We’re joined by Susan from Shady Grove Gardens to talk you how to grow, care for, and hold hellebores as cut flowers. Susan has been working with flowers for 31 years, and she was kind enough to come and talk to us about how to take care of hellebores.
You’re in for a big treat if you’ve ever been mesmerized by the allure of the hellebore!
It was in the garden of my friend Foxie where I first noticed a hellebore. She owns Pharsalia, an incredible event space and flower garden near Tyro, Virginia. Although Foxie is well recognized for her peony collection, the truth is that she also has a ton of other fantastic collections.
Pharsalia’s flowers begin to bloom in the winter, and during my first season of working in the flower industry, she was only a short drive from my house. Foxie, I believe, contributed to my deep love of flowers. My excitement was stoked by that winter garden. She has a wide variety of hellebores.
I visited Pine Knot Farms in Clarksville, Virginia not long after seeing Foxie. I was allowed to look at Judith and Dick’s incredible collection of hellebores. I wanted to examine the bloom’s processing and vigor. The failure of hellebores as cut flowers at the time was generally acknowledged. They responded so nicely to my little dip in cool water processing that they made it not only back to Lynchburg but even up to Pennsylvania for my very first wedding. Since they weren’t really sold on the wholesale market at the time, I recall being quite anxious about being able to find the flower and having it stand up when I proposed the flower to the bride. My trial flowers held strong for two weeks thanks to their success, and the Pink Frost variety held up even better! I was very relieved to deliver those blooms to Anna and to have overcome my concern that they wouldn’t make a good cut.
They attracted interest and began to be easier to find on the wholesale market over time. They performed horribly when they were shipped, though. This has altered over time as post-harvest procedures have advanced, and I find that they ship reasonably well. I treat the flowers using the same methods, but local hellebores have a longer vase life. They’re simply superior than dahliaslocal.
Handling Hellebores
Fill the vase almost all the way up with hellebores since they thrive in deep water. As a result, pressure is created, which forces water up the stems. To prepare a fresh stem, either make a long diagonal incision at the base and then dip it in Quick Dip before inserting it into the full vase, or use an X-Acto knife to make small, gentle scoring cuts down the length of the stem to allow easy access to the xylem and quick water uptake.
Hellebores are fairly hardy once they’ve been cut, and you can even do it while they’re frozen! A plant may take four years to become established in your yard, but once it does, it will bloom from the beginning of winter until June, and as long as it is given access to a reliable water supply soon after being cut, it may be kept in a vase for a number of weeks.
Cut hellebores make excellent bouquets. Furthermore, Susan’s plants in the movie survived outside of a cooler for more than two weeks. Thirteen days after we recorded this movie (which was snipped a few days earlier), I used the images in my How to Photograph Flowers lesson.
Can hellebores be harvested for a vase?
The carpets of primroses, wood anemones, and celandines that cover the ground beneath the trees in the early spring make us long for them more and more each day.
As a result, I coaxed some twigs into leaf, cutting them as the sap started to rise in February and bringing them into the warm, to cheer myself up and make spring a reality, at least in the house. Horse chestnut, sweet chestnut, ash, apple, and oak are large-leaved trees that take the longest to emerge; therefore, you can pick them in March for flowers that will look lovely in two to three weeks. However, if you want vases for the first part of April, you must pick small-leaved species like hazel, hornbeam, dogwood, willow, or silver birch. Beech and the magnolia brigade’s unfolding flowers follow closely behind.
Forcing tree branches into leaf
Any tree branches that need to be forced should be removed, immediately submerged in deep water, and left in a location that is regularly warm, has some light, but is out of direct sunlight. It won’t work in a frigid garage or potting shed since the flowers will bloom just a week earlier than they would on the tree.
If you don’t have a place to keep them out of the way, don’t worry. You can observe how each species grows at a little different rate by placing your barren branches in a row on a shelf or mantelpiece, or in a jug on a table as a skeletal winter arrangement. They should turn into leaves three to four weeks earlier in a warm environment than they would if left outdoors.
Arranging branches with flowers
Simple early spring arrangements can be made in a limited area using cut flowers combined with branches of pushed foliage. The more delicate elements, like the crisp, blue Anemone blanda “Blue Shades,” go nicely with the incredibly young, bright green leaves of the silver birch, hornbeam, and hazel trees. Instead of combining them in one vase, place the anemones in one and the leaves in another to preserve the purity and clarity of the colors. This appears more vibrant all around. Place three of these on your kitchen table, or for a party, arrange five or seven vases with an assortment of flowers and foliage in between.
By creating a “boat” out of willow and dogwood, you may dress this up more. To enclose the row of vases, just tie some forced stems at the ends and splay the branches apart in the center. This seems to work well and only takes ten minutes or so.
Hellebores with stems
Cornus, or dogwood, is extremely valued. Try it with the red-edged Helleborus foetidus, which many of us grow in the shadow in our gardens, for an additional straightforward arrangement. I enjoy how the hellebore’s curves are a little bit more floppy than the cornus’ cheery uprightness with its sticks and little leaves. The two colors complement each other nicely, especially when the strange oriental hybrid hellebore adds a crimson-black splash.
Look for stems that have at least one seed pod starting to form when choosing which hellebore to pick. These are likely to remain longer in a vase because they have slightly more lignin in their cell walls than those that have just emerged. To extend the lifespan of all hellebores, the stem ends should be blanched in hot water for 20 seconds after cutting. Before arranging them, sear each stem, then submerge it in cold water and keep it somewhere cold and dark for a few hours.
Arrangements for parties
Try creating a larger arrangement with forced leaves if you’re hosting a springtime gathering (Mother’s Day, perhaps?). Branches can be formed into circles or ovals and strung for a few days on the wall. Even better, add some moss and create wreaths out of them. The stems will remain alive longer thanks to the moisture.
A fantastic table center can be created by combining forced spring leaves with their natural allies, such as sweet violets, primroses, or cowslips, especially if you use full plants straight from their pots rather than cut flowers. This has a huge impact for very little money (you can acquire all these plants from a typical garden center in the coming weeks), and it will all last for at least a month.
As inhabitants of woodlands, primroses and violets want to keep their roots cold and damp. Every three to four days, remove the plants from their moss bed in the arrangement and give them 15 minutes to drink from a shallow sink of water; the flowers and leaves will continue to grow.
Making a centrepiece
Find the largest tray—a round one is a good option—that you can fit on your table to create this arrangement.
- Two wire wreath bases that will fit inside the tray are required (I used 14in ones).
- Cover both of these in moss and use reel wire to secure it to the base.
- To form a woodsy circle, insert some silver birch twigs, then loosely bind them with extra wire (don’t bind it in too firmly because you want a messy nest). You might use the leftover wreath foundation made of Christmas moss, like I did, but first give it a nice soak.
- The first of your moss and silver birch wreaths should be placed on the platter, followed by the second.
- Add some forced spring leaves that are all pointing in the same direction to the top, twiggy silver birch circle.
- Up to the edge of the dish, cover the wreaths with moss.
- Finally, add cowslips or primroses to the entire composition while surrounding them with extra moss. It takes as much time as baking a cake, but it is worth it.
How long do cut hellebores stay fresh?
Have six years passed since I published my first blog entry on how to gather hellebores? Time flies. In order to ensure that everyone is getting the most out of their priceless hellebores, I thought it would be a good idea to dust off an old tutorial as the Northeastern region is about to enter another harvest season for hellebores. They truly make spring bouquets such a delight to have!
How to Harvest Hellebores
Around 2012, hellebores rose to popularity in floral design, and they have remained so ever since, especially among farmer florists who are looking for a robust bloom for their early-spring creative work. We’re all still in need of some color in our life, and hellebores are one of the first flowers to blossom each spring, frequently even before the snow has melted. Their delectable hues and patterns contrast nicely with their endearing nodding heads. Oh, how enticing it is to cut and place in a vase! But it pays to wait and avoid cutting these gorgeous garden flowers too soon!
Back in 2004, when I moved into my first house in Philadelphia, I first fell in love with hellebores as a decorative plant for my small shade garden. But soon I was cutting them to bring inside for enjoyment. Who wants to adorn them outside in the chilly weather, after all? In 2019, my collection of hellebore plants has grown to well over 200 plants (and counting!) and likely includes nearly as many types.
I’ll let you in on a little secret before you ask me which varieties are ideal for cutting: buy your hellebore plants in the spring while they are actively blooming in their containers at the nursery so you can see how long the flower stems are and if their heads face up or down. Even a designated cultivar of hellebore, which is infamous for crossbreeding, may exhibit various characteristics from plant to plant. Therefore, I believe it is better to consider your purchase before making these overpriced pretties. If I had to pick just one kind, I’d say the Brandywine series, as I actually have quite a few of those plants.
Currently, as a flower grower, I usually get inquiries on how to create hellebores “final in the vase They are used by so many designers, but they all quickly fail. There are some techniques available for “post-harvest remedies that could aid in preventing wilting. Others employ a chemical rapid hydrating solution, others shove a pin up the stem, and still others immerse them in boiling water. Some folks also combine all three. According to my observations, there is just one surefire method to obtain long-lasting hellebores.
Harvest hellebores when they are mature.
I’m done now. It’s that easy. When harvested at their mature stage, hellebores won’t wilt.
The prominent petals of a hellebore “bloom” are actually something called sepals rather than true petals. They protect the flower portion, which is located in the center of the showy sepals and consists of a group of delicately textured stamens and a few tiny, inconsequential petals (in the photo above, the ruffled green at the center are the petals). The stamens and petals fall off after fertilization, and a seed pod begins to develop in the center of the sepals.
Using hellebores that already have their seed pods produced is the best way to ensure that they last in floral arrangements. The hellebore will be more robust the more developed the seed pod is. This is because the sepals resist withering by becoming stiff and waxy as the seed pod grows. A mature hellebore can actually survive beautifully for a day or longer without water. They work well for hair flowers and boutonnieres.
Can you tell which hellebore is almost ready for harvest and which one isn’t?
Another tip I’ve picked up over the years is to use a sharp knife to cut my hellebore stems rather than scissors or snips. In contrast to snips, the knife creates a clean cut that does not crush the cells in the delicate hellebore stem. To assist open up additional water-absorbing tissue, I’ll also cut an inch-long split up the middle of a stem if the bottom of the stem is very thick. If the seed pods are fully grown, this step is not necessary, but occasionally, when I’m pressed for time to gather some blooms that are a little on the immature side for a specific wedding or event, I’ll go the extra mile, just to be safe.
Go place an order for some hellebores from my favorite vendor, North Creek Nurseries, now that I’ve got you all psyched about growing them for cutting.
Are hellebore plants toxic when touched?
I was pleasantly delighted to see that I suddenly have not two but three colors of hellebores in the landscape this year while surveying the garden for tasks I’ll need to complete.
Hellebores (Helleborus) have been discussed previously. I’ve already recounted that many years ago, I was given a few sets of plants by someone who was donating them to the newspaper’s plant sale. One of them, I’m fairly certain, is a green hellebore (H. viridis). The “green” refers to the creamy-white, somewhat green-tinged flower petals, particularly on the inside of the petals.
The other is the Lenten Rose, also known as Helleborus x hybridus or H. orientalis, depending on the source. It appears that all Helleborus x hybridus are H. orientalis, but not all Helleborus x hybridus are H. Orientalis.
My shade bed’s hellebores have been in flower since late January. But because of the rain, I haven’t had the chance to truly go outside and enjoy them.
I am working on a barter with my younger brother in Catawba County along with deciding which garden task to complete next.
In exchange for some lily of the valley, I’ll give him some hellebores and ferns (Convallaria majalis). Long ago, at the old house Scott currently resides in, my grandma planted her lily of the valley close to the clothesline. He asserts that the lily of the valley population is poised to engulf that portion of the property.
The sizable cluster of Lenten Rose that my fellow garden enthusiast gave me has consistently blossomed in a rich crimson. The fresh clump is a wonderful shade of soft pink. I’ve been following its growth from a seedling to a fully grown plant. The blooming period for new hellebores might be at least three years. The wait was worth it for this one.
Hellebores should technically be moved in the fall. However, I can safely relocate the tiny seedlings I’ll be gathering in the spring.
Take care if you have any hellebore plants and intend to move on your own. The Ranunculus, or buttercup, family includes hellebores. When handled, they are poisonous and can result in contact dermatitis.
You don’t want to inadvertently consume any of the plant. Despite the fact that the plant was historically used to cure depression, my research materials also state that the plant’s extract can have negative side effects. I’m confident that the excessive nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea it induces would temporarily distract anyone from their despair.
Set your transplants in a shady area with well-drained soil. Once established, hellebores are fairly forgiving, although you shouldn’t actually try to force them into a sunny border.
The moment has come to apply some general fertilizer and/or compost around any existing hellebores in your landscaping if you are satisfied with their current placement. To maintain this dependable perennial’s aesthetic appeal in the landscape after blooming has finished and the petals have gone, around June, you can remove any dead or ailing leaves.