I just noticed in the shipping info from one of my favorite catalogs how much the price for plants to Canada has increased ....wow, prohibitive.

Chiltern Seeds, UK, looks to have a nice selection; I'm placing an order for some other types seed today but did browse through their hellebores.

Elizabeth Town Hellebores is shipping pre-ordered seed now; you might email for remaining availibility. With their reversed seasons, you would find these seeds fresher than those you would receive ordering from countries who are experiencing the same winter as we are on this continent.

Here is a link that might be useful: Elizabeth Town

MorZ8, thanks so much for the info. The selection at Elizabeth Town is incredible, although a little expensive for 10-seed packets, with the shipping and all. Still, I am considering this option.

Incidentally, I did find that www.thegurugarden.com in Quebec has some nice hellebore plants.

Thanks again!

If it helps, I've had great germination from Elizabeth Town Seeds...and don't forget to do the cost conversion to canadian money. These seeds arrive with their first warm moist period almost completed, the next step (chill) is where you begin.

MorZ8, your success rate makes it even more tempting. Do they really send only 10 seeds per packet? On average, what is the germination rate, in your experience?

He is usually most generous with his seed, enough so that I haven't actually counted them. I haven't had a year where I've ended up with fewer seedlings in Spring than the amount of originally ordered seeds.

Stella, I received seed from ET for the first time last year. I ordered 6 different varieties of seeds. Each packet had 12 seeds. I also received a bonus packet of unknow seed and that had 30+ seeds. I had almost 100% germination. I've ordered again this year and cannot wait to receive the order. The seedlings have been vigorous growers, very healthy. Unfortunately, I did not realize that my collection of sprouts had been found by snails until I had lost over half of them in the spring....

I figured that with shipping and all, disregarding the free seeds, I paid 50 cents per seed. By November, of the plants the snails did not get, half were already the size of plants I had paid 5$ apiece for at our cheapest nursery. When you figure cost like that, it is well worth the price of the seeds. Add in the bonus seeds, and I paid even less.

Note that you are only guaranteed 10 seeds per pack and bonus packs depend on their harvest and are certainly not something you bank on receiving. If all I had received were the 10 seeds per pack I ordered, I would still be happy and consider myself ahead of the game the way hellebores are priced in my area.