Please note that we do not send plants overseas or to WA. We are now accredited to send plants to Tasmania.

ABOUT OUR PLANTS
The H. x hybridus offered in this catalogue were grown from careful hand pollination (in bee-proof polyhouses) of our best stock plants. Our experience is that the combination of deliberate selection of parent plants and hand pollination results in both better and more predictable offspring than with ordinary seed grown Hellebores. Our aim is to produce H. x hybridus seedling 'strains' with the most stable flower colour and form possible. We also select for good clear colours and round-shaped flowers.

It is important to understand that the pictures we provide in this catalogue are intended to provide you with a guide to what the different varieties look like, as well as showing the quality of the parent plants from which the seedlings are bred. However as seed raised plants the seedlings we sell will show some variability within the parameters of the 'strain', for example, the shade of pink, foliage characteristics and flower shape may vary within the double pinks.

At present the degree of variability found in the different strains varies somewhat. Some of the newer and more 'difficult' strains in particular can be expected to be a bit more variable. 

The plants in this catalogue are one year old seedlings grown in 75mm tubes. Under good growing conditions we would expect most of them to flower in winter 2010. Click here to see a photo of our typical mail order plants.

Guarantee
We are proud of the quality of our plants and we would therefore like to provide you with a guarantee.  If any plant purchased from this catalogue does not meet your expectations when they flower we will be happy to provide a replacement plant. Just let us know.

• We use Australia Post to send plants. Orders are posted on Mondays. Please let us know preferred delivery dates if you will be away.
• During busy periods there may be delays of a few weeks in assembling and packing orders so please be patient. Feel free to email us if you have any queries about delivery timing.
• Planting and cultural notes will be provided with all orders.

Packing and postage charges:

• all Victorian orders: $10 per order
  interstate orders up to 20 plants: $13 per order
  interstate orders over 20 plants: $16 per order

These have attractive coloured ruffles in the centre of the flower.
They are the intermediate form of the Hellebore flower between the
singles and the fully double flowers. Mostly dark central ruffles on
paler flowers in pink/violet/white shades. A small proportion of these
may be doubles.

This strain has proven to be a bit of a challenge. Still on ‘probation’
due to some inconsistency but holding its place in the list on account
of its potential. At its best, a beautiful colour form, in shades ranging
from pale apricot to orangey peach.

A new strain for 2009. These have an interesting ‘painted’ effect of
pink to red markings on both back and front of the sepals over a
paler creamy base colour, often with darker nectaries. A bit hard to
describe, but very distinctive.

These are selected from crosses between our very darkest forms.
Very dark purple to almost ‘black’, a mysterious colour found in few
other garden plants. Many also have attractive dark coloured
young foliage. These can become addictive.

We made the mistake of putting a photo of this strain on some of our
flyers last year - before we actually had any plants for sale. The back
of the petals are a glossy dark pink to burgundy colour while the
insides are a paler pink tinged white. The overall effect is quite
special we think.

Hand pollinated seedlings from selected double forms. This year we
have selected from our best pale shell pinks for this strain. Most of
these are derived from the iconic Australian double ‘Mrs Betty
Ranicar’. These are good vigorous plants.

These were the surprise result from crossing some of the different
anemone centred forms. White to pale pink background colour with
very distinctive reddish veining along the fully double petals. These
are a bit ‘speculative’ as we have not yet flowered the second
generation seedlings.

These are all crosses from a wonderful batch of double flowered
plants I obtained from Basil Smith in the UK. They are derived from
the German bred double ‘Gunther Jurgl’. As plants, they are more
compact in habit than the typical Australian bred doubles but with
well shaped often more outward facing flowers with characteristic
spotting.

First time we have offered these beauties. One of the latest
Hellebore colours to ‘go double’, these are hand pollinated
seedlings from a handful of double primrose yellows we have
collected from imported seed. Very rare and sought after.

SOLD
OUT

The results of our own breeding combined with some fabulous
imports. These range from purple through to almost black and some
have slatey colours. We first flowered these in 2006. I almost got
frostbite from having my socks knocked off by these beauties.

Selected from our best stock plants. Over the past few years this has
become one of our best and most reliable strains with good sized
fully double reddish/burgundy coloured flowers on good vigorous
plants.

Another new strain for 2009. These are derived from a batch of
plants with quite distinct pointed petals and a very deep rose pink
colour. Sufficiently different from our usual double pinks to create a
separate strain, these are beautiful hellebores.
 

I really want to keep all of these for myself – they are that good.
These are the progeny of some exciting new doubles we obtained
from leading overseas breeders. These are mostly creamy through
to apricotish base colours with pinkish petal edges. Beautiful things.

The classic double white form. These are seedlings from the original
‘Mrs Betty Ranicar’. We find that the white doubles really pack some
punch in terms of flower impact in the garden. Happily we also find
that these tend to come pretty much 100% true to type.

The fine red spotting on a white background much admired in
Hellebores on a fully double flower. These are also good vigorous
plants and make quite an impact in the winter garden. A charming
new double flowered form.

Seed from our best picotee forms. Mostly a white background with
the sepals delicately veined and rimmed with pink or red. Some will
also have a central flush of colour on the inside of the flower and
dark red nectaries. These are superb plants and still quite rare.

Bred from some lovely large rounded pale to mid pink flowered
plants raised from several overseas seed sources. In the garden
these can be some of the most effective Hellebores. Particularly
useful to lighten up the darker flowered forms in massed plantings.

We have selected these from some lovely pinks with dark centres
amongst our stock plants. Pale to mid pink flowers with contrasting
dark red to purple nectaries and often a flush of similar colour on the
centre of the flower. Very special.

We have had lots of interest in this strain from people who have seen
photographs of these plants. So we made the effort to hand
pollinate enough to offer them for the first time this year. Dramatic
purple blotches of colour on a pink background color – very abstract
art.

A particular specialty and favourite. Lovely rich plums and purples
bred from our best stock plants. A patch of these can look stunning
when backlit by the low winter sun. Good shaped flowers on robust
and vigorous plants.

Possibly our favourite colour in the hybrids. This strain should not
include any spotting, just the pure primrose yellows. Be aware that
Hellebore ‘yellow’ is a pale primrose shade rather than bright
buttercup yellow.

These are primrose yellow base colour with red nectaries and usually
a flush of red in the centre of the flower. Really lovely plants. We
have even remembered to get a photo of one in flower last year so
you can see why we are so keen on this strain.

Pale primrose yellow base colour with stunning red veining and often
also with dark red nectaries. Some have red backs with primrose
yellow interior. A new form developed by Ashwood Nurseries in the
UK. Quite superb.  

Good primrose yellow with varying amounts of red spotting on the
interior of the flower. The red spotting on the yellow flower is
particularly uplifting in the middle of winter.

A useful intermediate colour between the pinks and the true plums,
Hellebore ‘red’ is more ‘burgundy’ than bright ‘post box’ red. Good
clear red H. x hybridus is still not common.

These have a lovely glossy burgundy back to the flower and a
contrasting pale pink interior with red veining. Very unusual and
special.

An unusual and striking addition to the Helleborus colour palette.
Can vary from a pale silvery grey to a mid grey, often with hints of
mauve and with a lovely ‘bloom’ overlay. Combines beautifully with
groups of pink and red flowered hybrids in the garden.

After an absence from this list of a few years these have made a
comeback in response to a growing interest in the importance of
foliage. These crosses, involving the species H. torquatus, have much
more finely divided leaves than the usual H x hybridus, making for a
more dramatic foliage plant. Flowers will be in shades of purple.

These are the offspring of some lovely large flowered whites we have
selected over the years. We particularly aim for good rounded
flower shape. Mostly unspotted whites but some may have a little
light red spotting. Better than your average white flowered hybrids.

A really beautiful and quite distinctive form. Large white to cream
coloured flowers with striking red coloured nectaries often
accompanied by a dramatic dense central flush of red spotting.  

One of the classic H. x hybridus forms. Good sized bowl shaped
white flowers with prominent red spotting. These are bred from some
superb parent plants.

Hellebores can look especially effective in the garden when planted
in good sized drifts. For those planting out an area with Hellebores
we have put together a collection of H x hybridus in a proven colour
combination: a mix of pinks, reds (burgundies) and plum-purples.
These colours combine beautifully.

This year there is a choice of 5, 7 or 9 plant versions of the classic
woodland mix, enough to plant out an area of about 2, 3 or 4 square
metres respectively. We have also provided an appropriate
reduction on the standard individual plant prices.

One of the real foliage stars of the genus. Bold leathery spiny edged
leaves. Reaches up to 1 metre tall. Each stem is topped with a large
inflorescence of green flowers. Tough once established. Formerly
known as ‘H. corsicus’.

Helleborus foetidus is another wonderful species with fine finger like
leaflets giving an attractive foliage effect. This form is a Will McLewin
selection. A very neat upright form with clusters of small pale green
flowers and strong dark green foliage. Grows to about 70cm.

Another Will McLewin selection. To us the most distinctive element of
this strain is its attractive pale greyish green foliage colour, quite
distinct from the usual dark green of this species. This form reaches
about 60cm in height. 

A stunning combination of distinctive foliage and flowers make this
rare Hellebore one of the treasures of the genus. The foliage is a
darkish green and boldly veined in silver with a distinct pink flush to
the underside and reddish stems. The flowers are small but displayed
in showy clusters with attractive mushroomy pink shades. Grows to
about 45cm tall.

Helleborus x sternii is the hybrid between H. argutifolius and H. lividus.
This strain has been developed by Ashwood Nursery in the UK and
we have worked on it to select the best forms. A lot of H. lividus
influence in the intense silver veining but with a dramatic jagged
edge to the foliage, pink stems and flowers. A real attention
grabber. To about 30cm.

We selected some plants from a batch of imported H. x sternii seed a
number of years ago and from them have developed this new strain
which we are very happy with. Lovely smokey blue green foliage
with plenty of red on leaf stems and pinkish flowers. Vigorous and
tough and growing to about 45cm.

First time offered in our mail order catalogue. This cross between
H. niger and H. lividus was first grown by Helen Ballard in the 1970s. It is
variable in leaf and flower colouring but usually has good sized
creamy flowers often flushed pinkish brown, held well above
handsome deep green leathery foliage often with some silver
markings. Tougher than either parent and growing to about 45cm in
height. Both this and the following do well in a pot.

Another first time offering. This is the cross between H. niger and H. x
sternii. With very similar parentage to H x ballardiae it is also close in
appearance. One difference between these two hybrids I have
found is the usually serrate leaf margins of H. x ericsmithii reflecting
the influence of H. argutifolius in its genetics. This is also usually a little
larger growing and more vigorous. A wonderful plant.

Double forms of this species are much rarer than with H. x hybridus.
These came from Chris Vermeire in Belgium. They tend to be smaller
in stature than the standard niger but have the attraction of the semi
to fully doubled white flowers. All hand pollinated.

Large open white flowers held singly on stout stems and distinctive
leathery dark green foliage. These have been hand pollinated from
some selected large flowered plants. Needs a cool moist spot with
reasonable drainage. The addition of some organic matter and a
little dolomite may help. A low growing species to about 30cm tall.