Allotments 4 All

Trillium kurabayashii flowering like mad (I must find something to set this off !) and Crown imperial 'maxima lutea'. I moved the Hostas next to them last winter as they were overhanging the path a bit too much, and in the process managed to put the crown imperials too close together. It doesn't seem to have inhibited them though.

Lovely trilliums, Robert! Are those the ones you will be saving the seed of for me? (I haven't forgotten ;)!)

Good, I'm glad you haven't. I should have lots of seed later. I only established that bed last year, and now they've got a permanent home at last, I need to build some more plantings round them. Hellebores would go well with them.

Hellebores would look lovely! Here are 2 of mine, both grown from seed.

H. orientalis



H. argutifolius

Are those true species? Did you get fresh seed from someone, or get it from a packet? I've got lots of hybrids, but I'd like to grow some species as well.

The argutifolius is a species (sometimes it's also called Helleborus corsicus). Would you  like me to save you some seed? It's best sown fresh. The orientalis is probably a hybrid. I bought a white flowered one from a garden centre and saved the seed. The babies, now 4 years old, are all white/greenish, some plain and some spotted. I've recently bought a new pink flowered one, so future offspring will probably be more variable!
By the way, ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES when harvesting hellebore seed. My daughter and I both got blisters on our hands last year from handling the seed pods :'(!

Just remembered where I got the H. argutifoilus seed from: A big plant grows in front of my doctor's surgery  ;D! So it was fresh seed! If sown freshly in the summer, the seed will germinate in winter. I've had very good germination this way.

I'd love to have some H argutifolius seed - or any other species anyone has. I have lots of the Orientalis hybrids, and they don't come true. I'll PM you my address.

OK, will save you some (using gloves this year!).

Thanks.

Robert and Dandelion. Lovely, lovely pics.
I went to purchase hellebores last year from a local grower (recommended from a member on here) when I got there she had just sold the last six and to make matters worse she retired.

Frustrating!