QUESTION

I NEED to move a fancy oriental hellebore, planted last year. Can I transplant it safely now? If not, when is the best time?

T. Kennedy, West Mids.

Your hellebore is still young, so you can move it now. Dig the plant out carefully, keeping as much soil as possible gently packed round the roots. Immediately replant it into well- prepared ground, and water your plant thoroughly. If the soil dries, water it again, but don’t let the ground become waterlogged.

remove spent flower stems now. Then, in August, cut away all the leaves before new shoots emerge. That prevents disease carryover.

oriental hellebores are dormant in summer, but start to sprout from early September. The optimum time for transplanting is therefore mid-to-late August.