Monday, June 13, 2011

My Gothic Garden Treasure - Rare Black Hellebore

י״ב בסיון תשע"א
Alban Heruin 14

For my own little magic witch's garden, I've already planted Queen Anne's Lace and Purple Foxglove. I'm going to plant Moonwort tomorrow. I am waiting for my most treasured seeds to arrive - Black Hellebore! Isn't this just the loveliest most exquisite black flower you've ever seen? So, so absolutely perfect for me!

I am in love with this flower!

2 comments:

~ Jayne ~ said...

To grow hellebores,the seed needs warmth and then cold treatment to sprout. Plant and keep at 72F/22C with constant humidity for at least 6 weeks. You can use bottom heat from a waterproof heating pad for this. Put them in the freezer for 6-8 weeks (0C/25-39F). Then raise temps to 50F gradually (keep in fridge for a while). Then take out and they should germinate. If the cold treatment was not long enough, they will not germinate until the following year. You can also just plant them outside in pots when you get them and leave them outside through the warm weather and then the cold until after Winter Solstice,making sure that they have moisture but are not soaked. They will germinate in February. The seedlings should be transplanted to their permanent site when they are about two inches tall. Plant out in dappled shade. Extremely heavy shade will mean a leggy plant--long stalks and stems. It likes deep, fertile soil that is well drained (no standing water or clay) and no competition with tree roots. These plants take two years to bloom, although some will bloom the first fall. However, they will self-sow prodigiously. Once they get growing, mulch them before it gets too cold. Plants can be flattened by very cold weather but will spring back up. The farther south they are, the more shade they like. Pick off dead leaves to keep disease from getting hold. When they get established, you can make root divisions in July or just let them self-sow, which they do readily. Happy gardening! :)

Lori said...

Thank you so much for the gardening tips. I didn't know all this about growing Hellebore. It is definitely helpful.