A Hellebore Story 50+ Years in the Making
Breeder Theo Janssen explains how he and others at van der Meijs Nursery developed these revolutionary hybrids.
For our friends at the van der Meijs nursery in Geldern, Germany, hellebore breeding is a passion—and the family business. Three generations of van der Meijs hybridizers had a hand in creating these remarkable king-size hellebores. But offering them to home gardeners is not what they originally had in mind.
Back in the 1960s, their objective was different—to develop a bigger, taller hellebore for the cut-flower industry. They started with a Helleborus niger cultivar called 'Christmas Glory', and their breeding efforts eventually resulted in bigger, more floriferous plants. They could have stopped there, but we're so glad they didn't.
The van der Meijs family took what they learned from their cut-flower hybrids, and shifted their focus to Helleborus orientalis, a favourite species of hellebore gardeners. And now Breck's is proud to present this line of king-size hellebores to American gardeners.
Current breeding work is being done by Theo Janssen, who continues the legacy that Erik van der Meijs' grandfather started. The oldest plants in the van der Meijs nursery are over 40 years old and produce no less than 50 stems each!
WOW! Hellebores vs. Traditional Hellebores
How do WOW! King-Sized hellebores compare to traditional hellebores? For starters, their blooms measure about 4 inches across, approximately twice the size of traditional hellebores. Their stems are taller and stronger, standing at least two feet tall. This unique hellebores really holds its own in a cut arrangement, thanks to that long and sturdy stem. In addition, WOW! King-sized hellebores grow in an upright form, not in the nodding form you see with traditional hellebores. That means the flowers can be viewed from above, making them perfect for a walkway or beneath a window.
All of these unique traits combined make our WOW! Hellebores a truly unique offering. We're grateful that our friends at the van der Meijs nursery in Geldern, Germany have selected Breck's as the exclusive home of WOW! Hellebores.
How to plant your WOW! Hellebores
Because these Breck's exclusives are so much larger than traditional hellebores, they need a larger planting space. However, these hellebores aren't finicky—in fact, most gardeners find these hardy hybrids to be a bit easier to grow than traditional Lenten Roses. So, how to plant your WOW! Hellebores:
- Hellebores can be planted in fall or spring. We'll ship your hellebores at the right time to plant!
- Choose a location with well-draining soil, and a summertime coverage partial to full shade. Hellebores thrive in shade gardens, and perform wonderfully well in dappled light, such as under the cover of a deciduous tree. While many gardeners use hellebores in retaining walls or on hillsides to provide views of their downward-facing flowers, WOW! Hellebores are upward facing-you can enjoy their blooms from above.
- Amend your soil, aerating and working the growing area to at least 18 inches deep. Amend the soil with compost or loam, and don't add fertilizer before planting time-too much nitrogen can burn the roots of these plants.
- Dig a hole as deep as your hellebores is set in its current pot. Then, place the hellebores so that the crown of the plant is set at ground level.
- Now, water in your hellebores, and consider it planted!
Keep your hellebores well-watered, although nature will provide plenty of springtime moisture in most regions. When new growth appears, apply a light application of balanced or slow-release fertilizer or compost over the planting area. WOW! King-Sized Hellebores are easy to plant, and even easier to enjoy.
What are the different kinds of WOW! Hellebore varieties?
We're proud to serve as the only seller of WOW! King-Sized Hellebores in the United States, thanks to the ingenious breeders at the van der Meijs nursery - Facebook. Here are a few of the varieties we deliver-and love!
- Fresco Hellebore isn't only an upward-facing hellebores-it's sure to be one of the prettiest plants in the garden. An intriguing double hellebores with intricate magenta-on-white veining in the petals, Fresco features layers and layers of amazing texture.
- Winter Plum Double Hellebore and Pink Frost Double Hellebore provide double blooms standing each at four inches across. The two make a pleasing combination in deep, plummy purple and ballet-slipper pink, respectively.
- Make your neighbors green with envy with a lime-green hellebores that blooms in super size in late winter. Lush Green WOW! Hellebore is one of the most colorful green hellebores on the market, and its large size and upward-facing blooms make it truly one-of-a-kind.
- Great White Hellebores lives up to its name with giant, glossy four-inch flowers. A classic hellebores shape, with the WOW! factor of upward-facing form.
- Another classic hellebore with supersized blooms, Winter Plum Hellebores features five rounded petals on each bloom, and is among the first to bloom in the garden. Pair with other early bloomers for an eye-catching display while the snow is still melting.
We're so excited about these new offerings, and can't wait to share them with our customers. WOW! Hellebores is a totally revolutionary new hybrid, taking the woodland charm of classic hellebores and making them even bigger and bolder.