2010 UPDATE

 

February 6, 2010 - Many thanks to our many loyal customers and friends who, ONCE AGAIN, have roused me from my winter torpor with requests to update the site for 2010.  I appreciate your patience and support and hope your winter has been less daunting than ours thus far. 

 

As hellebore growers we anticipate the winter solstice as the first day of our spring.  Traditionally here it is the day to check the seed bed and root around under the leaf cover to see if the miracle has occurred. Perhaps the surprise lessens a little over the years, but not the joy and wonder.  This year we were denied our usual jolt of renewal that comes with the discovery of blooms and swelling buds. Everything, garden and pots, is weeks behind previous years.  We have had remarkable snowfall already but even before that benign blanket fell the plants surprised  me with their reticence. Note the difference in the pictures below of one of our ‘poster boy’ singles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2006

Winterwoods

Maintained by Virginia McMillan

Last modified 2/2010

 

February 24, 2010  -  We can now speak with much more authority to our northern customers who wonder if their heavy snowfalls make hellebores a bad choice for them.  Definitely not - you just need a little more patience and your rewards may be greater for the wait. Our 30+ inches of snow has finally melted and we are heartened to discover hundreds of sun-starved blooms emerging.  The seed bed, which disappeared in a drift for over 3 weeks, has fully germinated and the seeds strewn in the woods with no cultivation have sprouted more vigorously than those with protection.

 

YOUR 2010 SEED ORDER  -  Harvest may be a bit later this year but the color strains and mixes will definitely be available. It is still too early to know precisely what hand crosses we can offer. Plants need to bloom, pollen needs to form, the bees need to come, seed has to set and we have to simplify the ordering process for both of us.  As always we will use the most vigorous plants and strive for out-facing blooms and as many doubles as possible.  ORDERS WILL BE FILLED IN THE ORDER RECEIVED so if you are interested in the doubles order now, they go very quickly and most go overseas. We regret that in past years we have had to disappoint so many of you whose orders were received after they had sold out.

 

If you would like to make an order from the 2010 list you can send it now with a 50% deposit to insure delivery of those seeds. PLEASE MAKE CHECK/MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO VIRGINIA MCMILLAN.  If any part of your order is unavailable or sold out we will send a refund with your seeds

 

PRICES AND QUANTITIES HAVE NOT CHANGED. Color strains will be 20-25 seeds for $5, open pollinated doubles will be 10 seeds for $5, hand pollinated crosses will be 5 seeds for $5. If you have a special request please let us know.  And if you have any suggestions on simplifying and improving the order process we would welcome them.