plants, and these are superb.
I prefer your second method of seeing their faces, rather than the first!
That is good to get one that actually does look upwards though. They are wonderful plants, especially as they are so early. They're so elegant I think.

Loved your blog and looking at all your hellebores.

Great blog there Spritz - you have a beautiful collection - I too love Hellebores and have ordered some called "Double Queen Lenton Rose" don't know what that means, but they look lovely in the catalogue....lol

Is that a standing invite then? Lol

Why not, Ian? LOL.

Thanks, Mad, Clarice and Busyl. :-))

Post a photo, Busyl, won't you! Andrewr has a double purple one - I'm thinking of creeping round Bracknell with a fork one night......LOL. Do you think he'd notice that it isn't there any more?

Spritz I really do not know what happens to mine,I have tried many times in various area in the garden,had them in the borders, in the open and also in the shade, I`m waiting for some new ones to be delivered,so any advice will be greatly appreciated........

Mine are planted facing east, so they get some sun (haha) in the morning. They seem to enjoy dappled shade, rather than full sun. My soil is neutral, and quite fertile, but Andrew grows them as well in his acid soil, so I don't think that's a factor. I wish I knew the answer, Ll.

Why not post a question?

How I envy you that collection Spritz. I have quite a few - but they are very young yet - and I am keeping my fingers crossed that they have come through the big freeze...I keep looking for signs of life ...and there are a few little shoots appearing so my hopes are rising! I do like the idea of the upward flowering ones...I already have a good many hellebores in pots..and a couple of Walbertons I think...although the birds have a habit of whipping out all the labels - no matter how far in I stick them. I think it has become a game with them...LOL
I know what you mean about the Foetidus ones seeding - I supplied the local jumble sale stalls for years with seedlings duly potted up!!

You have so many lovely Hellibores..........mine has been eaten by something.......

Really? That does surprise me, Holly. I'll have to look in my pests and diseases book and see if Hellebores have any 'critters' that like them - my snails don't touch them, thank goodness.

Alz - maybe you wouldn't mind talking to Bloomer, please - she wants to grow some in pots, and I haven't done it before. I gave her a bit of help, but I can't speak from experience as you can..

Hi there Spritz and Holly.....I have to say that snails are a pest with my Hellebores - but I try to keep an eye open and remove the biggest ones that distort and eat the young leaves....I have even had to sneak a few slug pellets under a tile round the place in bad wet years. They can also suffer from aphids - and one famous year I found the blooms looking suspiciously "green" - until I put on my glasses - and realised they were infested big time - or should read "bug time" LOL

As for the pots of them, Bloomer ....well that all started when I was given some rather pretty tiny plants from a neighbour who has a wonderful collection....and to keep them "safe" I potted them up and they thrived!! Just used a big deep pot - a cauldron really -with lashings of home grown compost and there they did very well.
We have very acid conditions here and LOTS of leaf mould - which I encourage by sweeping the fallen leaves into the beds and under the hedges....lazy mans mould my grandfather called it!! I now have several pots and I keep them in semi-shade under deciduous trees and they seem to do fine....I think it is a misnomer to say they grow in deep shade - well in the UK anyway ..most of them need more light than that or they go leggy and don't flower so well. A good mulch every year and they do fine...and a lot seed merrily as you know! Just remember not to let the pots get sodden wet ...as Hellebores hate wet feet ! Well mine do anyway!!

Thanks for the imfo Alzheimer.... i think it might be the snails in my case.

a wonderful collection. have you any of the ashwood nursery seedlings? they tend to outward facing too. I have a primrose yellow one just opening now.

I love the double pink ones. so feminine looking.

A lovely insight into your Hellebores, they are fast becoming one of my favourite plants. When we moved into our house there was one in the garden a 'stinking hellebore' I believe. It was the only plant that seemed to thrive.
Last year it had to be moved which I read they don't much like so I was really pleased to find it has thrived even more in its new home! Since then i've added another three varieties and plan on some more this year.

Good for you! They are great plants to have in winter - all of them. :-))

Sbg - not sure, but I think I may have. I'd love an apricot coloured one.....mmmmmmm.....

No flower buds on my apricot one this year, Spritz. They do take a while to settle down - I hope, the leaves look healthy.

Otherwise, try giving it a talking-to Wgger! It worked on my 'difficult' one! LOL.

Very beautiufl, they are all so pretty.

Thanks, Dawn. Do you grow Hellebores?

Nice to see you, by the way. :-)))))

Thanks Spritz, yes I have a couple, nothing special just Helleborus niger and Helliborus foetidus :-)

You'll have to get some more then, while they're in flower at the GCs!

Good idea :-)

Go for it! :-)))

Another lovely blog

I love hellebores - have a few these days and hope the new ones will bloom before too many years!

Thanks to everyone for the tips about how and where to grow them!

Thanks, R'smum - I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it of help. :-)

Another great blog Spritz, I've never grown hellebores and I've no idea why, such lovely leaves too. Yours are so beautiful. I will rectify this omission very soon and I think I will also try some in a pot, how lovely to have some flowers at this time of year:-) It snowed here again last night and everywhere's frozen:-( must poor some boiling water in the bird bath:-)

Thank you, Ba. I think that Hellebores are indispensible - well, to me they are! Such a joy from December right through until March! It's the right time to look as from February, when GCs have them in bloom so you can choose one that you really like. I hope you do!

We haven't had any snow here - there's a lot up on Exmoor though! However, it's very cold out there, and we had a frost.

I may have exagerated the snow slightly as it was not at all deep, just light covering, still freezing though but sunny I could have a pot or two of hellebores just outside the patio window to cheer on days like this:-)

Good idea - go for it - and I hope you find a real beauty. :-))

Or two:-)

Even better! :-))

lovely blog Spritz! I agree with you totally, they flower for sooooooo long and are worth their weight in gold in the spring garden. Thanks for clearing up my confusion re the naming of orientalis! I am on the look out for some at the moment as I have a lot of shade. There is a fabulous snowdrop festival here starting now and every year I go to Cambo House in Fife to see them and they are always selling the latest (very expensive) double varieties, so I may indulge later this month when I go over there! Thanks for sharing!

You're welcome - I hope you find a gorgeous one...or more...LOL.

I shall be keeping my eyes open for a double apricot-coloured one. I saw a rather poor plant with one flower, so I know that they are around - it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. :-)

Its great to read all this info on Hellebores,most helpful.
Thanks Spritz,for asking Alz to comment on growing in pots.Seems as though
they will do ok as long as the compost is good,and placed in correct position.I don't have acid soil,so would you recommend using ericaceous,or not?I don't have any home made compost ready yet,as used it all in on the garden in november,so will need to buy something.
Will watch out for pests too.Going to a garden centre this weekend,so will see what is available...armed with a list of varieties you have mentioned...:o))

'Morning Bloomer! I am sure your Hellebores will do fine as long as the pots are deep enough so they don't dry out and give the plants enough room to spread and thrive. I had a look at my my big potful this morning and see that all the little plants I was given last year have indeed survived and are poking through the snow that is lying on top.....and which I have left...they don't seem to mind! I'm not sure if they will flower this year - but it is good to know they made it through the big freeze!!
The rest of my collection is planted in my allium bed - they seem to make good bed-fellows!! When one finishes flowering and needs trimming back - the other is taking over and acting as shade. And as the whole bed is under a gigantic cherry tree - they are are saved from being scorched or dried out....and it all gets a massive mulch of home made leaf mould each autumn ....so far it has worked for me! I must say I don't think I have an apricot one as such ...so must watch for that!

Good afternoon Alz!Thats great advice.I can now sally forth and hopefully find something I like..thanks...

Bloomer - my soil is neutral and I just used multi-purpose compost in the pots. I don't think they're fussy about soil. I wouldn't worry about ericacious compost - but they may need a feed in a pot after a while, I think.

There's an article in The English Garden Feb edition which I bought today. There are a couple of apricot ones photographed and the suppliers listed are Ashwood Nurseries -www.ashwood-nurseries.co.uk and Harvey's Garden Plants - www.harveysgardenplants.co.uk

Oooh! Thanks - I've got that, but I haven't read it yet, so I'll take a look. Lovely. :-)))

Yes, I've just been on the websites and the doubles are £25 each!! eek! Think I may have to stick with the ones I've already got and hope for some accidental hybridisations!!

Well, my new one (Walberton's Rosemary') certainly didn't cost anything near that - that's definitely an 'EEEK' price! :-((

By the way, Bloomer - the article suggests using J.I. no. 2 if you want to grow them in a pot for a long time.

What an interesting up-date....I have to admit that I just used garden soil with some added home made compost - which I guess equated with our old friend J1 2
I most certainly would NOT use an ericaceous specific compost - they are very tolerant. My neighbour - who doesn't have a tree in his garden -( unlike mine...LOL) has very sandy conditions and he has a massive collection that he has had for some years ....and his seedlings that he gave me do fine in my really leafy loam. So don't go buying anything special Bloomer - they will cope just fine!

As for 25 quid a plant....you are correct....that is definitely an eeeeek price!!!
They do pollinate each other quite promiscuously - so we will just keep watching!!

Thanks, Alz. I thought as much - but the person who wrote the article is one of the famous breeders, so I thought I'd pass that on for Bloomer.

I shall still watch out for a double apricot one - I wish the open days of the two most famous Nurseries were nearer! I'd be there like a shot - too far, too far. :-(( They'd still want mega-bucks for their plants, anyway, wouldn't they?

Maybe it's a good thing not to be able to go - I'd be tempted, I know!

Hi Spritz.....yes indeed ...the temptation was strong in me yesterday and I trotted round our local GCs but needless to say - they had nothing exciting to offer.
I suspect it is too early up here for anything worthwhile to be on display.....it was all H Niger...by the tray-load and nowt else!!!
Frankly the GCs are fairly barren and all intent on flogging us seeds and bulbs....and Xmas decorations still at throw-away prices...nothing for me apart from a 3 for 2 Kalanchoe offer ...which I did take! Well I had to buy something!

What a shame! I might take a look at our local ones next week and see if they're different. I really, really don't wish to see any Christmas decorations, though - let alone buy any! Are your Kalanchoes different colours?

Yes Spritz...three wee plants - one apricot /one rosy red and one pink.
A pretty little collection that brightens up a little corner!

Very nice - I shall look for the photos, Alz!

Your wish is my command, Spritz!!