In article , H Ryder
writes
I've got some things in my garden which I think are hellebores but they are
much bigger than teh ones I'm now seeing in garden centres. They are the
same shape but eh stalks are about a foot long with correspondingly sized
leaves. Are these hellebores? If so how will they go about flowering? There
are some big bud like things developing near the base of the leaf stalks.
Will these sprout flowers or will they just spring up separately somewhere?
Thanks

A bit on the small size for some hellebores ;-)

Try Hellebores corsicus
http://tinyurl.co.uk/oxjm

- it's the other commonly planted one, a huge brute, very handsome with
long lasting bracts, and a bit larger than the Helleborus orientalis
that you see in many colours in the garden centres.

Flowering stems emerge as big buds from the base, as do new leaves. I
can't remember the sequence, but I would expect the buds you are seeing
now to produce leaves and also flowers in late winter which will persist
for several months, those stems will die down (and can be cut off when
they get scruffy) and a new flush of leaves will appear from the base.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"