Zone 5 - northern lower Michigan with sandy soil....is it worth the cost of these little treasures to try them in this area?

I have tried a couple of time. Planted one last fall to try again. I just love them. I believe they were in the wrong place before. There is a cap of ice maybe 1" think in that bed but I have one leaf from last fall 5" out of the ground and I can see a new growth coming out of the ice (ice is melted around it with the sun radiating heat from the dark foliage.) So I have hope. My soil is peat and clay. I have amended with mulch (home made) over the last year or so. It is definitely a zone border plant here, zone 5 for sure. I am zone 4. Are you near Petosky or Sleepy Bear Dunes?

Yes, about 20 minutes from Petoskey-north on the Harbor Springs/Good Hart area. If you are in Alaska, I can have some hope of success! Thanks for the response.

Just started some seeds of Helleborus hybrids.
They need cold start and oscillating temperature.
I have known other people here in Calgary who grow them.
If they germinate-I will eventually plant them up nearer the house,
where it is a bit warmer than out in the yard.

Godd info on hellebore seed germination from Kristl Walek http://www.gardensnorth.com/si...

Click on "about us", then "Germination Corner" on the left, then Hellebore germination".

I also just plant some hybrid seeds from the second round NARGS Seed ex. Though they are ephemeral, there can still be some seeds still viable.

These seeds were from NARGS also . #1226

Oh!
Mine were - Helleborus hybridus 1228 moist packed
Whoever packed them did a very good job. Knowing how much moisture is just the right amount to include can be difficult.
I looked it up and now I see the donor was Laura Serowicz. No wonder!

Yes these came moist packed also.
Thank You to Laura!
I also received delphinium seeds which were moist packed also.
I did not know that delphinium required moist packing.

I didn't either. I got my seeds from New Zealand - Dowdswell. They germinated and grew no problem though dry as could be in their little packets. What is NARGS?

I just looked up NARGS. What a huge undertaking. the only thing I have of interest would be meconopsis but it looks like they are well covered for that. I did manage to grow some very small yellow ones from seed one year. Cute little guys. And also had a bunch of the taller blue ones, both types. Haven't been able to grow the lavender ones.

My third year transplant is getting ready to bloom now, and my second year transplant is just beginning to send up bloom stalks. They're completely hardy here, as I don't do anything special to help them winter over. Whatever covering happens to fall over them during autumn is left for the winter, but that's it.

I have had seeds from Dowdswell also and they came dry.
This year I have delphinium seeds from Swallowtail, and they came dry also.

Chelle, I am glad the meconopsis grows for you.
It grows well here too----if I get it past the seedling stage.

Nope, not the meconopsis, the hellebores.

Meconopsis has a strong aversion to my gardens.

I had brought several small Hellebore plants from central to northern Indiana 5 years ago when we moved. They survived in a window box tray for a year until I planted them in my garden, and bloomed finally after at least 4 years in the ground! Maybe they finally just decided to bloom where they were planted!

A window box above ground through the winter is very harsh on any perennial in a cold climate. They probably just needed recovery time.

I think it is only certain delphiniums whose seeds should be moist packed. Maybe the summer dormant species?

Joannchee !
It is good to know that the helleborus survived the harsh treatment.
Which variety were they?

I am at the cottage and have made a new "double dug" bed and planted 10 2- year old hellebores. They are not all happy but the four days in a box and 3 with bare roots in water just may be why. All but 2 are showing signs of perking up after 4 days in the ground. I also sowed some celadine (wood) poppie seeds in and surrounding that area.

Thanks to those who responded about my zone concerns.....we'll see how these little gems do in this over- the- bluff- from- Lake Michigan prosper.

My daughter and I picked up a plant each at the Canadian Garden Show in Toronto 2 years ago and both plants have done well here in Peterborough, ON. I have mine planted on the North side of our shed where it gets some afternoon sun. M daughter has hers planted on the East side of her garage where it gets morning sun.

I've grown hellebores for quite a few years here in my zone 3 garden. I don't do anything special to protect them except a chopped leaf mulch in the fall. They seem to grow better with some morning sun and also take a number of years to get established and bloom here when they come from seed or small plants. Some of the older plants produce seedlings abundantly, but have only had one that has bloomed so far from that.

That is good to know.
My seeds did not germinate, so now I am trying plants purchased on sale.
I did have one years ago which lived for a year or two and flowered.