Marietta O’Byrne is known the world over as one of the most meticulous of hellebore breeders and one who has created many stunning plants. You can see them here. But, until now, her plants have only been available in limited numbers to callers at the nursery in Eugene, OR.

This season, for the first time, they’re being marketed to growers via TerraNova Nurseries and so before long, when growers have turned the seedlings into flowering plants, they’ll find their way into nurseries where we can all buy them.

There are three available so far. Brushstrokes is a single flowered mix in a wide range of colors, many beautifully spotted, painted or blotched. Mellow Yellow is a mix of primrose and buttercup yellow shades, with a few lovely surprise apricots, many spotted or picoteed.

And finally, Ballerina is a mix of double flowered plants from almost black to pure white with every possible hellebore color in between – some spotted, some picoteed and some in pure shades.

It’s a great treat that at last plants from one our great hellebore breeders will be more widely available. Look out for them. When I find good mail order suppliers selling them, I'll let you know. And don’t forget, we all love them but the deer don’t.