Hellebores still flowering away

Jess is in the Garden

Evening

As I pottered around my garden right up until it got too dark too see this evening (usually the way), I nocticed that my group of 5 hellebores are still putting out the odd flower, as well as having some very luscious leaf growth going on.

What does everyone else do with theirs? Leave them alone for a bit longer or start to trim now?

It's my first year owning them, so I ain't got a clue!

Thanks.

Now I'm off to peer at the garden through the glass door, eagerly awaiting another day

fidgetbones

I leave the flowers on until later in the year. The seed pods are quite pretty in their own right. Also you run the chance of a few seedlings that can be potted on to increase your stock.  I cut the leaves off in  early spring to let the new flower buds show through

X

Hi Jess, I tend to cut the old flowering stems off about now to tidy them up and leave the new lush growth to produce next winters flowers.  You could leave flower stalks on until they've shed their seeds and then move or pot up the little seedlings.  You never know you might get a completely new gorgeous hybrid.

jo4eyes

Mine are the same, but I have removed the flower spikes as I dont want any more self-seeding this time- I have rather a lot of small pots of last yrs seedlings growing away happily.

So it depends on what you want. If the plants are fairly new/small then I'd be inclined to not let the seed heads form this time so that the plant builds up without needing to expend energy on seed formation. J.

Jess is in the Garden

Good point Jo, thanks.

Yes, mine are new from this Winter just gone.

Can't see any sedling though - are they normally up by now or later? Mine are in a totally packed raised flower bed so if I find new seedlings I'd pass them on to gardening friends - no more space here.

Thanks everyone!

 

nutcutlet

Not even seede yet unless they're very advanced Jess. I'm keeping an eye on mine as i need to save some instead of letting it drop this year. They're still very tightly in the green pods.

Jess is in the Garden

Thanks Nut - will check green pods

All new to me! love them though - such wonderful flowers when they're all flowring in a drift together.

Jess is in the Garden

Hi Verdun

I shall go and do it right now!

in the rain mind you - there's commitment for you...

But please don't get me started on The Weather!

Jess is in the Garden

Ugh!

Where are you Verdun - Spain?!