Hellebores 2010

[ian mcenery]

Hellebores: going into the 2010 season:



In december I always cut back the foliage of x hybridus plants and tidy up the species. Yesterday was the day. In my carelessness I cut off this stem. A little early and a nice suprise - well sort of  . Most of the others are barely in bud

[maggiepie]

That is one beautiful hellebore Ian, shame you cut it but at least you get to look at it more often inside.

[Paddy Tobin]

Nice clean white background to the purple marking, Ian.

Your hellebores are ahead of mine. I have cut all, well nearly all, back but the buds are still very low and not opening yet.

Paddy

[angie]

Ian,   why do you cut all the foliage back, is it just to show the flowers off or just tidying up.
Angie

[ian mcenery]

Ian,   why do you cut all the foliage back, is it just to show the flowers off or just tidying up.
Angie

A bit of both Angie. The old foliage is often moth eaten and doesn't show off the flowers so well  

[angie]

Ian, I thought about cutting the foliage off as it gets awfully dry and brown but I thought it might be better to leave on as a bit of frost protection but since my last post I went away and read a bit more and have found out that it is better to remove the foilage as this saves the new growth getting damaged, so tomorrow out I go and tidy my hellebore's up. Thanks for giving me a job to do tomorrow Ian.
Angie

[mark smyth]

just remember leaves with black blotches go in the black bin

[Lesley Cox]

A really nice one to start the season with Ian. Many more to come our way I hope?

Angie, as a gardener I'm very surprised you have to be given things to do. As Maggi knows, I'm always wanting a 36 hour day in order to catch up on the undone things.

[angie]

Hi Lesley
Normally always find a job to do around the garden but the last few days have been too frosty to do anything but temperature up a bit tommorow so hellebores look out.

Thanks Mark  for your advice.
Angie

[Paul T]

Ian,

A very nice Hellebore that one.  I have a bud on Helleborus niger 'Josef Lemper' at the moment..... I think it did this last year around this time of year as well.  I know it is known as the Christmas Rose, but that is supposed to be northern hemisphere, not down here in the south!  

[Ragged Robin]

Only one month after your posting Ian but just had to say how lovely your Hellebore photo is and probably my favourite flowering combination of colours plus it looks so healthy - maybe it prefers indoors!

[Diane Whitehead]

Three 'grandchildren' of Ashwood Brushstrokes.

[Maggi Young]

Folks: I have edited the titles of the posts in this thread to reflect the change in the date .

A very smart set of "triplets" you have there, Diane 

[Lesley Cox]

Those are great Diane. So definitely worthwhile growing on the babies of the babies.

[Tony Willis]

Ian, I thought about cutting the foliage off as it gets awfully dry and brown but I thought it might be better to leave on as a bit of frost protection but since my last post I went away and read a bit more and have found out that it is better to remove the foilage as this saves the new growth getting damaged, so tomorrow out I go and tidy my hellebore's up. Thanks for giving me a job to do tomorrow Ian.
Angie

Angie it is always best to cut of the old foliage on hybrid hellebores. Hellebores are very prone to a disease which affects the crown and seems to spread from the old foliage. I cut of all the old leaves at the turn of the year and also spray with a systemic fungicide in the late summer. They are totally frost hardy and need no protection