Hellebores 2008

[ian mcenery]

Here is a start to the hellebore season. First a few Aswood plants I have had for a year or so.

The first is a plant that I have been unable to get on camera the colour because it almost radiates. When I first saw this it had been selected for possible breeding - Ashwood do this each year with their best new seedlings- I had fallen in love and aske should it not make the final could I have it. The colour is red with a greenish centre overlaid with a grape like bloom.

The second is a large Neon followed by a double picotee. Then a black and H thibetanus after the slug damage

The last is the result of a cross I made 3 years ago with torquatus as the mom  with a good ashwood black as the pollen donor (that's what it says on the label). Hasn't opened properly yet but looks promising nice foliage too

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Beautiful collection Ian !
Stunning colours 

[Paul T]

Very nice.  Love that double picotee in particular.  Never seen anything quite like that before.

[Rob]

Here is an anemone centered hellebore in the garden. Loads of plants are in bud so I hope we get some good weather next week

[Maggi Young]

Oh dear, I fear for these hellebore flowers in the windy weather... good luck, Chaps!

[Paul T]

Rob,

Oh I do like that colour combination in the anemone centred.  Very nice!

[kaydale]

Unreal collection of Hellebores, wish we could get something like that in Tassie!

[Rob]

Here is another, this time more double. I took the flower inside and used flash for the photo.

[Tony Willis]

not much happening in the garden yet but this is H. vesicarius in flower in the greenhouse

[Rob]

Tony those are good photos of H. vesicarius

I'm posting a double red from the garden. When the sun shines through the petals it really glows.

[Maggi Young]

Not much happening on the Hellebore front in freezing Aberdeen. These are the buds on H. eric smithii.... only about two or three inches long, surrounded by well-chewed leaves... When this does move forward into flower, the blooms numerous and are VERY long-lasting
 

This brave soul, not bothered by the minus 9 dgrees last night, is about three feet high... growing through little rhodos....  H. argutiflious or perhaps a hybrid.....

[ian mcenery]

Nice versicarius Tony mine is outside and is very very slow. It is a bit of a cheat really it is in a scree and I am placing a cloche over it in the summer to help give it a baking. I have some seed sown and if it germinates I will grow it inside.

Here is a seedling grown from wild seed of H purpurescens with its first flower just peering through the ground

[David Nicholson]

Have you 'ace' Hellebore growers any tips please on growing from seed. For example, are they best from fresh seed; when is the best time of year to sow dried seed etc etc?

[Tony Willis]

I sow mine straight from the pod in early summer and it then germinates in the autumn. Any dried seed I have had I sow straight away and that germinates mostly in late winter early spring.Dried seed often skips a year before germinating

[Paul T]

Lovely to see the double red.  Very, very nice!  Seen nothing like that here in Aus, although I'd imagine they'd exist.  My "to die for" hellebore is a duoble black.... seen them in pics on the Graham's Hellebores site, but never seen nor heard of them in Australia.  I love the single blacks and a double would just be the bees knees!

Wonderful to see vesicarius again.  I used to grow it here and it was just so unusual with it's leaves that to me look more like celery than hellebores, those nice flowers, and then those wonderful seed pods.  Mine unfortunately died out after about 4 years for no reason I am aware of.  Unfortunately the seeds never amounted to anything either.  Extremely disappointing to have lost it as it was so unusual.  I am mentioning this only because if you have it, try to create backups.  I find it very rare to lose any Hellebore plant here, so the fact it went means it is a bit tetchier (Yes, I know it is summer deciduous and likes it hotter and drier in summer), plus I am not sure they actually know how long lived it can be as it has been in cultivation for a relatively short time.

As to seed sowing...... I've done a bit of it but will leave answers to the experts.  Fresh seed is DEFINITELY better though, as the only seed I've ever had fail was commercially purchased dry seed from a UK firm.  Dried seed takes longer, while fresh seed will start the following autumn.  If no-one else is forthcoming I am happy to help with my experiences.  Dried seed