How to grow Hellebores in the UK
Flowers in the middle of winter, when nothing else does. Bees out early love them.
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds or Pots
- Sunpart shade or shade
- Grows to40cm
- Spacing45cm
- Time to first pickabout 16 weeks
- Typeperennial
When to sow, plant and harvest hellebores
| Plant | mid September to late November or mid February to mid April |
|---|---|
| In flower | mid January to mid April |
Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.
Planting it
- Water your new plants in their pots first
- Dig a hole a bit bigger than the pot
- Tip the plant out gently, holding the leaves, not the stem
- Pop it in the hole, firm the soil around it, and water well
- Space the plants about 45cm apart each way
Top tips for growing hellebores
- Cut off the old leaves in January so you can see the flowers.
- Wear gloves - the sap can make skin itchy.
Soil and feeding
Poor soil - really!. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. Feed them and you get all leaves and no flowers.
Harvesting and eating hellebores
Enjoy them in winter. Float the flowers in a bowl of water indoors.
Saving your own hellebores seed
It does it for you!.
- Leave a few flowers to set seed - it scatters them itself and new plants pop up next year
- To move them, dig up the seedlings in spring and replant them where you want them
- Or shake the dry seed heads into a paper bag in late summer
Where to buy hellebores plants
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Hellebores questions
When do I plant out hellebores?
Plant hellebores out from mid September to late November or mid February to mid April.
When can I enjoy hellebores?
Hellebores is ready from mid January to mid April. Enjoy them in winter. Float the flowers in a bowl of water indoors.
How long do hellebores take to grow?
Roughly 16 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are hellebores easy to grow?
Hellebores are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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