Hellebores for a New Year

 

A picture gallery – well there are going to be a few of them, cataloguing my visit to the gardens at RHS Wisley yesterday morning. Proof, if it were needed, that these are not the dullest, least colourful or interesting times in the garden. In fact I couldn’t say when those times might actually be. With these Hellebores and the Hamamelis to come, coupled with a tour of the Alpine House and Orchids in the Glasshouse, it is a veritable riot of colour and fragrance.

True, it is a time too of contemplation and planning, of mental preparation for the year ahead. Of reading those books that have piled high on the nightstand. And remember (as I did not so much last year) to plan in enough time to see those gardens which, in their season, will stir your horticultural passions. The National Trust and English Heritage are a good place to start – no – the RHS is the place to start with their four gardens (I’ve ticked off Wisley yesterday and Harlow Carr in Yorkshire over the holidays but Hyde Hall and Rosemoor are yet to be bagged) – and there are so many partner gardens to explore.

And I’ll make sure I have my tickets for Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows and will try and get to Tatton too this year. And maybe a tour with the Historic Roses Group? I’ll have to look again at their itineraries. And Shropshire – I wanted to get there last year to see Wollerton Old Hall at least. And East Anglia….

There I go again – so far off topic. Hellebores start the year for me and I offer a selection from the Hellebore Gold Collection as well as the star performer from Rodney Davey, Anna’s Red and new introductions from his talented breeding program – Cheryl’s Shine and Sally’s Shell (I’ve instagrammed Molly’s White recently too). A new introduction from 2016, Ice N Roses in red and white, and more from the Spring Promise collection with the lovely Conny, amongst others.

A few links, from my ever-trusty gardening columnists at the Telegraph, for further reading –

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/how-to-grow/everything-you-need-to-know-about-hellebore-hybrids/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/3337057/How-to-grow-Helleborus-x-ericshttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/10648349/A-hellebore-for-almost-any-situation.htmlmithii.html

and from my own pages – https://teddingtongardener.com/tag/hellebore/

Specialist Nurseries

https://whttp://www.twelvenunns.co.uk/nursery/

http://www.ashwoodnurseries.com/

Of note –

http://www.cowellsgc.co.uk/p/135-helleborus-spring-promise-series-sp

http://www.cowellsgc.co.uk/p/49-helleborus-gold-collection-hgc

http://www.cowellsgc.co.uk/p/50-helleborus-rodney-davey-marbelled-group

 

http://www.grahamrice.com/hellebore/sources/sourcesuk.html

 

not to forget http://www.petershamnurseries.com

 

And with that, enjoy your gardening year – have fun, explore, take risks, spread the word, aspire, inspire, make mistakes, invest, pick flowers, harvest, plant for the future, share the love (and the photographs). You get the idea.

Teddington Gardener