Re: hellebores
- Subject: Re: [SG] hellebores
- From: M* T*
- Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2002 04:40:38 -0500
Yes, Nancy..they are mailed out of Virginia. He brings them over on
the plane; hands them over to his agent at the gate and that person
trots them through USDA as fast as possible. Usually, it only takes
a day, but there have been trips when it took longer due to lack of
personnel at USDA. He then brings them down by car to VA where they
are packed up and sent out the day after he gets there.
I've a dozen or more plants from Graham, but they've been picked up
at the VA location, so I have no experience of the actual mailing. I
think they use Priority mail for east coast shipping and recommend
2nd day for farther west. All but two that I have gotten are doing
great; one did not recover from its division ordeal (some don't) and
the other was stomped into oblivion by one of the blasted deer. Some
have flowered for me....generally takes at least one season in the
garden to flower and sometimes a couple, depending on lots of
factors.
Divisions do need a certain amount of care because getting divided
and having all soil washed off roots is hard on plants and they need
TLC to recover from it. I generally pot the fall divisions up and
keep them in my cool g.h. over winter tho' my friend Dixie, who
handles the mailing for Graham, sticks all straight into the ground -
you should see her swathes of hellebores! She is, however, just that
much farther south that her climate is a tad warmer than mine and I
don't like to take chances. I did plant last fall's lot straight
into the ground and luckily, we had a mild fall and early winter, so
I have high hopes that they will be OK come spring.
The spring divisions, I've just planted straight out unless I don't
have a spot ready, when I pot them until the ground is ready.
Fall divisions arrive with foliage cut back; spring have whatever
foliage they have put out by that time. Graham cuts all his H. x
hybridus back each fall as a matter of course. I leave mine as I
want the evergreen foliage in the garden over winter and cut them
back in early spring.
Graham says fall is actually the best time for divisions, as that is
when hellebores start growing roots, but if you live in a really cold
winter climate, my take is spring is best unless you have a
greenhouse or cold frame to overwinter them and protect them from
harsh weather. Timing then is also a factor. He generally comes
over in October. Well, ground where I am is still warm and stays
that way long enough for the plants to initiate root growth, but
farther north, I think it might be iffy and they'd need to be potted
and kept above freezing so they could put on some root growth.
He will be coming over end of Feb. this year - just got email from
him; think it's Feb. 27th.
Anyway, if you can care for divisions, I'd not hesitate to order them
myself. Although Graham can't guarantee a specific exact color match
to those pictured on his web site, because he only divides each plant
every 3 years, divisions are the *only* way you are going to be
absolutely certain that you are getting a color range or double or
whatever.....seed strains can come close if carefully monitored, but
there is no guarantee unless the plant has flowered.
Those on the west coast who are interested in Graham Birkin's plants
might look at Russell Graham's catalog - he's one of a few US
nurseries that carries Graham's plants and shipping would be less
than from the east coast. Russ does not have an online presence,
but if you want his catalog and don't know about him, I can dig up
his email address so you can order one.
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
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> From: Nancy Stedman <stedman@RCN.COM>
>
> I didn't realize that Graham's hellebores went to Virginia first. I
always
> held off on ordering because I had visions of the plants
languishing at JFK
> for a couple of days while waiting to be sniffed/licked by German
shepherds.
>
> Have you ordered from him? If so, how did it work out?
>
> Nancy
> (NYC, zone 6B)
