I still have at least five weeks until I see any buds!

I still have piles of snow on mine over here in PA.

You are giving me hope-I put in three small-grown from seedlings plants-last year-I don't see any signs yet, but maybe I'll be lucky.

The first hellebore was in bloom on the 10th of januari, and now all my plants (about 30) are in fulle bloom for about 1 or 2 weeks. We had a mild winter this year.

Hellebores in USDA zone 5.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hellebores in zone 5

the north side of the house still has some snow. My south side is open to the sun in winter and spring. Most of hellebores are on the south side. like I said only the largest have visible flower buds. This is will be my first spring with hellebores. I tried buying the biggest ones I could find. Near the end of summer last year I picked up large plants at $4.00 each from some nurseries that cater to "Martha Stewart" gardeners. The plants had no ID and no one at the place knew what variety the pants were.
I knew they were and snatched them!

Not to make anyone in colder climes feel bad, but mine are also in full bloom right now including a new (last season) double pink. Was doing a bit of clean up yesterday and noticed a whole batch of seedlings that germinated over the winter. They are at the base of my slate black x hybridus, so I am hoping at least a few will come true to that hard-to-find color.

gardengal, I was resisting making anyone feel badly by posting from our milder climate...

My foetidus Sienna has been in bloom for 3 months and still going strong, flawless. Including two self sown seedlings that I lifted at about 2" tall in May 2002 and planted next door; had not expected blossoms on those until next year.

Heronswood Purple and Heronswood Yellow have been blooming for a month, very pretty this year. Those photos from Z5 give new meaning to evergreen, don't they...And I'm finding a lot of new shoots on the seedlings I planted last Fall at about 7 months old, foliage of course, but the plants certainly seem happy and full of promise for seasons to come.....

I'm seeing about the same thing that Bruce is except that enough snow melted yesterday that I pulled some aside and saw buds crowning.

I'll cross my fingers for gardengal that her baby hellies are the color she wants.

We've been mild here as well and have had blooms since before Christmas. Everything is pretty much at full blast since the beginning of Feb, as they keep the snowdrops and aconites company. The fairly frequent -3C we've had have dropped the Hellebore stems and heads to touch the ground overnight, recovering repeately each day. What a great time of year....hurry on the Trilliums and the wood anemones!
Cheers Greenmanplants.

I've got some blooms to share too, not much but I'm happy to see them!

Here is a link that might be useful: Hellebores (argutifolius & orientalis)

Today's the first day that enough snow has melted for me to even find my garden paths. My older hellebores have buds, and I was surprised to find two large buds on the "Blue Lady" I planted late last fall. Can't wait for their debut! Blue Lady is growing four feet from a large ash I just had removed, so I was especially glad to see it. (A number of other things were destroyed when the tree came out.)

I'm in Hellebore heaven right now! Go see my recent pics on the Gallery forum.

We're on Year Two with Bruce and Mary's seeds. Can't wait to see the end result in a couple more years! I've also found soooo many self sown babies in the garden from my plants. Soon, I'll have nothing but Hellebores! They're taking over!!! :)

I just acquired some beauties from my buddy Kellie (who works at Heronswood). Some nice Anemones and Doubles. I need to learn more about hybridizing.

Can't wait till you Eastern folks start to have bloom! I want pictures!

Now mid-november 2004 the first H. Hybrides is in full bloom and in many others already I can see the buds coming up. Even in my own private nursery, that lies on the north side of the house, most of the H.Hybrides seedlings of 2002 show buds

Wow - how wonderful! Do you have any photos to share? I would love to see them ;-) It surprises me that my Hellebores have buds too - I think it's so early. Normally they start in January.

I have TONS of germinated/ing seeds now-BUT WE ARE GETTING SNOW FLURRIES!!!!