It’s Hellebore time once more!

Everywhere I look at the moment, the eye is taken by all the hellebores that are flowering, from white through to plum coloured ones. Most of the snowdrops are starting to “go over” and the hellebores  are shouting “look at me” and vying with the narcissus that are also starting to flower. These first hellebores are all growing along the driveway in the front.

Hellebore time

Side border jpg

The next four are in the border that goes round the side of the house. The one on the bottom right is new this year and is waiting to be planted, it actually has a name “Neon Star”.

Woodland hellebores jpg

Next are some of the ones in the woodland border just before you go through the archway into the woodland, and then in the woodland itself.

Two to move jpg

The last two were bought last year and due to all the rain that we have had over the winter, I think they are in the wrong place. I’ve decided that it’s no good planting hellebores where I will have to walk on the lawn in the winter, to see them. The lawn is still very wet, but drying slowly, thank goodness. I think I need to plant them somewhere where I can walk during the winter months. They have both made lovely large plants in just a year, so I hope moving them won’t upset them!

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40 Responses to It’s Hellebore time once more!

  1. Julie says:

    What a variety of hellebores you have, Pauline! I hope my collection looks like your someday. They are such a pick-me-up in spring! Hard to believe you all are enjoying your hellebores already. I have been checking every brief sunny day we have for tips of our snowdrops and crocuses… nothing yet. It has just been too consistently cold. But hopefully that will change this week 🙂 Happy spring to you!

    • Pauline says:

      They certainly bring some much needed colour to the garden Julie, we are having some lovely warm sunny weather at the moment, thank goodness. What a difference it has made to the garden, everything is putting on some growth and the birds are singing their heads off, they think spring has arrived at last! I really hope your weather warms up soon for you, is your garden still covered in snow?

  2. Alain says:

    Your pictures make me feel jealous as we will have to wait quite a bit to see the hellebores. For the time being, they are buried under the snow but at least yesterday it started to melt. We are several weeks behind this spring.
    You have a wonderful collection. I would be hard pressed to say which is the most beautiful.

    • Pauline says:

      Please don’t be jealous Alain, just think, you’ll be enjoying yours when ours are all over and done with for another year! We have very spring like weather today, I actually took my coat off when working in the garden today! Hope you snow soon vanishes and you can enjoy your early bulbs.

  3. Liz says:

    Hi Pauline,

    Lovely Hellebores – I really like the top right one in your header, lovely.

    I hope you’re having a nice weekend so far – what happened to the lovely warm weather we were promised?? It’s still quite chilly here! Hope it’s better down there for you. My lawn is mostly ok to walk on, but the moss has had a party over winter so I’ll have to scarify it in the next weeks/month. I don’t think it’s dry enough yet for me to be happy to do any work in the borders though.

    • Pauline says:

      Hi Liz, yes we are having a glorious day thank you! It has made such a change to feel the warm sunshine, I have got two of my borders sorted now, even just cutting down the dead stems from last year makes them look so much better. Moss is everywhere here too, some of it looking very pretty on the stems of shrubs. It’s still too wet to weed though, they would come up with half the soil attached, maybe after a few more days with no rain?! Hope you get the sunshine soon!

  4. Angie says:

    Pauline – you’ve got Hellebore Heaven going on down there! You’ve a wonderful varied collection.
    I move a Hellebore last week (was in the way for post) I dug up a huge amount of soil with it and it didn’t even flinch! Go for it!

    • Pauline says:

      Thanks Angie, I don’t think anyone can have too many hellebores, can they?! It’s good to hear that you successfully moved yours, yes, I think the answer is to dig up so much soil with it, that it doesn’t know it’s moved!

  5. Chloris says:

    Absolutely gorgeous. You have some real beauties, Pauline. Hellebores are the stars of the garden right now. Each one is different.

    • Pauline says:

      Yes, Chloris, the hellebores are taking over from the snowdrops and as you say, each one is different. So many different colours make everywhere look quite colourful, which we can appreciate better in the sunshine which we were lucky enough to have today.

  6. rusty duck says:

    Beautiful Pauline. I’ve moved them too before now, flowered as normal the following year, so go for it.
    The weather forecast for next week is looking very promising, and already it’s starting to dry out. Long may it continue.

    • Pauline says:

      Hasn’t it been a wonderful day Jessica, hopefully we will get more work done if the forecast is correct! Its good to hear that you have moved hellebores without any after effects, I think I might wait until they have finished flowering!

  7. Cathy says:

    Ah!!! Hellebores….. (she sighs contentedly)

  8. Caro says:

    Gosh you’ve got some beauties there Pauline! The trick is obviously to amass a variety over time as you have and then the real Wow! factor creeps in. I saw some gorgeous hellebores at the RHS show but couldn’t decide which to get; I’ll have to do some research first. I do like Neon Star, such pretty markings!

    • Pauline says:

      Yes Caro, I usually buy a couple each year and have done for the last 20 years! How could you resist them at the RHS show, I don’t think I would have been able to, at least one would have come home with me!

  9. Beautiful, so very beautiful! Blessings, Natalie 🙂

  10. pbmgarden says:

    Lovely collection Pauline. They look so cheerful.

  11. Cathy says:

    A fantastic show Pauline! They are all beautiful and the yellow ones particularly catch the eye because they are a little different. I will be looking for more for next season, and it’s a good point that they need to be planted somewhere near a path in winter. Lovely photos!

    • Pauline says:

      Thanks Cathy, the yellow ones show up better in the shade too, especially on a dull, grey day! At least when they are planted near a path, I’m not having to walk on a very soggy lawn like I had to this winter!

  12. Anna says:

    Oh you have some gorgeous beauties there Pauline. Do you ever grown any on from the seeds? Hellebores are indeed the stars of the moment. Hopefully the predicted dry week ahead will speed up the lawn drying process. What a shame that we can’t peel them off for a day and hanging them on the washing line.

    • Pauline says:

      That’s a super thought Anna, hanging the lawn up to dry! It is getting better though, each day we are thinking, just a few more days and we can get the grass cut, it has grown so long!
      I have found over the years that seedlings never come up as good as the parents, I think only a couple have been good but different.I would rather cut off the seedpods so that energy can go into making good strong sturdy plants. The bees do my pollinating, but I would think if two “specials” were crossed then something good should result.

  13. Christina says:

    What a wonderful collection, I’m very envious as it is really much too hot for them here.

    • Pauline says:

      Don’t be envious Christina, you can grow lots of plants that I would love to have here, but can’t because of all our rain. I think we just have to celebrate how different all our gardens are!

  14. Gitte says:

    What wonderful helleborres you have. I have a few but they are difficult to photograph. I would like some yellow ones, and also the double ones.

    • Pauline says:

      They are a bit difficult to get a decent photo Gitte, when they hang their heads all the time. Sometimes it is just a question of holding the camera underneath and hoping for the best! The yellow double ones are very pretty, I think!

  15. Wendy says:

    You have so many beautiful hellebores and you have a lovely selection for your header. I have a hellebore corner of the garden here – I love them for looking so glorious for weeks, when there is so little else out.

    • Pauline says:

      I took the header photo Wendy, two years ago when I floated one flower from each plant in a bowl of water. They lasted about 10 days which I thought was very good. They do brighten up the garden at this time of year when there is so little colour anywhere else.

  16. I have a severe case of hellebore envy Pauline! I’m sure yours won’t mind moving to make them more accessible in damp weather, and I look forward to developing my own hellebore collection. After all, if I buy one a year, they will soon mount up, and there are all the seedlings to enjoy too. Meanwhile I will enjoy savouring yours.

    • Pauline says:

      They soon mount up Janet, before you know it, you will have plenty to keep you happy! I don’t think you can ever have too many hellebores, they make such a difference to a winter garden.

  17. Annette says:

    Oh Pauline, how delightful! Isn’t it great to have such a happy colourful lot in your own garden. I never tire of admiring them. Quite pleased with my own humble lot at present which seems to settle in well.

    • Pauline says:

      It’s so lovely to see all the colour at this time of year Annette, what did we do before Hellebores came on the scene! I’m sure yours are just as beautiful and will grow bigger and better as every year passes.

  18. Kate says:

    Magnificent – and I love, love, love the blog header – makes me really envious! I am going out to threaten mine immediately….

    • Pauline says:

      Thanks Kate for your comment about my header, they are just the flowers floating in a bowl of water, the best way to see them in the house I think.

  19. Frank says:

    The new header really is beautiful. You have such a nice selection of hellebores, it must be exciting at this time of year to see them all returning for their season… and then their foliage is so nice all the rest of the year. What’s not to like!

    • Pauline says:

      Indeed Frank,they are nice at all seasons! It is lovely seeing them all flowering at once and as time goes by, more and more buds are opening, some of the plants are quite huge now and make a real splash of colour in the border.
      Thanks for your nice comment about the header, just one flower from each clump was cut so that I could photograph them floating in a bowl of water.

  20. annie_h says:

    Wow what a collection you have, have some of them seeded themselves? There are such a variety of flowers aren’t there, I love the double ones that you have.

    • Pauline says:

      Annie, when I first had just a few hellebores, I allowed them to seed themselves around. Now though, having found that seedlings are never really as good as their parents, I cut their heads off as I would rather they put their energy into making good strong plants! I like the double ones too, you seem to get a lot for your money!

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