Something is awakening

Rach, I have different species, some I cut old growth now, the new growth has the inflorescence. some have the inflorescence on last years growth. then I cut them to ground after bloom. I'm not sure of the species. I'd have to look at the tags. also I've read that they need a shot of lime every year in our acid soils. Jim

Glad you put that in, Jim. I was going to put about how some species you need to cut back the old growth, then I couldn't remember what ones those were! LOL! I know Helleborus foetidus is one of them. Probably H. niger, too. Laurie would know. She's the hellebore queen. I think any of them where the infloresence grows at the end of a stalk.

So the ones we're talking about above, in Tilly's photo, are H. orientalis.

Mine are showing more bloom right now. I need to get more photos of the blooms, if only the rain would stop for awhile.

Hellebore queen?

Ah, you see? Just say the words 'hellebore queen' and she answers! I believe this goes along with your other duties. Which species of hellebore have stalks that need cutting back in the winter? We were discussing H. orientalis and the cutting back of leaves to tidy the plant and prevent the spread of disease. Jim pointed out that some of his have flower stalks that he cuts back after bloom, and some that he cuts back before bloom. We need help differentiating, oh royal one! (bow and scrape, bow and scrape... back up slowly)

(Oh Lord! I've bowed too low and now I can't get up!)

I hate to say this, but I don't know! I doubt very much that lividus and sternii need cutting back - their growth is quite different, and they are sun loving hellebores. And I find the odorous (Miss Jekyll) has such a different shaped leaf, much lighter in weight and smaller - doesn't seem effected. The foetiddus I don't grow. I know the orientalis (the niger and all the glorious coloured ones) are prone to black spot - should be cut back, and I rarely get around to it, then when I spot the black spot I rush out and take care of one plant and then get distracted, so I never finish the job until the new leaf is out and I have started collecting seeds.

what this says is - Queens get to make up their own rules.

Quite honestly, I think Pix has it right: bowing and scraping gives you just the right prespective for a closer look at hellebore blossom (they tend to be quite low and downward facing, so really getting low...) and the backing up allows you to collect up all the discarded leaf as you move back through your bed. Very good thinking. I am willing to effect this same posture, and see how we get on! Lets establish this as a protocol and make some DGPNW observational rulings! We will return to this thread next year at this time to convene on our findings. I have decreed. stamp, approved.

(how did I sound Pix, did I get the tone about right? I've been studying Helen Mirren).

I only cut orientalis now and sternii and lividus later if necessary. Heidi

OOO'Kay now you got me confused, but I guess it dosn't matter now, I cut off all the leaves. the tag only saids H ' Royal Heritage'

ROFLOL!!!! Tills, you got it right! Just cut the leaves off with impunity and don't worry about a thing! You have H. orientalis 'Royal Heritage strain'.
Laurie, you are smart as a whip! I've never seen anyone take to being a queen quite as easily and naturally as you do. The tone is perfect. Haughty, with just a touch of 'librarian' about it, especially with the 'stamp, approved'! Just cracks me up completely! Are you wearing glasses and looking down your nose? Please, oh PLEASE get a photo of said self with crown and stamping pad. Must have!
If the rain and wind ever stop I will bow and scrape my way past all my hellebores and take some very low-to-the-ground photos of their sweet little blooms.

ONly one suggestion (said in a deferential tone, off-with-her-head fear) when the queen doesn't know the answer to a question, I doubt she admits it. She would likely tell said questioner that it is not her job to know these pieces of useless information and that the royal gardener would be the correct personage to ask. Wave the hand in dismissal, stamp, and approved! Nose in air.

Thank you, staying shy of the rest of this, sorry Laurie your on your own, stand fast

Thank you m'arm.

Can someone else wear the crown for a while? Its too heavy (can you imagine how uncomfortable those things are, I mean - yeeech! And your hair must get stuck in all those little encrustations of jewels - do they worry about that? NOOOOOOO - they just keep making them! And you have to wear heavy duty bobby pins to hold them in place and when you try to open the pins they chip your teeth and the dentist......I quit! I want to be a commoner again - afterall, I just did our taxes - well I didn't, but I paid the accountant). I'm going for a blue fluffy hat - tick, no sparkly bits, tick, and no bits that pull my hair, stamp, approved. (and yes, I do have glasses down my nose, and they are pink!)

This message was edited Feb 6, 2008 10:27 PM

You can borrow my fleece jester hat with bells, if you like.... :)

will it go with my pink glasses?

Hmm, it's a dark almost-purple blue and green (alternating in sections) so I suppose it depends on how you choose to define "go" ;)

as in 'away with you lassie'!

I have a purple one, Laurie. You can borrow that one if it will go better with the pink glasses. I am hopeful that they have rhinestones on them?
Can't believe you are abdicating the throne already. That was a short reign!
I bowed and scraped a bit today before it got too dark. Here are some photos of the cheerful hellebore faces lighting up the garden. Some are still not blooming yet.

Here's another one.

A stately miss.

Love the color, but it looks bluer in the photo than in reality.

Last but not least. I'm going to Heidi's tomorrow to pick up my Kingston Cardinal! Can't wait to see that one bloom. I hope she has some other cool ones. I've decided I don't have nearly enough hellebores.

Pix tell Heidi to save me one, PPPPPlease ...... thank you
Can't wait to see what mine will look like, Yours are beutyFFFul

Laurie I'll se if we have a pink one like mine LOL it will match your glasses.

This message was edited Feb 7, 2008 9:39 PM

Don't worry, tills! Yours is going to be beautiful any day now!! I've never met a hellebore that I didn't like.

And this from a woman who expects rhinestones! Hate to disappoint Pix, but pink was as far as I went.

More hellebores please - such nice little blossom. Tills, yours is building up to the big song and dance - but as with so many things - you must wait.

And as an example of how patience pays (not!!) Raced out to the greenhouse last night to check to make sure all my sowing had blossomed (not blossomed, not just germinated - I want fully grown blossoming size plants) while I was in town, annnndddd zip. (Now what was that I was just saying about patience and virture and waiting - much easier said than done). Not one had come through - was I surprised? as an adult, no, it'd only been 4 days - 4 mighty fine days with lots of sunshine - but still only 4 days. Was I disappointed - bl'##y too true! What do they mean not coming up in 4 good days - I sowed them the least they could do is pop their little heads up!! I don't think that is asking too much - I sowed, I watered, I warmed, I covered, the least they could do is grow! And then checked again when I went to close up tonight, and peep - one itsy bitsy tiny green nose of telekia was poking up - Now if the mice don't discover it tonight - hurrah.

I think I'm a little late posting here, but Laurie (*ahem*...I mean "Your Highness,"... I mean...wait, no, you're not the Queen anymore, right?) I do have a lovely jester collar and a much more appropriate crown for this mob, modeled by a very dear friend of mine, Seamus. Perhaps this will fit you better than a bejewled crown?

This message was edited Feb 8, 2008 11:45 AM

Outta -

I hope you don't mind, but I've shared this with a few friends. That is a picture that is screaming out to be on the cover of many, many different magazines and calendars. It's awesome.

Kathleen

Thanks, Kathleen. Seamus is a real character, one of the many BH's in my SAR group and in our BH club, Pacific Rim Bloodhounds. This was taken at the BH parade at the Regionals in Auburn last August. I did edit the picture some, primarily to get rid of background distractions like the little white fences they have at dog shows, etc. Seamus himself is unedited, you can seen by the white line of drool (drool is cool...not just an accessory, we call it "droolery" when we wear it) opposite his incredibly LONG tongue. We do love our hounds!

Incredibly long tongue is right. What a cutie.

Perfect court jester attire!
Laurie, congrats on your new baby! May the mice never find it!

So far the mice love my pine seeds. I heard if you sprinkle moth balls by your seeds like on the shelf the mice don't like the smell of that and stay away. I had them knaw off with their teeth tons of woody plants one year. Pissed

Outta
That is just to cute, and come to think of it I have a pic somewhere of my DH wearing something like that at a Holloween party a few years ago.

I hate Waiting, but at least I'm not the only one. Ha Ha

This message was edited Feb 8, 2008 10:30 PM

Too true Tils, I can reprimand better than I can do.

Outta, I love the jester!!! We are definately going to win the photo contest this year. I'm not sure sure about the droolery though - may I pass on that for this year?

And thank you pix, I am just stopping in while I finish my cuppa tea before rushing out to check on the green babies - oh to h#%l with it, tea can come with!

xo to all, it is going to be another gorgeous gardening day!

Thought you all would get a laugh out of this
Can you see Seamus and my DH walking down the street together.

These where taken at a Holloween party. I was Elvria

Heidi - I can imagine that the mice would stay away from the moth balls. Trouble is, I can't stand that smell either.

Nice pics, Mary.

Me neither. I start them inside then bring them out once they sprout.

Tills!!! What happened to outdoor man! That is just charming! How did you get your dh to dress up? Mine would never - never!

Laurie ~ Never EVER? Wow, that's too bad, sad to hear that. Mine does, as you can see ~

The things your find out AFTER you've married them . . .

Yeah...who knew what happens after dark? But then again...he didn't know this about me, either. We both have, however, learned to live with each other's others...

Oh my - seems you both had some secrets. Good thing you appear to be compatible . . .

Okay. I looked again. That is just one scary picture. Now I NEED to meet you in person so I can get that pic out of my head. LOL