I have only seen wild ones. Shade and moist soil. The blooms dont last all too long - wild ones that is.
Garden Photos of '09......#3
thanks - probably not a good idea as the spot tends to be dry unless I water it constantly.
The 'jade star' is to die for. Is that one an orientalis? Those are the niger and orientalis are the only ones I have a hope in hoot of getting to grow here.
there is a jade star dL
its very nice
Gorgeous hellebores, Shelly. They're one of my faves. No problem adding more of them all the time!
I am going to have a serious discussion with some of my DLs this summer. They better get they're act in gear or they're gonners. Some of them are not performing very well.
feed them compost as soon as the grown thaws it will help them produce better
How about poop? They get compost in the fall and I don't have any left in the spring.
i love soild, poop, compost anything that helps plants grow
Gorgeous pics of those hellebores, Shelly. I'm drooling!!!! Makes me want to purchase more. I only have a few. I did just order some seeds from T&M, but they will take up to 18 mths to germinate and then about 3 years to bloom, so I have a long wait. I guess patience is a virtue. Sigh!!!! :P
Better yet, cousin Nut, on the DL's just dig them, work a bunch of compost into the soil, and replant. Do this as early on in the season as possible as you can. They should really benefit from that. Most DL's don't need a lot of care. They are considered easy care plants.
Karen
Poop is good, too, any kind!!!!
Karen
It's funny. My stellars are little troopers blooming all summer and my Raspberry Pixie which isn't supposed to be hardy here puts on a show every year but some of the others don't bloom at all one year then continually bloom the next. Perhaps I have bi-polar DLs. I will try the lift and amend trick in spring on the bi-polar ones. Thanks Cousin Nut.
You're welcome! I did a lot of lifting and amending this past fall, but have a lot more to do this spring. I'm itching to get some work done out there! Today I'm helping my sister cut up a tree we cut down and doing some burning.
Karen
you can buy moo poop at canadian tire or home depot or ronas I mix it like one third poop and soil and compost in a large bucket or right he the driveway and then add the mix to all my perennials in the spring as I clean up so I am only doing it once
clean
add mix
and fix mulch and
then move on the next section
Thanks all. Assuming my schedule goes as planned, I should have some more go post tonight. Now watch, tomorrow when I'm going to have a few hours to be in my own yard, it's going to snow or rain!!
Karen, glad you're venturing with the seeds. There is a process of water, heat, cool, etc. that can take probably 6 mon. off of that germination time. It's mentioned in that hellebore thread, for which there is a link above. what were the seeds, any particular strain or kind of hellebore?
Dahlia, there is a lot of niger and orientalis in the Jade Star. We were just talking about it's lineage yesterday. Technically it would have to be Helleborus x hybridus, they're that mixed. Anyhow, they are
part nigercors - which brought about the stripe (cause of the star)
part torquatis - the strong green background
part corsican again - strong foliage
then a lot of a strong strain of cark colored orientalis for the dark star color
so how is that for a mix!! Northwest nursery has been working on breeding and cross breeding for a long time to get those effects!! here is a link to that nursery. click on the 2008 stock for photos. what they don't show in all of their photos is all of the species hellebores that they used to come up with those and to mix back in. http://www.northwestgardennursery.com/
I forgot to mention Dahlia, they keep recipes (each individual stock plant has a number and they know what other number to cross with) for each of their straines of colors. The dark colors that I like, all come from strain NW 264, so I know to go looking for strain NW 264 to get the dark hellebors....that consistently produce a high percentage of dark offspring as well. Actually, if you were to call them, she'd tell you whether or not the Jade Star has enough hardy parentage to survive in your area.
Are they only wholesale, Shelly?
ummm... generally. with some exceptions. 1) They have three open garden weekends a year, and that's why I was there yesterday and will be again next Saturday... in hopes that they will have put out a few more of the ones that I'm after. They don't put the plants out to sell until they are in bloom.
2) if you call them and make an appointment to be there sometime other than their open weekends, and beg, they'll always cave and let you buy something.
3)once in a while, she speaks throughout the country, various times during the year and will take plants with her.
4) She'll gladly tell you who all they sell wholesale to that you might be able to get from in your area or mail order. I thought that i saw, online, at least one place on the east coast that was carrying the "winter jewels series" of hellebores this year. All of the winter Jewels (ie. Jade Star, Apricot blush, golden lotus, etc.) are from only Norwest Nursery. If you type in "winter Jewel Hellebore" into google, you'll find who's carrying them I think.
Thanks, Shelly! (My winter jewels are frozen.)^_^
Prince Albert wouldnt even make it in that weather.
edited
http://monticellostore.stores.yahoo.net/600162.html
This message was edited Feb 15, 2009 5:24 PM
Shelly, the seeds I'm getting are Helleborus lividus, 5 seeds for $1.49. Here's a link: http://www.tmseeds.com/product/8854.html You know, I just noticed that it's not hardy in my zone. I didn't check that before. Bummer! Wonder if I can call then and take it off my order and add Helleborus niger to my order instead. It is $1.99 for 40 seeds.
Karen
ROTFLOL! Schicken.... thanks, I needed a good laugh now. Too Funny.
Karen, I would think that they should let you change your order, especially for that reason.
Loved those hellebore pics! Jade Star is a beauty---the plants are very expensive in the catalogs---I can see why, when it takes so long to germinate them. I've tried twice to grow them--the first time, they didn't overwinter. The new ones have wintered for 2 or 3 yrs., but no blooms last year. If the icepack ever melts out back, I'll check them out.
I sure hope that they are coming up for you Robin. My first seedling, that came up 4 years ago, is finally going to bloom for the first time this year!!!!
ok.... a few more from yesterday.
another jade star
apricot blush
slate!!
I don't know exactly what strain, but it's peachy
I think that this is the last for now.
love them all!
thanks!
You live in helleborus heaven. Not so here.
so far it doesn't matter what color any of them are... I don't think I have ever seen one I dislike
I don't think that I have either Allison!
Jo Ann.... now, if only all of those were mine! well, even half of them would be good.
love em RC
Mornin Deb
GF visits her son in Seattle and says Hellebs grow in swaths under the trees.
What a sight.
I bet... just seeing those small displays at the flower show knocked me out... imagine seeing a large area of them
Well, yesterday my sister, Dad and I worked at gathering branches and cutting up the big maple that she cut down 2 weeks ago. I got to practice more with the chain saw. I'm a bit sore today. Did some chain sawing, cutting with a pruning saw and a lot of use of the lopping shears as well. We got most of it done. Should get the rest of it done today, and we are going to be burning as well. Here are some pics from yesterday, and tonight I will post pics of today's activities.
Karen
That first one was of my Dad gathering branches. Here's my sister using the chain saw. I resized all of these. I took them with my new camera. I'm loving it!
