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.  To date our experience is that a high proportion (at this stage we estimate about 90%) of the coloured doubles will flower true to type with the remainder being either double white or single.  We will continue to work to improve all of the strains, but this does take time.
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 2009.
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.

This strain has proven to be a bit of a challenge.  We did not offer it in 2007 because we had been disappointed with the flowering results in 2006.  They showed improved reliability last year, so they are back on the list.  At its best, a beautiful colour form, in shades ranging from pale apricot to orangey peach.

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.

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.

Hand pollinated seedlings from selected double forms.  The flower colours of the parent plants range from pale to medium pink.  Most of these are derived from the iconic Australian double 'Mrs Betty Ranicar'.  These are good vigorous plants.

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.

Another of this year's exciting new forms and 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. 

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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.

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. 

We have been working to improve this strain over the past couple of years and this year’s batch should show the results.  The fine red spotting on a white background much admired in Hellebores but with a double flower.  A charming new double flowered form.

In addition to our conventional breeding within colour groups and forms we also undertake a few experimental crosses between these groups in the hope of something new and exciting.  We tend to get a bit carried away, so while we should be keeping these for evaluation, for reasons of space we invite you to join in the experiment.  Pretty much all double and semi double forms this year.

Seed from our best picotee forms. Usually 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.

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 year the strain does not include any spotting, just the pure primrose yellows.  Be aware that Hellebore ‘yellow’ is a pale primrose shade rather than bright buttercup yellow.

New this year.  These are primrose yellow base colour with red nectaries and usually a flush of red in the centre of the flower.  Really lovely plants, but unfortunately we forgot to take photos of these in flower last year.  The white red centred strain photo will give you the idea.

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.

This year we have, for the first time, felt confident enough to separate out the spotted yellows as a separate strain.  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 are a new strain.  They have a lovely glossy burgundy back to the flower and a contrasting pale pink interior with red veining.  Very unusual and special.

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.

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.

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 these plants in a proven colour combination: a mix of pinks, reds (burgundies) and plum-purples.  These colours combine beautifully.
The classic woodland mix contains seven plants which is enough to plant out an area of about 3 square metres.  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'.

A US bred form, this is the same as above but typically a little smaller (to about 60cm) with foliage which has a creamy speckling.  Very distinctive.

One of the best new forms of H. foetidus we have come across.  Bred by US Nurseryman Ernie O'Byrne.  Pale silvery grey foliage with quite distinct red edges to the green flowers.  Grows to about 70cm.

This form is a 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. 

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.
This species comes from the island of Majorca and may require protection in heavy frost areas.  Give plenty of light in winter for flowers to be more prolific and better coloured.  Unlike other caulescent Hellebores this species grows quite well in a pot.  Grows to about 45cm tall.

Helleborus niger is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Hellebores.  While it is not in appearance like the taller caulescent species it will hybridise with some of those species so we list it here.
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.

This is a good tough hybrid displaying the pinkish colouring in the flowers and stems from H.lividus and the spiny leaf margins and robust constitution of H. argutifolius.  To about 45cm tall.

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.

Dramatic finely divided deciduous foliage similar to H. torquatus, but with large green flowers.  This species originates from altitudes above 1000m in northern Lazio, Abruzzo and Umbria in Italy.  It typically reaches 40 cm in height when in flower. 

Smallish flowers usually purplish-violet on the outside and with some green inside.  Fresh pale green leaves usually emerge after the flowering stems in late winter/spring.  This species originates from Croatia and Slovenia.  It typically reaches 30-40 cm in height. 

This species was only described and recognised in the 1990s.  Small purple and greenish flowers similar to H. torquatus but with foliage more like H. atrorubens.  Quite a vigorous species to about 45cm.

A charming green flowered species.  Classic location for this species is Greece, where our stock plants hail from.  Another deciduous species, the newly emerging foliage is covered in fine silvery hairs.

A smaller woodland species growing to about 30cm.  Small cone shaped whitish green flowers with large feathery floral bracts adding to this species attractions.  Found in Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.

Very finely divided deciduous foliage sometimes with up to 100 individual leaflets giving an almost feathery appearance.  Note that the dramatic adult foliage may take a few years to develop and that this is a slower growing species.  Smallish yellowy green flowers.

A quite vigorous species originating from northern Italy.  Largish pale whitish green flowers with foliage similar to H. odorus growing to about 40cm.

A vigorous species Hellebore with medium sized mid green flowers.  This is one of the showiest of the green flowered species and will form a bold clump of foliage.  Grows to about 40cm.

A deciduous species originating in Hungary and Romania.  Quite large palmate foliage.  Unusually coloured flowers which McLewin and Mathew have described as ‘bluish pinkish greenish smokey pale purple’ or ‘pigeon’.  A distinctive and rare species to about 40cm.

Flowers are similar in size and colouring to H. atrorubens.  The leaves of this species are deeply divided into many narrow leaflets which can make quite a dramatic mound of foliage.  Our stock plants are of Bosnian origin.  The characteristic foliage develops as the plant matures.  To about 40cm.