1. Can I have a plant exactly the same as one I saw online/in a magazine?
While we try to keep our lines consistent, there is inevitably some variation. This is why we have a lot of photos for each variety. We will try to match what you want as closely as possible with what is looking best at the time.
2. Why can I not buy plants through your website until July?
Unfortunately not all the hybrids flower at the same time, and to provide you with the plants you want, we need to wait until most plants in the nursery are in flower so that we have a suitable selection to fill your order.
3. Why do you sell your plants in flower?
Our plants are all hand pollinated and seed raised. Because of this there can be some variation. The only way we can guarantee it looks like the one in our photos is to wait until it flowers.
We try to keep them in lines based on colour, but one of the interesting parts of plant breeding are the variations that occur and the new and exciting, plants that we find.
4. Why don’t you know exactly what a hybrid is going to looking like before it flowers?
Each year Kate hand pollinates hundreds of plants to try to generate the most beautiful, original, offspring. We try to keep our lines consistent, but because of the nature of genetics each subsequent plant is varied. This is part of the reason we use a natural breeding program as we enjoy uncovering new varieties and improving old stocks.
5. Why can other plant breeders provide a specific hybrid?
Other breeders use tissue culture, a process of propagation where each subsequent plant has the same genetic material and therefore looks identical. This means that they can offer named hybrids as they can guarantee the offspring will be identical.
We prefer to hand pollinate as we enjoy discovering new hybrids.
6. Can I stock Clifton Homestead Nursery Hellebores in my garden centre?
Yes! If you want information about wholesale pricing please get in touch with us here.
7. I am a landscape gardener and I need a large quantity of plants for a project, do you have wholesale pricing?
Yes! If you want information about landscape garden pricing please get in touch with us here.
8. Is there a minimum order?
Plants are difficult to pack and to ensure that they arrive to you in the best possible condition we need to ship a box that contains a
minimum of three plants. (see here for more information).
9. Can I order a mix of 2.5L and 1L plants?
Yes, we will work something out.
10. Can we visit your nursery?
We are only open to the public by appointment or for our open weekend held every year in late August.
11. When is the open weekend?
We hold an open day every year when you can visit the nursery and see our plants for yourself. We hold this in August each year and will update the website when we have set this date. This year it will be held 22 and 23 August 2020. More details will follow.
12. How do I keep the flowers once they are picked?
The secret to keeping hellebore flowers is to pick them at the right stage. You have to wait for them to drop their first stamen and start to produce seed pods. The more developed the seed pod, the longer the flower will last. There are many other tips that will help with flower life including using Quick Dip hydrating solution, slightly slitting the stem so it takes up more water and keeping as much of the stem as possible in cold water.
An alternative to cutting the stems is to float the flowers in a bowl of water. This is an attractive way of displaying them inside.