Hellebores 2009

[Maggi Young]

Jo, I like nos 1 and 2, especially 2.... the dark nectaries are yummy! Since these are your seedlings... this must make you a yummy mummy! Such fun, I'm told that this is what all Mums want to be now! 

[Jo]

Jo your Hellebore 7 is lovely

Thanks Mark, it is a soft cream background with red freckles and turned up this year where I have a good yellow plant and a mish mash of purples which I did from seed labelled 'atropurpureum' from the HPS seed exchange.

Mmmmmmmmm, I'm not sure if yummy mummy is a scarey concept, a bit X-files maybe Maggi ( is this smiley shocked or scared ? ), yes the first two are good but they face the wrong way in the garden. I have to grap them and turn them round to see !!

Perhaps name  hellebore 7,  'Devonshire Spotted Cream' 

[johnw]

Jo - An incredible batch of seedlings you have.

Thought others might be interested in some of the Ashwoods at the RHS Show in February.  The blacks were amazing but one at Stella Tracey's and one at Fred Hunt's still take top marks - both were a shiny coal black.


johnw

[Maggi Young]

Fred Hunt's

 You were at Fred's place.... in Scotland? 

[ian mcenery]

Ian, you have some very nice babies, I particularly like the atrorubens and the black seedlings.

Helen the species are lovely aren't they but they are unfortunately very slow to put on growth  

Ian, some lovely pics,   I love the scent of H odorus, it can fill quite an area.

you know Jo in spite of the name odorus I hadn't thought to sniff at it. So tomorrow

[Maggi Young]

you know Jo in spite of the name odorus I hadn't thought to sniff at it. So tomorrow

 Crikey, Ian, for a start, there is often a clue  and then there is me ..... and Lesley Cox.... always waxing lyrical about the scent of things.... admit it, you never listen to us, do you.... and we're not even married ??!!??

[ian mcenery]

you know Jo in spite of the name odorus I hadn't thought to sniff at it. So tomorrow

 Crikey, Ian, for a start, there is often a clue  and then there is me ..... and Lesley Cox.... always waxing lyrical about the scent of things.... admit it, you never listen to us, do you.... and we're not even married ??!!??

What was that pardon

[Maggi Young]

What was that pardon

[Jo]

Jo - An incredible batch of seedlings you have.

Thought others might be interested in some of the Ashwoods at the RHS Show in February.  The blacks were amazing but one at Stella Tracey's and one at Fred Hunt's still take top marks - both were a shiny coal black.


johnw

Beautiful display of hellebore flowers John, there is so much variation these days.  I just can't bring myself to cut off the flowers like that for a bowl, it seems cruel

I love the blacks too. I especially select seedlings at the cotyledon leaf stage which are showing black. Then you get really black young foliage which shows well against snowdrops.

The anemone centred flowers are really pretty but don't last well cos they shed the inner ruff when pollinated, like a normal flower does its anthers.

[johnw]

Fred Hunt's

 You were at Fred's place.... in Scotland? 

Way back in 2001.

You know we would have dropped by to see you with trowel in hand had it been in February 2009.

johnw

[johnw]

Jo - I really like that white with the fine dark line on the edges but it really is hard to choose a favourite.

White most of the east got a huge snowfall yesterday we shot up to +9c with heavy rain. This melted much of the snow leaving behind sheets of ice at the bottom.

johnw

[Jo]

I don't fancy your weather at the moment John, do you get lovely summers ?

Here are some black flowers in the rain this morning. When I say flowers I mean foliage really  The dark foliage and flowers disappear against a dark mulch of compost so need to have bright foliage around them.
So I'd better get out and plant some of those nice pewter leaved cyclamen under them

[maggiepie]

Helen the species are lovely aren't they but they are unfortunately very slow to put on growth  

Ian, at my advanced age maybe I should start looking for plants rather than playing with seeds.

Jo, the blacks are lovely, I don't think I have ever seen one with leaves as dark before.

[Maggi Young]

Fred Hunt's

 You were at Fred's place.... in Scotland? 

Way back in 2001.

You know we would have dropped by to see you with trowel in hand had it been in February 2009.

johnw

Oh, that's okay then..... if it was around the Conference time in 2001 we were really busy, so I'll forgive you that, too!

[johnw]

I don't fancy your weather at the moment John, do you get lovely summers ?

Jo 

Summers are usually superb here although it has been unusually wet in August the last two years. Even folks in the UK mentioned the same thing.  Autumns are also great and can last till early December.  Spring while very cool and often foggy is the season I enjoy the most as it can start as early as mid March and last into June and the bloom lasts a long long time.

johnw