The talk on Hellebores and Friends on Tuesday, 23rd October by Dr Julian Sutton was excellent.  While there are numerous cultivars of hellebores it was good to learn more about some splendid species and their role in hybridization.

I grow a few species and they help me welcome spring with cheerful anticipation. I watch H. x ericsmithii stir into action as early as late November while H. lividus and H. purpurascens take their time well into March. As for H. thibetanus – a relative newcomer into Ireland and Britain it sure is in a league of its own. Incidentally, it comes into flower during late spring and at times early summer but dies back completely until the following spring.

It is well worth seeking, finding and growing these hellebores.

Mary Toomey