![The front garden in mid-May [Nancy J. Ondra/Hayefield.com]](https://hayefield.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/side-garden-at-hayefield-ondra.jpg "The front garden in mid-May [Nancy J. Ondra/Hayefield.com]")
So…Bloom Day, right? Then where are the flowers? Thanks to the relatively cool temperatures we’ve had over the last month, they’re taking their sweet time showing up. That’s not to say there aren’t any, just not many.
Need Seeds?
Looking for interesting seeds? Visit my shop on Etsy for a selection of uncommon annuals, perennials, and woody plants, all collected from my chemical-free Pennsylvania garden. Hayefield on Etsy
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It’s hellebore harvest time here at Hayefield! If you grow hybrid hellebores (Helleborus x hybridus) and think you might like to try collecting from your own plants, check to see what stage they’re at. In the first photo, top left is a flower that didn’t set any seed, top right is one with seeds that are still ripening, bottom left is at the perfect stage for collecting, and bottom right is too late.
If you’re getting to your plants a little late, you may be lucky enough to find some seeds that have dropped onto lower leaves. Or, they may already be on the ground, in which case you can pick them up with forceps if you really want them. If you leave them, there’s a fair chance they will germinate on their own—as long as they don’t get washed away, or dry out, or meet some other mishap.
To have more control over the sowing process, collect the seeds yourself. If there’s enough space around the plant, consider spreading a piece of plastic around it to catch any seeds that drop from already open pods while you’re working. Otherwise, work carefully to catch as many seeds as you can. Coming up from the bottom edge of the sepals and tipping the head upward before you snip it off helps to keep the seeds in place.
When you are done harvesting, spread out the seedheads for a few days so they can dry. I usually just toss them around to collect the first batch of pretty clean seeds. I then let them dry another day or two before crumbling them to release any remaining seeds. This round of seeds needs more winnowing or screening to remove the chaff. Sow the seeds soon after collecting so they get a few months of a warm-moist period before a cool-moist period, and you will likely have sprouting either this fall or next spring. #hellebores #hellebore #helleborusxhybridus #lentenrose #seedcollecting #seedcollection #collectingseeds
After years of trying, I finally had luck with poor man’s orchid (Schizanthus pinnatus) this year. It was very pretty for about two weeks, before getting battered by downpours, hail, and wind this week. Not sure I’d put effort into growing it again, but if it self-sows, I would be very happy to see it return. #schizanthuspinnatus #poormansorchid #coolseasonannuals
‘Berlin Tiger’ iris (thanks to @kopurdy for sharing) with ‘Isla Gold’ tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) #plantcombinations #perennialmatchmaker #irisberlintiger #tanacetumvulgareislagold
Some of Nan’s Books
Available on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
Container Theme Gardens: on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
Five-Plant Gardens: on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
Perennial Care Manual: on Amazon; on Barnes & Noble; on IndieBound
Visit Nan’s boards on Pinterest
Top Posts & Pages
- Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2013
- Complete List of Posts
- One Plant, Three Seasons: Sanguisorba tenuifolia
- Working with Variegated Plants
- Paper Training
- One Plant, Three Seasons: Amsonia hubrichtii
- Gorgeous Golden Shrubs - Part 2
- Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - June 2015
- From My Garden to Yours 2019
- Odds and Ends
Archives
Contact email: nan@hayefield.com
