I DECIDED TO PICK A SELECTION OF HELLEBORE FLOWERS, SO THAT I COULD APPRECIATE THEIR INDIVIDUALITY. IN THE GARDEN, THEY SOMETIMES LOOK SIMILAR, OR ONE ONLY SEE's THIER BACK. HERE, A BEE'S EYE VIEW.
TODAY, HELLEBORES COME IN MANY COLORS, FROM SLATE GREY TO BRIGHT GREEN AND ALMOST YELLOW.
I've only been growing Helleborus for about 15 years, and if there is one thing that I have learned, it's that Hellebores take time to get established. Those first plants that I planted in my ephemeral border, because it is a border shaded under a canopy of deciduous trees, and one that I do not mulch with wood bark. This is also a border comprised mostly of herbaceous wild flowers and bulbs like Anemone neomarica, Corydalis, native wild flowers and a bed that remains undisturbed for must of the year, aside from a fresh mulch of shredded native leaves).
Helleborus species are long lived, but it does that some skill in carefully siting them, and in caring for them until they become 'established'. You may be tempted to buy a 5 gallon container at a nursery thinking that you are getting a jump ahead of your neighbors, but you will find that no matter how carefully try not to disturb the roots, that you will still get a plant less vigorous the following year, until roots become established. Hellebores are very long lived plants in the garden, and they are worth the investment, for most are 'an investment', but I advise that you follow a few rules if you want to have more than the average success.
1. Prepare the site to their liking. Hellebores are not acid lovers, so use plenty of limestone both in the hole, and in a 2 foot perimeter. Site the plants in a place where they can thrive under a tall canopy of deciduous trees, so that they leaves can fall and remain in the ground. The site should be a place where you rarely dig or fuss in, for Hellebores dislike any root disturbance.
2. Buy young plants. Sure, you will have to wait longer for your first blooms, but the long-lived roots need time to extend, and once they begin wrapping and winding around inside a nursery pot, then you've lost an opportunity for them to venture out on their own.
3.Dont' mulch with wood bark. The best and favored much is a natural one, preferably one made from composted leaves, or leaves from your garden put through a shredder, and gently spread around the plants ( just as in nature). If you use a leaf much, you will begin to see seedlings, and self-sown Hellebores are a sign that you've mastered the art of Hellebore culture!
4.In the spring, don't remove the old foliage from last year ( which is often pressed down by snow onto the grown and starting to brown) until the flowers emerge and bloom. This is key, and being patient is difficult when the old foliage looks so ugly, but these old leaves are still working, and even though they may look ugly and un-tidy, be patient in cutting them off until mid May, even though the new foliage is beginning to rise. I wait until the stamens fall off of the flowers, and when the seedpods are forming.
BLACK OR GREY HELLEBORES ARE VERY COLLECTABLE. TOP RIGHT, 'STARLING', BOTTOM LEFT, 'SLATE'.
|A FIVE YEAR OLD PLANT IS STILL ADJUSTING, BUT THIS YEAR, 3 STEMS WITH FLOWERS HAVE ARRIVED..|
|A PLANT WHICH IS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD, AND NOT A FANCY ONE. THIS CAME FROM A HOME DEPOT.|
|EVERY YEAR, THERE ARE MORE AND MORE VARIETIES AVAILABLE. I TRY TO ADD AT LEAST ONE EVERY YEAR TO MY COLLECTION BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPENSIVE. LITTLE-BY-LITTLE, THE COLLECTION GROWS.|