Watch out Nancy, they are sooooooo addictive LOL. I just got my seed availability list from Ashwood Nursery in England on friday. I wasn't going to order this year but the darn birds got into the seed I sowed last year and I think they're goners. If you buy seed make sure it's FRESH, the seed from this years crop will be ready to plant around July. They will sit in their pots through the fall and germinate dec/jan. This is a seed that can go into a prolonged dormancy if not planted up as soon as available.
Now am I going to order the white flushed red dark nectaries or apricot peach, red, or maybe pale pink or picotees. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Annette

I finally bought one at the Master Gardener's sale a couple of years ago; first the dog dug it up; I replanted; he dug again; I replanted. I don't know if it will survive over the winter or not. I have it deeply mulched.
I have never had one before and never seen a bloom on this one.

Time will tell.

Good luck with your decisions!

I think that these are live plants.... they are so neat!!! They say that they will not only live, but thrive here - omg.....be still my heart. Anything that is early Spring is so hypnotic....oooooo - must buy - must buy.....

Yes Nancy they are early bloomers, the flower buds are showing on mine now, that is the ones that aren't still covered in snow. It's time to go out and cut all the old leaves off.
The weight of the snow has flattened my H. argutifolius (corsican) but H. foetidus has come through fine.
I have a few H. x hybridus some mature plants and seedlings. Another I'm very fond of is one called Ivory Prince this will be it's 3rd year in the garden but it's still buried in the snow. The link below shows some very nice Hellebores but I imagine they will be a tad pricey.
The link below shows some very lovely Hellebores. This is the nursery I was telling you about, I get to go there in the spring :o). Get ready to drool LOL.

Annette

Here is a link that might be useful: Hellebores

I think hellebores belong in every garden!! Except maybe those in very arid locations like parts of the southwest. They are certainly suitable for most northern gardens and will generally time their flowering to when they are most likely to be visible or through a light snow cover.

Here they are definitely winter bloomers - I have flowers showing on a few species already but most of the others are still forming buds. February and March is prime hellebore season around here and many nurseries, like the one Annette linked to above, have sales or festivals to celebrate the season. And they are really very easy to grow.

Have we enabled you enough?? :-))

I like the look of them too, but am not sure I want to get more now. I bought H. argutifolius a couple of years ago. I placed it in a nice damp, semi-shady spot and it has stayed small and has yet to bloom. Do they take a long time to establish or something? Maybe this one, seeing as it is native to Corsica, needs a sunnier spot? I don't know what I am doing wrong. If I could get this one to bloom I would get another Hellebore in a heartbeat. I really love those white ones tinged with green!
CMK

Christin, one of the myths prevelent with hellebores is that they are shade lovers. This is not true - they are native to mostly open areas, meadows and woodland verges - and are only shade tolerant. Most would prefer to be in a good deal of sun and will certainly bloom better if provided with at least 4 hours of sun (morning is ideal). And they tend to be very drought tolerant once established - too moist a location is not ideal.

Helleborus argutifolius is most definitely a sun lover, as you surmised from its origins in Corsica and Sardinia. It is very much a Mediterranean plant and appreciates much the same conditions as does lavender. And it is one of the least cold hardy species as well.....I'm surprised yours is still alive in zone 5, but maybe you have a nice microclimate going on.

Try one of the xhybridus cultivars - great colors, very cold tolerant - or the 'Ivory Prince' Annette mentioned. This is one of the best new hellebore selections on the market with a very long bloom season, lots of flowers that go through some interesting color changes and stunning foliage. And give 'em some sun!

I've linked to an excellent website written by a GW member. There's a ton of info here on growing all manner of hellebores, propagation, favored cultural conditions, etc. Or check out the Hellebore forum here on GW.

Here is a link that might be useful: excellent hellebore website

I'm not EVEN going to look!

Nancy! You temptress! :)

"They are certainly suitable for most northern gardens"

I think not.

Annie, I actually think that it is Annette that is the temptess, with such a link to other plants as well. :O

There are some different cones there that grow in zone 3...now why don't they ship to the land of the frozen?

Sierra

Hee, Hee, Hee, I got a substantial gift certificate to this place for Christmas from my very DS1. I'll go over to the mainland in the spring DS1 picks me up at the ferry and takes me to this my new favorite place to shop. By the time I get there most of the really nice Hellebores will be gone but maybe I can find one that has been missed. I can only carry so much onto the ferry being I'm walking on but I have one of those collapsable boxes on wheels, you'd be surprised how much I can get in. I've even taken things out of pots and put them in bags LOL.

Annette

"They are certainly suitable for most northern gardens"

I think not.

Now why would you say that? Most species are hardy from zone 4-8, some even hardier. And that most definitely covers a very broad expanse of northern gardens. And I did say "most" northern gardens....the tundra of zone 2 could very well be the exception :-)

And FWIW, I'm located at Latitude 47.62 N - more northerly than any other state in the US and the equivalent of parts of Newfoundland. And Annette is even further north than I. So technically, what I said was 100% correct :-) But I do understand your point.

gardengal48,

First you have to come visit us at the far north garden forum here on gardenweb.zones 0 to 3. To me, most northern gardens can't grow hellebores...without special treatment....not easy to grow here.

I think this is pick on Annette day! :O Oh yes, Annette definately lives in the north. Northern zone 8. LOLLLL!!!!!

Annette, you need to take 2 carts, one to push in front of you and one to pull behind you. I am so helpful. haha That nursery will actually ship to a nursery in Victoria so you could pick them up there if you had to. Funny they don't ship anywhere else.

I suspect that some of these cones will be available here soon as well....or in some mail order places. At least some of these fancier ones are getting more zone hardy. Ya! I can push to zone 3 but not 5.

Sierra

Now, now....ladies.
Calm your feathers.

I hope you weren't including me in your "pick on Annette day" comment Sierra. I was jokingly speaking to Nancy who posted this topic and posted the LINK to the Hellebores. I think she knows me well enough to know that.

It is just that I don't dare go look at that link BECAUSE I know I would want some of those plants and I just can't even let myself be tempted - which is the title of Nancy's topic.

In truth, I love Hellebores, but can't afford them right now.

Let it go.
No harm intended and no harm done.

Annie

Hey guys, I didn't take this as pick on me, I love throwing bits and pieces in for all to drool over LOL. I just like to share what's available and when I saw Nancy was interested in Hellebores in my exuberance I just wanted to share the pix I had found. Some of these beauties cost around $40 or so, kind of out of my price range unless I'm having a very weak moment and I've found a way to get away with feeding DH Kraft Dinner for a week.
I for one quite often say the wrong thing, without meaning what comes across as you all know. I think sometime back I was mentioning something to Martha about? and used the word bare instead of bear. Martha came back and said she didn't think she knew me well enough, I practically fell off my chair laughing.
This is just the greatest group, I have learned so much here and like to think I've made a lot of new friends too. Let's not read something into what's not there.

Annette

Annie,

Not to worry. Sorry but I find a comment like Annette living in the north, hilarious. Hilarious enough to take the time to make a comment. No feathers were ruffled here. I am still laughing. I told DH about this and he roared as well. Really sorry if that offends anyone...but there is nothing to let go? When you live in THE NORTH, zone 2, this is funny!!!! I used to live on the Island, trust me it IS NOT THE NORTH.

The reason I was picking on Annette is that this nursery is close enough that if I really wanted to take a road trip, I could get there in the spring. And I just might...and I'm suspicious she knows it.:O That nursery isn't exactly that close to her either...the ferry trip alone is couple hours.

Annette and Martha, I do remember the bare/bear comment. It was funny! Why do people take everything so serious around here?

A sense of humour would be good occassionly on here.

Annette you can always switch the Kraft Dinner off with toast and peanut butter. lol!

Now back to a garden of beautiful white snow, in the North....over and out.

Sierra

No feathers ruffled here, either :-) But I do tend to be rather literal when it comes to gardening......guess that's one of the drawbacks of being in the industry and a horticultural educator. And north defines only latitude, not hardiness. Annette's and my latitude put us further north than the majority of the posters here, yet we still enjoy a very mild hardiness zone. Compare that to midnightsmum's 4b Ontario location.....depending on exactly where in Ontario she is located, she could be well south of us, yet a good 4 zones colder.

And since by virtue of simple population densities, most gardeners on these forums live south of Sierra's zone 2 but are still located within the northern tier of states that have hardiness zones in the 4-6 range. So enjoy your laugh, Sierra :-)) Hilarious as you may think, north does not always equate to cold and your situation, if not unique, is certainly not all that common. That is afterall why there is a Far North gardening forum. Where exactly ARE you located, btw?

Hey, I am in inland socal, have lived in zone 9, 9+ and 10 and hellebores definitely grow in those hot dry areas very well. Love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe we should start an exchange group for hellebores. Those who have them - give- those who don't - receive and say thank you. Sounds good to me . . . . . .

Nancy, I appologize for the way this thread has ended up. YOU know that wasn't my intent.

However, when someone is trying to pull rank on others...that is just silly. When I said over and out, I had no intention of comming back to this thread....but with some of these comments, I have to say my piece.

First Gardengirl, pulling rank is hilarious. I have a Diploma in gardening and landscaping. I run a gardening business in spring, summer and fall. In the winter I start all sorts of seeds. I am head gardener for more than one garden. And I have lived and gardened in many of these gardening zones that are listed on this forum. Yes I have lived in Annette's zone and I have lived in Nancy's zone. I am also an educator. ..teaching gardening, both hands on and theory. I also lecture. I won't list the rest of my education, because well...it has nothing to do with gardening. Lets just say I am educated and leave it at that.

Now, without trying to hurt your feelings or anyone elses, please educate yourself about gardening in the north...and other zones you may not be familiar with. Actually my garden is really not all that unique.....its not anymore unique than someone gardening in zone 8. Every garden zone has its ups and downs. There are many MANY gardeners in zones 0 to 3. Not unique gardens, but beautiful gardens the same as everyone elses.

Many Far North gardeners have to educate, because southerners just don't take the time to learn about other zones than their own. They dismiss the far north gardeners thinking that nothing will grow there. Or saying there isn't many gardens in those zones...or calling them unique.

I believe the Far North garden forum was started years ago, by crazygardener. It really does help educate people willing to take the time to look at it and ask questions there. The gardens shown there are neither rare nor are they unique. We just have to do things a bit differently to achieve these gardens. Now if I was sitting in California, I would be saying the same thing, they have to do things a bit different than here in zone 2 to achieve the results.

The cottage garden forum is a combination of all zones and Countries. We are a varied bunch from north to south. No one needs to be singled out as our common interest is gardening. Is Edna's garden different than Nancy's....hell ya. Is Libby's garden different from Eduarda's....ohhh I think so. But we all get there. No one pulls rank, we all help each other out.....and educate each other.

That is what gardening is all about...teaching and LEARNING!!!

Jumping down off my soapbox now...and won't take time to respond to this thread again.

Again, Nancy I appologize, I hope you do try some hellebores and tell us how they do in your garden.

Sierra

Sierra, I have no idea how you came to the notion that I was pulling "rank", whatever that heck that is, and frankly, your latest response is more than a little offensive. You made a very blatant, blanket statement to the effect that hellebores won't grow in the north, as if you had some sort exclusivity to being located in northerly area.

All I was attempting to point out is that zones 4,5 and 6 are typically referred to as "northern" zones while 7, 8 and 9 are often labelled as "southern zones". Neither is correct, however perhaps just the predominance of geographical location has a lot to do with these common references. Hardiness zones and geographical locations do not necessarily go hand in hand - that was all I was trying say. There may be "many" gardeners located in zones 0-3 but there are a heck of a lot more located in zones 4-6 - any map of population densities will tell you that.

Why you should take such personal offense to my comments is quite beyond me. Rather, I should be the one taking offense because you as much said with your little comment that I had no idea what I was talking about. And why you feel the need to belittle my education and occupation (I made that reference only to illustrate why I tend to be very literal when discussing gardening terms, not to flaunt my background, although I see you don't have any issues about flaunting yours) and make references to my lack of experience in dealing with other zones - an assumption you also make in error, as you have no idea about where I have gardened or what I do - is also more than a little disturbing.

Yes, please DO get off your soapbox, it's misplaced and it doesn't become you.

Ok, I think it's the weather - it's too cold, it's too snowy, and we all have cabin fever!!! lol. Put the weapons down ladies, and step back. Now everyone shake hands. The problem with words in black and white, as opposed to oral communication is that we can't see the writer's eyes, facial expression, or hear the tone in their voice. A phrase innocently made can easily be misunderstood, and hurt inflicted. The great thing about this community of the Cottage Garden is that it is populated by passionate gardeners, passionate people. That is the fun of it, and why this forum is so popular. I am sorry that feelings were hurt, but I hope that they will heal quickly, and that we can continue to all be friends.

Nancy. - who, btw, lives somewhere around 46 degrees lat.