Editorial note: I've been sitting on this unfinished post since June 5, and it's kept getting delayed by the competition. Well, since a very work intensive couple of weeks are heading my way, I thought I should finally show off this little beauty before I find another reason to delay it!These shots of one of our Hellebores (blooming for the first time in three years!), though a bit delayed, were taken on or about 12 May, 2008. Yeah, I'm way behind on this post, but so much has been going on in the garden, it just kept getting lower and lower on my 'draft' list! Sorry about that ....
Anyway, we've been working for several years t
o get about 6 Hellebores established and blooming in our Woodland Garden ... and, as I think a lot of mid-western gardeners can probably attest, it's slow going. We're just happy to see them reappear each year and if they just grow, they grow. If they bloom, so much the better. Most of our examples that we have planted are of the Royal Heritage strain of Helleborus. Their colors range from pink to purple, and in the case of some of the newer ones, we're not sure, because they haven't bloomed yet.
Part of the reason these plants are so small is that they were just barely out of seedling stage and very small when we got them. I have to admit they were bargain sale plants, but I think the deal was 4 hellebores for $10, (which for larger plants would be a steal), so I didn't expect much. But hey, the primroses (featured earlier this spring) were a similar deal, and they have done admirably so far ... we're not worried about these, they'll just take longer to reach maturity, but the very fact they are blooming in their third year is definitely encouraging. And the older, larger ones we have haven't bloomed, but they're growing quickly and increasing in size, so if that means sacrificing a few blooms, I say let them do their thing on their time ...
An impatient gardener shouldn't certain plants, like hellebores, if an immediate gratification is the intent. That's what annuals are for ... plant some zinnias and Four O'clocks. Which reminds me, I need to get more of those planted this weekend, along with more nasturtiums and our other assorted annual plants (petunias, snapdragons, celosia, flowering kale).
And we still have one more peony to put in ..... mmmmm, peonies! The nearly immortal plant we love so much ... Summer's just begun and I'm thinking about next year already? Is that a hard-wired character trait in gardeners? I chuckle when I think that I'm already anticipating next year as this one is not completely planted (except for the veggies and herbs) yet ... but it will be soon! It's just that this little basement episode has been eating away at valuable (scarce) gardening time for us. We'll get there!
6 comments:
I can't read about Hellebores without being reminded of the book The War of the Flowers. The Hellebores (one of the ruling flower-named fairy families) were the villains. It really was a good read.
Hi B2! I've never read that book, but they do have a long history in various mythic lore, I've heard. We've just developed a fascination with them over the years, thus the attention. They are remarkably pretty in a strange kind of way (most nod down) that you have to go out of your way to appreciate. Our young ones do look to be acclimating well and diggin in, so to speak. :-)
The hellebores are beautiful. I've never tried to grow them. Do they bloom in winter? I saw some brownish ones in a catalog and almost bought them. Then I wondered how brown flowers would show up. Your pink one is just beautiful.
Marnie
Hi Marnie, they're not particularly tough to grow (and they are tough, just feel the leaves of one) and don't demand much more than just filtered light and a rich organic soil that never dries out completely. Shade plant, in other words.
The color range is really out there in some species --I've seen some of those variations of brown, and they don't do it for me, they are definitely fascinating. I'm more of a pink, red, purple kinda guy, I guess. :-)
Ours have never bloomed in the winter, but I've read they do in climates with less stubborn snow cover than we have here in IA. One of the common names is 'Lenten Rose,' and somewhere I suppose, someone has the right conditions at that time, most likely Europe...
I've admired hellebores for quite some time. I "took the plunge" about 4 years ago with some "bare root" fellows. Whew, that was hard work! One has thrived, one is holding its own... the other died, was replaced and died again. I planted a very nice plant this Spring. So, perhaps I'll have more variety next year.
Yours look perfect!
Hey Shady!
We've only ever planted plants (though the last ones were very small as I noted), and frankly, haven't had spectacular luck with planting things from bare root stock. With these, I think plants is the only way to go.
Just be patient ... this is the first year ours have shown significant 'growth spurts,' so maybe next year they'll all bloom!
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