some early hellebores

[assybish]

I thought I'd show some new cultivars of foetidus for stunning foliage at this time of year - I've included the good old standby "Wester flisk" for comparison.
The variegated is called "golden showers" and the sliver one "red silver"

[Brian Ellis]

if I could get those necatries into my golden range it would be very nice!

You mean there are even more of these lovely golden ones  

Chris the red nectaries really set yours off, I'd be more than pleased with it if I were you

[Maggi Young]

The possibility of contrasting colours with nectaries or even stamens in so many of the ranunculaceae is one of the delights of that family for me.  

[ChrisB]

I like them too, but the yellow isn't as nice as Mike's.  Mike - if you tell me how to, I'll try to propagate from it for you...not sure how to go about propagating hellebores, never done it before.

[assybish]

Yes Brian there are several gold ones with varying nectary colours and veining and spotting - they are the result of my breeding program for golden yellows. I have back orders for most of tis years production but next year I should have a reasonable number
Brian this is cheating as it is last year's flower but this is what I  mean by gold with veining.

Chris B thank you for your very kind offer.
There are 2 ways of propagating
if the plants is large by division see the photo below.
The other is by hand pollinating several flowers of the plant using pollen collected from a ripe anther of the same plant and brushed on to the developing stigma idelly repeat this over 3 days to ensure pollination is succesful. Then collect seeds they should come about 70% true if self pollinated by hand. See photo below of technique.

[ChrisB]

Thanks Brian.  I'll take a look to see if I can split it.  Never done a hellebore before.... Have experience of pollinating as I have been doing this with diascias for some time.  Used to have NC of them, but gave them up for personal reasons a couple of years ago.  So I'll see about that method too.  I can't remember ever seeing any seed on the plant I've got so it may be sterile - is that possible?

[assybish]

Chris
they divide easily being a tough rhizomatous plant. Provided that the plant is of a good size all that is needed is to cut off a large section of side rhizome with a couple of buds  and some side roots. A very  mature plant can be split using the good old fashioned spade cut through. The main thing is to keep the divisions and the parent slightly on the dry side for a while to prevent the risk of rhizome rot.
I have taken divisions as small as a couple of cm with just 1 bud but I don't recommend it and the small division needs to be kept dryish until new side roots establish.
It is possible that the plant is sterile but not common. The only way to be sure is to hand pollinate as hellebores don't always self fertilise that well being protandrous to a significant extent.

[Brian Ellis]

Oh dear I'm falling for that one with the heavy veining, well done Mike, that is super!

[Lesley Cox]

I think posts of all these little beauties should be banned. It means I'm going to have to spend more money on them and where on earth am I going to find room for them

I agree David. Or rather, Christmas should be banned until one has coped with all these beauties and the rash of new bulb and seed lists appearing now.

The red/yellow veined one is something new? It doesn't auger well for future bank balances.

[assybish]

I first produced a few of that type 6 years ago carried out some back crosses to stabilise the line and then started selling last year for the first time - I only had 10 and they sold out within a day. I have increased the number and hope to have a few more this year. I am still developing the strain - now you can see why a red nectary would be rather striking. I have bred several colours with red nectaries including a primrose but not as red as Chris's

[ChrisB]

The red stripes make it appear orange at a glance, its really lovely.  Mike, too cold to go out there to take a look at this plant right now, wind is horrid again today, though nowhere near as bas as last Thurs of course.  Such weather we are having right now.

[Peppa]

Hi Mike,

It's nice to see you here! I love your gold flower with the heavy veining above! I have one with similar coloring and it's my favorite! Do you happen to know which species was used to bring this gold coloring to the flower? One of my flower friends posted a picture of a yellow torquatus in the wild when he went to the Balkans (http://stnsr.exblog.jp/13235604). Maybe that's where it came from?

I would love to see a double form of the gold and red star with veining. Have you ever thought about pursuing that direction? (hint, hint  )

[assybish]

Hi Peppa
good to see you here too. I hadn't posted for a couple of years because of health and the legal/house issues mentioned on GB's even now I feel rather withdrawn from life beacause of the stress but am trying to "reintegrate" I think I know the site your friend has photographed (one Will found a long while ago) the "yellow" torquatus isn't really yellow it's a yellowish pale green which greens up as it ages. I am fairly sure that the yellows came mainly from cyclophyllus and odorus. I certainly have used then to produce primrose yellows. As for the golden yellow - I think it is a random mutation probably causing RNA transcription errors which suppress the chlorophyll production in the flower(sepals) and to some extent the leaves. As you'll know these golden yellows produce leaves that start off rather yellow and turn green then as they reach the end of the season they go very yellow.
Evolutionary wise it is a poor mutation as it reduces photosynthesis and thus the plants would compete less well than the rest. Of course for us gardeners it is a beautiful mutation.
Yes I am working on double and semi double forms of the gold with red veins

[Maggi Young]

I just found this site...  http://www.wakaizumi-farm.com/   just look at that perfect white picotee with blackcurrant nectaries at the top of the page!  The yellow below it is great too.
   Sigh!  

Larger photo of the perfect flower ( in my eyes!) :
http://www.wakaizumi-farm.com/kabegami25.html

[ChrisB]

Oh my, that is a lovely thing indeed!