some early hellebores

[fleurbleue]

Once again, nice flowers  I can't wait for my ones  ...

[Peppa]

Trond, you plant looks very vigorous and healthy! That's a very impressive clump!

Mike these are very pretty! I can't take my eyes off of the viridis!

[assybish]

The viridis is from a colony in Italy where the red centres are common , there is variation in size and intensity in the red as one would expect in a wild population.

[Hoy]

Trond, you plant looks very vigorous and healthy! That's a very impressive clump!

Mike these are very pretty! I can't take my eyes off of the viridis!

Thanks, Peppa. It is growing in my woodland. I grow all my hellebores outside, can't have too many pots to care for.

H viridis is nice, a species I haven't tried yet.

[ScotsmanInKent]

Hi Everyone

Love the photos posted by Peppa.

I am new to the forums and also not at all knowledgeable about Hellebore's.
I do love them though, as they look good and flower early, and would like to grow some more varieties.
If anyone has any spare seed......... or seedlings....

I have recently inherited a Garden and mostly have no idea what is in it!!!!!!
Have got two lovely Hellebore's and hoped forum members could advise what species/type/variety these are and if they are OK varieties.
They are growing well here and spreading in a large shrub border and have had no care really. Have not been fed or had dead leaves cut back. Something seems to be eating holes in the second one!

Any information and tips abut Hellebore's in general or these two in particular greatly appreciated.
The first one is tall at about 20 inches and the golden top makes a striking contrast t the dark green leaves, the flowers look half open now. The second one half the height, the flowers are budding out on separate shoots at ground level and not on shoots held on the old stalks as in 1. photos below.

Happy New Year to All.

[Peppa]

I do love them though, as they look good and flower early, and would like to grow some more varieties.
If anyone has any spare seed......... or seedlings....

I'm happy to send some seeds if you are interested; please remind me around mid-June.

[Diane Clement]

Hello Scotsman in Kent
Your first hellebore looks like Helleborus foetidus and the second one is probably a garden hybrid best described as Helleborus x hybridus.  They both look good and healthy.  The leaf holes are possibly due to slug or adult vine weevil damage and probably not a major problem.  With the H x hybridus, some people cut off the old leaves in the autumn or winter (it's not too late to do this now) as they can look tatty and/or get botrytis.  The new leaves will then form after the flowers.  They don't need much feeding, but I usually give them a scattering of slow release fertiliser after flowering, and top dress with leaf mould in the autumn.    
My plants give rise to hundreds of seedlings each year, so I have to weed them out - but I can certainly get some young plants to you.  Nearly all of mine are Ashwood plants, so the seedlings I allow to develop have ended up as nice plants.

[ScotsmanInKent]

Hi Diane and Peppa.

Thank you so much for your reply.

I think you are right with your identifications.
The first one does indeed look very much like the picture Mike Byford has on his website for foetidus:
http://www.hazlescrossfarmnursery.co.uk/hellebore%20species%20croaticus,%20istriacus.html

I think I will adopt the feeding and mulching regime you use also Dianne. Thank you for the tip.

Peppa, thank you for the offer of some seeds. I hope I do remember in July/August time!

Dianne, a very generous offer to send some seedlings. I am very appreciative. Only boring forms in nurseries close to here and at the moment by plant budget is going on "white fever" for those little white spring flowering drops. I do see the need for some other flowers to go with the white ones though ;-)
Have only so far sent bulbs via post, how does this work with seedlings? Perhaps you could PM me and we can talk about and I will give you my address?

I have one last question, when is the best time (and best method) to divide clumps of Hellebores so they will recover fastest?

Again, thank you both for your generosity.

[assybish]

As Diane said the first is H foetidus and the second a x hybridus purple by the look of it.
Remember foetidus is short lived oftem only 2-3 years but it seeds freely.
Division can be done any time if the plant is large enough. Best time probably May-August when the rhizome is full of starch and the roots still growing. Keep all divisions on the dry side intil the rhizome hs scarred and the roots growing or there is a risk of rhizome rot.

[assybish]

the next crop of early bloomers

[Brian Ellis]

Wonderful colours Mike, well done

[ScotsmanInKent]

Really Lovely

I particularly like the third one down.

are these always this early ir is this year unusual?

simon

[David Nicholson]

Chin dribbling nice

[assybish]

They have been getting earlier these last 20 years as global warming kicks in. Now some are in flower all year round. Their native habitats are far more continental so get more clearly defind seasons especially longer and colder spells. This year they are I would say 2 weeks ahead of recent times.

[Hoy]

A nice crop you have, assybish!

This year things are ahead of schedule but last year and the year before that, things were behind schedule!