Neal, you can slap my hands for putting this here if you like, and my apologies is this is out-of-line.

If anyone is interested in buying some Hellebores from Terra Nova, there's a co-op (it's probably listed on ATP, I'm not sure) on Cubits: p:/cubits.org/TartWarmersandMore/thread/view/61215/

If you're familiar with them you'll see these are *great* prices.

If you're not familiar with them, they're great shade/ part shade plants that bloom *very* early and have very nice foliage. The flowers are nodding, but are wonderful (I've heard - I haven't GOTTEN mine yet!!!!) floated in a bowl of water. The also reseed nicely. And the blooms are gorgeous!

Okay, go look.

In Ohio, I have had good luck with them in a fair amount of sun....

Yeah, I've heard about them being planted in full sun, didn't occur to me that it was probably north of me, 'cause I think they might fry here in full sun.

So you grow them, Jules?

Thanks for the heads-up, Sheryl. I'm looking for Hellebores.

Oh, please go there - I'm *so* hoping there's enough for the co-op to go through. 'Cause I like being broke, lol.

I just did. I'll see what happens with the co-op ... I might be able to order a few more.

Yes, Sheryl, I do - I have a friend that plays around hybridizes them. I get to pick from his cast offs! I had some planted under some trees - and then we had a big ice storm a few years ago. Some of the trees had to be taken down, and the hellebores ended up fine! I was really worried about them, but when I looked them up, I found that they should survive well this far north even in the sun. Some had some brown edges but they survived and bloomed. The smaller trees that were nearby have grown enough that they give a bit of shade now.

I've only had Helebores for a few years but after following the advice on this website have noticed a marked improvement in them.
http://www.hellebores.org/grow...

Mine get a few hours of direct sun a day now. I bought 2 as very small starts last year and both bloomed this spring. A very welcome sight in March, blooming at the same time as Crocus 3/20 and 21.

Mmm - good resource, Evan - thanks!

Does anyone grow any of the H. foetidus? I had bought some from a co-op from Sunshine Farms, but they all croaked before I was able to plant. I really like the different leaf shapes.

Sheryl, the heads up on good deals is most welcome here! You know how cheap I am, LOL! I grew H.foetidus in my last garden, but the seedlings I brought with me when we moved here didn't make it (a drought the year I moved the garden did several things in). As I recall, it bloomed in winter, which was nice, but the cold would sometimes injure the blooms. I think you'll have better luck with it being further south. The green blooms were gorgeous.

Huh.... they should be hardy much further north, Neal, I'm surprised. Maybe it was just the combination of moving and drought?

Yup, it's true - you and I are in complete agreement about the prices on plants. Pam does wonderful co-ops, oftentimes they're smaller plants for tiny prices. Several things - like these hellebores - are plants I've wanted badly for quite a while but would *never* pay full retail price for.

The blooming sized H.foetidus I had bloomed much earlier than I had expected, seems like it was November or December. I recall them starting to bloom one year while I still had late mums blooming. It was when the really cold temps of January came that the blooms got scorched looking, but only the blooms were damaged- the plant was fine. I'm pretty sure the problem with the seedlings I brought here were done in by the drought. There are lots of tree roots in the area where I planted them- no amount of watering seems to help much there.

Oh, gotcha.

I have foetidus.Its huge almost the size of a small Rhodi.
This is 2 plants.They get late day sun all season.



you can see it behind iris


I transplanted 1 a year ago and will transplant the other in a few weeks.

Wow, really nice, Jo Ann. Did you get them from Sunshine Farm?

The fortidus is from Deer Resistant Plants. Nice guy.
I bought other cultivars from Pine Knot Farms.

I have a few foetidus too. I like them because they are one of the few things that bloom early on in the year. Here is a photo of them blooming in early February.




Here they are in a vase with some the regular lenten rose.

Ohhhh yes and I like the way they fade too.

Wow, the blooms on your lenten rose-type are really large. Nice arrangement.

Thanks! One of my goals is to have cut flowers year round and the hellebores plays a role in filling out the winter gap.