I have some serious back issues...

So do I, and I would strongly recommend the newer hybrids that have outward and occasionally upward facing flowers. All of the older ones hang down, and can't be seen by us folks with bad backs who can no longer bend, stoop or crawl, in order to admire beautiful flowers! These types are usually described as such on the labels or online descriptions, so make sure to read labels before you fall in love with a particularly striking cultivar that has hanging flowers. Sellers often pick the flowers off of the plants, face them all upwards, and then take the photo for the ads and labels for these plants....sneaky! Obviously, if you can buy plants in bloom then you know what they're going to do, but not everyone has access to a nursery with a good selection of Hellebores in bloom.

Clay soil can be a problem as it often doesn't have proper drainage. I know because I have lost several from being too wet for too long.

The best I've seen has been a rocky hillside (very positive drainage) with about 1/2 sun. Naturalizing freely down the hillside.

Sorry to be OT but anything hellebore gets me excited :). For the longest time I had no interest in acquiring this plant. But to be polite I took a division from a relative and I have been hooked ever since. Our most impressive specimen receives what I would have thought, too little sun to succeed but it blooms beautifully and is quite large. These are great perennials.

I did end up buying three, which will go under a large oak tree where I can see it from my window. Near my snowdrops! I also plan to amend the soil with a little sand and a lot of leaf mold, and maybe a bit of fireplace ash to cut the acidity?

Mine are doing nicely in acidic soil. Although I have heavy clay, the neighbor's silver maple keeps the soil dry.

Mine grow like weeds ( Helleborus x hybridus ) including in a semi-woodland area. I started them there by simply sprinkling seeds - didn't rake in or anything. I used to plant the self-sown seedlings from my garden hellebores in other garden areas, so now I have tons of them and access to lots of seeds.

I have a huge area where I hope to establish more (had to get rid of plants with aster yellows), so I'll be gathering and spreading seed with determination this year. I find the most time-consuming thing is getting the seed pods close enough to ripe but before they pop open. Then I just put them in large paper grocery bags to dry. I've also spread the stems instead of waiting for them to dry first.

I would skip the fireplace ash. Hellebores don’t mind acidic soil. They are so easy and so welcome when they show up. I have ’Joker’ right outside my front door and it has been blooming for about 6 weeks already.

Skip the sand as well; it's a recipe for real trouble.

Okay, I will dump them in the ground without ash or sand...but I will put in those ground up leaves, if only to help them establish!

I love these perennials. Due to them being so poisonous, deer avoid them. They are not inexpensive but do survive. I thiink they are acid-loving. Mine are planted under a Southern Magnolia that is limbed up some, so they do get some sun, but also fairly shaded. Currently, have ones flowering that are purple, pink, and pale green. I think some of mine bloom in early Winter as well.

They are not inexpensive

That's for sure. But like you said they are hardy.

Gallon sized hellebores are running $50 US apiece in northern Virginia nurseries. It's a slow growing plant and I want to select the plants while in bloom to ensure the desired flower form so I suck up the cost & budget accordingly.

" I think they are acid-loving. "

No, they prefer neutral or even slightly alkaline. However, they are not fussy and will do well in a variety of soils.

These are planted under a Southern Magnolia, all are blooming now. Some of these were also blooming in December as well.

We have DEER and they ignore these as they are quite poisonous.

If you are dying to amend very acid soil you could put a piece of chalk close to the plant. Unless someone else says this a stupid idea and unnecessary as well.

I thought of this thread when I noticed one of our hellebores recently starting to bloom. (This one is in lots of shade.)