Unfortunately, it takes a really long time for Hellebores to do anything from seed – many years, in my experience, and the seedlings are random colors, so they may not be just what you were hoping for. You should see germination within another four to six weeks. Hellebore Companions Try these perennials with your hellebores; they require similar conditions and will either complement the hellebores as they grow and bloom or fill in with summer interest while the hellebores take a backseat: Hostas Autumn . To keep soils moist incorporate plenty of compost when planting and mulch well. Hellebores are drought tolerant. So Peter, how do you go about creating new Hellebore varieties? How to Prune Hellebores. Hellebore Plant Profile. My summer flowering hellebore has never set seed, I wait every year anxiously to see if I get any seed, but so far there has been absolutely none. Hellebores in containers need to be monitored very carefully to insure that they do not dry out or get over watered. It is the same hellebore that emerges every summer, a bright pink one, and I don’t have any other pink hellebores so in the winter/early spring I have none, I only see my pink hellebore in the summer! Hellebores are so easy and so pretty, they have a place in nearly every landscape. If planting directly in the garden remember that hellebores require a well drained site, so planting on a slope is good. Skip … The more sun Hellebores receive, particularly in spring when the foliage is developing, the fuller the plants will grow and the more profuse they will bloom. Hellebores need no more than a few hours of dappled light and grow successfully in shady areas. Winter . The most popular Hellebore varieties are the Lenten Roses (Helleborus x hybridus or Helleborus orientalis) which are hardy to USDA 4-9 and available in a rich array of colors including pink, purple, red, white, green, apricot and yellow. As the perennials of summer go to sleep, the evergreen clumps of Helleborus foetidus remain and become the focus of the winter garden. What can I plant with them to give some summer colour, but which will do ok in the dry soil under the Birch? Most Hellebores enjoy an evergreen foliage which remains handsome year-round and provides multiseason interest. Caring For Hellebores * It's important to position the hellebores correctly in the garden. Do not keep this plant in much shade, otherwise, the production of flowers may be … If we have an early spring and a good summer like this year, it emerges in June and flowers in July - in later summers it’s more into August. Come summer, many hellebores start to look peaked (like I feel in the hot and dry summer! ), but they perk up and send out tender fresh foliage in September and October, once the weather cools down, and, ideally, ample rain falls. Upon receiving shipment. You are probably wondering what I will do this year when the hellebores are blooming early. As a background plant to hostas and ferns in the summer garden, Helleborus foetidus is marvelous. Hellebores are long-lived, reliable winter favourites - now's the time to check them over and nip any problems in the bud, says plantsman Graham Rice. Water well, particularly during summer. Although very tolerant of sunlignt, most hellebores prefer to grow in summer shade or partial shade in the warmer parts of the country, and do well on hillsides or sloping areas. I have some nice hellebores under the birch in the garden but they dont look great over the summer/autumn. Hellebore Propagation. They do not usually need to be divided for the health of the plant, but if you wish to transplant or divide a hellebore, that is best done in September or October. Chosen by Hans Kramer, owner of De Hessenhof. Light or partial shade is best for most Hellebore varieties. Site: Partial shade, well-draining soil. This can take a day or two.