Off with the Hellebore Heads.

Now is the time here in the UK to be tidying your Hellebores if you don’t want to be over run with seedlings.

Hellebore

 

It is always recommended that you buy your hellebores in flower so that you can see exactly what you are buying.

Hellebore

It can take so long to chose exactly the right one – they are all so gorgeous and tempting.

Seedlings

If you let them go to seed this is the result – hundreds of seedlings – all around the mother plant that you so lovingly chose. Eventually they could take over and crowd out  the wonderful plant that you chose at the nursery.

Hellebore

The chances are that the seedlings will be nowhere near as good as the mother plant, usually a plain pink or white, I have only once found a good one.

H.argutifolius

This one , however, I will be saving seed from – Helleborus argutifolius. As it is a species and not a hybrid, it will come true and I would like a few more to give to friends and sell for charity on open days.

H. flowers

So its out with the secateurs I’m afraid and off with their heads !!  Now is the time to reward them with a small handful of fertiliser to say thank you for putting on such a wonderful display in February and March. Over the summer they can then build up their reserves for next year, not waste their energy producing seed,  and do it all again!

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2 Responses to Off with the Hellebore Heads.

  1. Carolyn♥ says:

    Now that’s something I didn’t know! About the seeds. I’ve never grown Hellebores before, but I’m thinking it’s time.

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