"... semi shaded site is ideal "

"... one of the easiest of all the hellebores   "

"... leaves should be removed just as the new growth is pushing through"

Buying Hellebores on ebay

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These are either searchable under "Hellebore" or "Helleborus"

To save on unnecsessary typing and descriptions we have set up several pages relevant to the items being sold. These will give background information, cultural details, etc.

1) Postage and packaging

2) Unpacking your prized item

3) Guarantees, complaints, returns etc.

4) Cultural Details

1) Postage and packaging

This is the single most important part of mail order. As we tend to sell large well established plants postage tends to be quite expensive.

We do offer two alternatives however:

a) Royal Mail letter post.

This is for parcels up to 2kg in weight, and is generally used for small numbers of plants. We have to significantly reduce the compost on the roots of the plants and send them in a semi-bare root state. This enables us to come within the weight limits. This is the only method available for non mainland U.K. delivery. At present we can only deliver to European community countries.

b) Citylink courier - next day delivery.

This is our preferred method but tends to be quite expensive for single items.  £10 is  charged  irrespective of the number of plants purchased. If more than two plants are purchased it is therefore better and more cost effective to use this method. this is not available for non mainland U.K. deliveries. 

2) Unpacking your mail order

When your box arrives great care should be taken when unpacking. Plants are not like car spare parts, they are alive and will continue to grow even in the box. They may have been in this box for 2 or three days and will be a little battered - this is inevitable, but nothing to worry about. Carefully remove the packaging material and remove the plant from the box and trim off gently any damaged leaves etc. If the item is bare rooted then pot into a suitable medium immediately, water well and place in a semi shaded site. It is best if the plant remains in its container for a month or so to really settle in.

You can however plant straight into the garden but a little extra care is needed. Water well and try to keep out of direct sunlight for the first few days.

Potted plants should be left in a semi shaded site for a while to aclimatise them and can then be planted straight into their final situations.

Once the plants have been out of the box for a week then they should be back to their original condition.

3) Guarantees, complaints, returns etc.

We do our best to ensure that the items we sell are accurately named and of good quality. If however you feel that there is a problem please feel free to contact us.

All reasonable complaints will be sympathetically dealt with if notified within 7 days of receipt.

Brief cultural details
Hellebores are amongst the easiest and most rewarding of all garden plants, due in a large part to the simplicity of their flowers and their ability to bloom in the darkest months of the year when everything else is frozen solid. Their subtle colours and almost woodland form give them an appeal that few other plants can rival. A few easy steps must be taken to ensure that these plants flourish.

Orientalis hybrids, one of the easiest of all the hellebores, are not too fussy about soil, preferring a moderately good loam with plenty of organic matter, but being deep rooted they need a good depth. Their site should be moist if possible but never wet, they hate standing with their feet in puddles of water.  The site must be well drained for really spectacular hellebores.A semi shaded site is ideal, try to mimic their natural conditions by planting under deciduous trees and shrubs, or in the shade of buildings. Old leaves should always be removed when they start to become tatty, and in any event all leaves should be removed just as the new growth is pushing through the surface, usually early Jan-Feb. This has two effects,

1) it helps to remove any disease that may be present on them and
2) it prevents damage to the emerging flower spikes in the event of windy weather.

Because orientalis hybrids contain the genes of several other species they are very variable, some being totally evergreen, others following the traits of the non orientalis parent more closely and being almost deciduous, the amount of foliage to be removed is therefore very variable.

Extremes of low temperature do no damage, however it can be very alarming to go outside in the middle of a cold snap in February only to see your prize hellebores flat on the ground. The answer to this is DON'T PANIC!, with the return of the milder weather they will all stand up as if nothing at all had happened.

An annual mulch of well rotted farmyard manure or preferably spent mushroom compost is advisable after the leaves have been removed but before the flowers are up. Take care to avoid the plants themselves.

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