Wonderful Hellebores
escolat
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
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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 MoreApril 2009 (many photos)
Comments (13)Gldno1, it takes a few years for the hellebores to reach flowering size. Also, they seem to require far more sun (at least in my Zone 6 CT garden) than gardening resources indicate. These have been in the ground for about 10 years. No flowers (and few leaves) until about 6 yrs. ago when we had an enormous maple tree removed which all but blocked the sun completely from reaching the hellebores. As soon as the tree was removed they took off. I always thought they were shade plants too! As you can see they take quite a bit of sun. From noon until sundown, as this is a SW exposure, they receive full direct sunlight....See MoreHad you ever wondered about dividing your hellebores?
Comments (6)Division was carried out extensively 20 years or so ago when there were a small number of named clones from Helen Ballard, Eric Smith, Linda Davenport, Robin White and a few others. In the mid 80s and 90s others picked up the breeding reins and seed strains were developed, Elisabeth Strangman, Ashwood and others to the point where it is much cheaper and easier to produce healthy hybrid plants of a known line of breeding to produce reds, greens, yellows, whites, etc then going on to all the doubles and semi doubles.... If you have a particular plant you feel you must divide then you will find instructions here on the archives....simply put, divide just after the flower season before the new growth is coming up, Take care not to let the roots dry out, the white roots are more important than the black. Wask the soil off so you can see what you're doing. Divide into large chunks with at least 3-4 growing eyes each, single splits will likely be blind for at least a season after division, bigger clumps will give good ongoing results. Replant quickly into a well prepared, enriched, deep soil, the extra benefit of good feeding will quickly overcome the shock of lifting and division. A big plant is quite a task to divide, I only divide when they get to be too big, 20" or so across at the crown, it's a major task, just to lift them and even more work to cut them up, I take 6-8 divisions off the outside of the plant and throw the centre away, it's like a block of wood. Don't bother dividing small plants, you risk losing the divisions. Don't try dividing the species, when you know lots about them they still die on you when divided. The niger hybrids benefit from division every 3-4 years, again when you know enough about these you'll know what and when to do. Cheers Greenmanplants...See Morewhew
Comments (1)Joseph your enthusiasm is infectious. I am off to buy my first Hellebore this week end. Do I really have to wait 3 years to have it bloom? Lynn...See Moreescolat
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