HELLEBORES NEED HELP

MATURE hellebore seeds are ripening now and will soon be shed. Young seedlings can become troublesome and need pulling out. Remove all old flower stems, cutting at the base of each. If you prefer to save seedlings, sow them in rows somewhere and grow them on. You might find one or two plants which are nearly as good as their parents. When removing flower stems, don’t damage the leaves. They are building up nutrients for storing in the plants’ roots later in the year. The time to remove leaves will be in August, when hellebores come out of dormancy.