At the Green Spring plant sale (this is in VA, though, on May 17 this year), one of the vendors always has a ton of hellebores for sale, but you need to get there early. Prices are really low; we've gotten some decent sized ones for $5-10. Unfortunately I don't remember which vendor but I think it was one that specialized in natives.

Larry

Thanks Larry,
It is Alexandria, right? I will definitely try to remember about this date :-)

Sun Nurseries in Woodbine (In Howard County off of 97) has them.

Pine Knot Nursery brings large unusual hellebores to Green Spring for $10 or so each, often doubles or unusual colors. That's where I got my Ivory Prince. Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm will bring flats of tiny seedling hellebores for $3 - $5 each to Gr Spring -- worth pawing through to select the most extreme leaf forms, in hopes that the flowers will be equally diverse.

That said, Behnke's in Beltsville had many flats of small-but-blooming-size hellebores last year for $8 or so -- I looked them over and found an upward-facing deep purple and a semi-double freckled white.

LynnT

I'm pretty sure it was Pine Knot I was thinking of. Cathy has gotten one or two Giant Hellebores and now these things are HUGE. At least a dozen stems on one of them.

Larry

Merrifield Gardens also had alot of them last year. I got a couple of white double flowered ones. I think they were about $14 in gallon pots. Of course Merrifield Gardens is in Virginia too. By the way Green Spring is sort of on the border of Annandale and Alexandria just off Little River Turnpike at Braddock Rd not really in Alexandria proper which makes it less of a trip from Maryland.

Thanks for the great info guys!
I will definitely attend this sale! I was going to order Hellebores from the Pine Knot farm, but their shipping charges are very hefty. And visiting them is not reasonable: 200 miles... I hope they will bring their new tissue culture propagated hybrids.
I ordered Helleborus seedlings from Barry Glick last fall. It was not very pleasant experience ;-) In fact, he made me want to buy Hellebores locally.
Collectordi, Lynn,
Do you remember at what time of the year you saw Hellebores at Merrifield and Behnke's? Well, I'll call them anyway.
I would really prefer to buy blooming plants to ensure that I like color and shape. I already have some "lottery" Hellebores from Barry :-) Could you please tell me a little about Green Spring sale? It starts at 9 am. Should I come earlier? Is parking a problem?

Thanks again,
Alina.

When we go to Green Spring we usually try to get there around 8:30. Parking is a total zoo if you show up much later. You can then wander around a bit to check out the vendors before the sale starts at 9.

Larry

Behnke's ran a sale for Preferred Customers last year on the day of Daylight Savings change -- 50% off anything from 0800 to 0900 the Sunday we all "sprang forward" -- and that's when I got my hellebores, as well as a carful of other goodies (including a HUGE Spanish-style wrought-iron plant rack). I'd gone to the Beltsville shop for a lecture the day before, which is how I found out about it, and they were kind enough to let us set things aside in carts to pick up the next morning.

I normally get to Gr Spr around 7:30 or 8, but I volunteer at various vendors. North American Rock Gdn Society (NARGS) normally runs a booth at Gr Spr, though they have decided not to do so this year. Likewise the American Iris Society. But look for me at the booth of the Four Seasons Gdn Club; we should have an interesting array of plants and woodies.

LynnT

Thanks Larry and Lynn, I'll come early then. Total zoo sounds scary :0)
So far the results of my search:
Behnke's: Sells 2-3 varieties, $20 for 2Qt pots;
Merryfield: many varieties, no doubles, $17 - $25 for 1G;
Sun Nurseries: $9.95 for 3/4G (?), Sunshine strain.

I think I'll wait till Green Spring sale :-)

Will someone please tell where the Green Springs event is held and what it is all about. I am new to the area. Thanks.

I've never been there, but you can easily google it:
Green Spring events

Alina, I think I must have purchased those double hellebores in late March or early April. They were blooming at the time but Merrifield had a lot more plants out than they do now. I stopped by there today and scoped things out. They had 2 plastic covered structures with hellebores in them. The first one I went in had a rolling cart with some 1 gallon pots of hellebores. They were blooming, were mostly dark maroon singles but I did see one that was dark pink. Those were $14.99. In the second structure they had a lot more. They had Christmas Rose-Helleborus niger in bloom in small pots for $9.99 and lots of Helleborus xhybridus many in bloom but quite expensive. Some were $26.99 and higher. That was at the Merrifield location. If you wait for the Green Spring sale the hellebores probably won't be blooming anymore. Hellebores self seed when they're happy and sometimes people bring the seedlings to our swaps. That's another possible source for you.

The customer service person I spoke with did not tell me about H. niger! Thanks Collectordi!
I understand that Hellebores will not bloom in May. If Pine Knot folks will bring their first ever tissue culture propagated Hellebores, the color will be known even for small plants that did not bloom yet. They are exact clones of mother plants. Also, they claim that hand pollinated babies are 85% true to color.
In late March our Potomac Garden Center will have Hellebores. It is 1 mile from my home, so I'll visit them anyway.
Thanks everyone, that was really helpful!

Alina.

I was in Frederick yesterday at Dutch Plant Farm and saw the most beautiful double hellebores. The plants were huge and healthy and looked like orchids. Deep mauve colors. A quick glance at the price tag and my heart sank. $13. Not that that's bad, I just can't afford them right now because I just got a brand new bathroom. Darn!

Here is a link that might be useful: Dutch Plant Farm

Wow Peggy, that's great! I bought doubles from Barry Glick and I paid $100 for 7 tiny seedlings. And I am not even sure that they are doubles because they are too small for blooming.
I will definitely check them out, thanks!

Alina, let us know what you get. I've been kicking myself ever since I saw them yesterday...do I really NEED that 2nd bathroom...???

Hellebores/bathroom/hellebores/bathroom???

Peggy, I called them and was told that they do not have doubles now. I left my phone #. They expect to receive doubles next week. They should give me a call.
Build your second bathroom! Someone can share Helleborus seedlings with you on the spring swap.

For future years, consider growing these easy plants from seed. I have 50+ between 3 and 6 years old. All are from seed from John Dudley in Tasmania. (Google Elizabeth Town Hellebores). They mail out during their summer (our winter) and they'll germinate the same spring or the next fall depending on what strat you provide.