Wonderful Hellebores
escolat
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I enjoy my hellebores. Mine will begin to bloom in December and really put on a show at the first sign of warm weather! They bloom before the crocuses and last for weeks. They really make cold weather fun! And give me something to watch in winter!
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escolat
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Idyll # 502 - Is it spring yet?!
Comments (101)Morning all, well it is still raining but it looks like we we'll get a reprieve for a couple days and I think I'll be able to work outside this afternoon if we don't get the predicted thunder storms. So very much to do still. I've got the back gardens in pretty good shape but haven't done a bit of work in the front except to do some clean-up. Heather's boyfriend has been working for me a day or so a week and he really can get a lot done in a short period of time. He's gotten the entire back gardens mulched! I edged everything and he traipsed the mulch up, down and around and got it all spread. I cleaned out the borders but he did all the raking and cleanup in the back and behind the pond which is a huge job. Now I need to get to work on the front. The driveway garden needs a ton of work and I've got to replace or change a bunch of plants from the rodent damage. My worst casualty there is the enormous clump of Oriental 'Bergamo' lilies, there were at least two dozen last summer, anyway, they are all GONE! every last one of them. drasty rodents. The good news is that Doug FINALLY listened to me and took Zicam and his cold magically disappeared in three days. This morning he told me to stop gloating, LOL. Saucy, love Ginger, what a cutie. She looks like a sweetie with a bit of mischief in her. LOL about putting bacon in the boy's pockets. Whatever works right? ~~~ We need to touch bases about getting those hosta leaves here. I'd like to get them painted and think about situating them. No need to worry about the stands at this time. WE can do that later. Sounds like you've got a very full plate these days. Bug, the furnace is running here as well. I can't believe I'm wearing a fleece turtleneck with a sweatshirt the end of May. ~~~ LOL, love those buggy Pj's, so cute and that sweater is great! ~~ I'm the same as you with running at half speed when its so gloomy out. Can't wait to see the sun again. ~~ so cool you checked out Neos and vrieseas, they are so cool! Here is a pic of a few of my Neoregelias The coolest thing about these plants is the ease of culture. They don't need to be watered often, almost no feeding. The Vrieseas grow well in filtered light to light shade and the Neos, depending on the variety grow and color up well with a half day of sun. After they bloom the mother plant dies off in a year or so and the plant throws off multiple pups so you now have replacements at no cost and very little effort. Kathy, you are so lucky you dont' have to deal with the woodchucks. They are so terribly destructive. I wouldn't want to deal with banana slugs though. yukko! looking forward to seeing pics of your new hoyas. Julie, yes, we are going to be on the Garden Conservancy's Open Days in July this summer but we were also on a local garden tour last year. Next year I'm taking the year off from tours. Too much work! OKie Dokie, waving hello to one and all, have a great day and lets all hope for some sunshine and warm temps. Deanne...See Moreterra nova co op
Comments (12)David,have you been posting at all, or just reading quietly? I used to follow your posts avidly, especially when you posted pictures. Can you update us on your "new" gardens and the woodland path? Every once in a while someone puts your photos up here and hearts melt across the United States. You advice about moving a garden when the gardener moves is still re-posted when someone writes with plans to pack up their garden with the furniture. Here in New England, and where you are as well, winter will drag on for another month. Cheer us up with new revelations! Good to see your name in print. idabean...See MoreLet's talk about hellebores
Comments (8)With the exception of Helleborus niger, the vast majority of hellebores grown in the US will be hybrids. And most will be plants of Helleborus x hybridus, the so-called 'oriental' hybrids. These seem to the be the most prolific due to the range of flower color, ease of growth and overall hardiness. True species are harder to find and are less widely adapted to colder climates as are a number of other, newer hybrids on the market Oddly, the xhybridus forms are my least favorite :-) Some of the colors are great - the yellow with maroon speckling is one of my faves - but they tend not to produce flowers in the same abundance and for as long as period as some of the other hybrid forms and they still haven't mastered the upward facing flower trait :-) They also do not come true from seed - named forms are almost always propagated by tissue culture. And it has the least appealing foliage of the modern hybrids. I prefer the species H. argutifolius and foetidus and the xballardiae and xericsmithii hybrids. btw, there IS a GardenWeb forum devoted to hellebores :-) Not as active as it used to be but still a lot of great info to be found there....See MoreDoes Anyone Grow These Varieties?
Comments (3)They are planted in a spot with buildings to the south and west, and deciduous trees all around, so they get dappled to heavy shade in the summer and fall, except for 20-60 minutes of early morning sun when it first rises. In late fall to mid-spring, they get almost full sun as the leaves are gone from the trees. I think they LOVE this combo as they have really expanded in the 3 years I've had them. I wasn't expecting much even though the description said they could have 100 blooms on a single plant. I thought I'd be happy with 10 blooms, but by the 2nd year they were well past 10 blooms, and probably closer to 30. This year I didn't count but would not be surprised if they were nearing 50 blooms. :-) Edit to add: I think from everything I've read, that they would be fine in full sun as long as they are well watered and in soil that does not get swampy. They are not really a shade plant, just shade-tolerant I've read....See More
nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolis
8 years agoa pic I took yesterday...love all the babies...some babies r now blooming...
escolat thanked nicholsworth Z6 Indianapolisescolat
8 years ago
arlene_82 (zone 6 OH)
8 years agoThey truly are. This is Maestro, Painted Doubles, and unsure of the one in the lower left as it was mismarked as Amber Gem. Maestro has been going nonstop since mid December.
escolat thanked arlene_82 (zone 6 OH)
KarenPA_6b
8 years agoLove your clumps of hellebores, Arlene and escolat! Ballerina Ruffes is stunning Redwolfdoc. I love double white hellebores. Here are some of mine. None of these bloom according to their names and description. They are all mislabels but pretty nonetheless.
escolat thanked KarenPA_6bescolat
8 years agoescolat
7 years agoWhen most plants are shutting down, my hellebores begin to form flower buds! They really make fall and winter fun!
escolat
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoAn update! Mostly Ivory Prince, Pink Frost & other pink varieties.
Pink Frost…I love the unique color of the petal backs.
They love growing under my 2nd story deck and crabapple tree. Carefree color! Besides throwing a little plant food and leaf removal, I do absolutely nothing else…Every home should have 'wonderful hellebores'!
escolat
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoAnother year, another great display! Happy Spring,everyone!
KarenPA_6b
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoBeautiful, Escolat! I particularly love Pink Frost. Some of mine blooming this week:
Phoebe is a favorite of mine
Wedding Bells is anoither nice one too.Apricot Blush
Frostkiss Molly's White
Frostkiss Penny's Pink
Amber Gem
For some reason, Houzz does not allow me to post more than one pic.escolat thanked KarenPA_6b
katob Z6ish, NE Pa
3 years agoWow, they really settled in and sound carefree.
Karen, please try again lol
I have one open and the rest are real close. This is 'Spanish Flare', I was thrilled to find it last spring in the leftovers section, and was hoping the label was correct!
escolat thanked katob Z6ish, NE Paescolat
3 years agoThe classic Christmas rose, blooming late with the rest of the hellebores this year..My 'Jacob' cultivar did actually bloom for Christmas.
escolat
10 months agolast modified: 10 months agoTalk about a long blooming season...my pink hellebore is still attractive in my landscape in June!. It has been blooming since March, the bright pink flowers have faded to cream...the evergreen foliage is attractive too( I'm just going to clean up the yellow old leaves/spent flowers and enjoy the plant in summer) ...groundhog, rabbit and deer resistant and care free...Who could ask for anything more in a plant?
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