Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Thursday, March 12, 2009
This Year's Hellebores
I'm still working on learning to love hellebores. I think part of my problem is that I've always mail-ordered them from mixed color lots and ended up with mostly mauve-y pinks that I just don't like very much. Even if I did like that color, it doesn't show up well in the woodland garden against the leaf litter mulch. Five of these flowers are Pine Knot hybrids from a mixed lot that Wayside Gardens offered a few years ago. The other two are from a single plant of a Royal Heritage hybrid, I think also from Wayside Gardens.
Of my six plants, the only ones I like much are both Pine Knot hybrids.
Labels: hellebores
9 Comments:
I found a sweet hellebore or two you might enjoy...Ivory Prince with white flowers that turn pink as it ages and Golden Lotus, a double yellow that would pop in your woodland garden. In the deep shade...those purple ones disappear. gail
I can understand your skepticism regarding hellebores, they are not really show stoppers and I do not like some of them that have big heads of clustered flowers. I fell in love with them when I would cut a few blooms and put them in a tiny vase on the windowsill over the kitchen sink and admire them for a month or more when there was little else blooming.
I agree with you and understand your ambivalence! I have the same type as you. Haven't found any that 'pop' yet. Don't seem to know where to get them like some others do. Guess I'm just not 'up' on the latest gardening suggestions. I need a personal garden guide;-)
Gail: Thanks for the tips! I'll look for those. You are so right about the dark ones being invisible.
Sheila: I'm coming around to your point of view about bringing them in the house as cut flowers. I've been floating them in bowls of water, but I like the idea of using small vases. Thanks!
Jan: That's one reason why I like to read blogs - the catalogs only tell you how fabulous all their plants are (even when they aren't). I think Gail's right about lighter colors being the way to go. Dee at Red Dirt Ramblings also has a really pretty one - white petals with a dark-shaded edge.
I really like these beautiful Hellebores,~from what I've seen. keep seeing them in seed catalogs on on gardening blogs,they look beautiful ~ I want to try them in my garden!!:)
Beautiful captures!!
Raining here also~all weekend!
But I can smell spring!:)
Enjoy your day!
Cat
Cat: Hellebores seem really adaptable, and critter-proof! Spring is coming - we were in Richmond yesterday and all the flowering trees are in bloom there - plums, cherries, pears.
These are nice. I'd take mixed colored ones over plants that never survive the first year.
MBT: I wonder if there's much variation in hardiness among all the different hybrids? Kind of pricy for experimentation though...
Your Helleborus are really gorgeous, so perfect. I think the off-white one really can lighten up a spot in the garden.
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