Hellebores: A Spring Cut Flower?

I love a good Hellebore, although they always take me by surprise popping up well before im expecting them.  A purple flowered one is always an early shower in the designated ‘spring bed’ and at the bottom of the garden we have a sizeable clump of a green flowered variety. The mother tells me its quite rare as garden centers don’t tend to stock it as people aren’t keen on green.  I can see why, its a bit of a boring looking shrub but up close the intense green of the flowers is actually quite impressive.

For me though, the Hellebores selling point as an early flowerer is also its downfall.  At this time of year if im actually at home during daylight hours the only times I venture into the garden are a quick nip round to the bin or grabbing the rat for bedtime.  Im definitely not on my hands and knees in the undergrowth turning up the flowers.  Why do they insist on hanging facing the ground?!  Who can see the surprisingly interesting centres down there I ask myself, especially the one that evidently didn’t like it where it was and snuck under the fence to live with us (lucky me), currently wedged in a hedge.

So the answer; cut them off and bring them indoors.  Doesn’t work, tried it.  Put a few stems in a vase and you get a serious case of wilt.  Apparently, according to a tv programme the mother saw a few weeks back you have to cut them right behind the flower heads and float them face up in a bowl water lily style.  Works a treat and makes a very attractive centerpiece to the ol’ table.  Makes me want more but at £13 pound a pop In my local garden centre I never manage to bring myself to invest.  Lets hope a few more sneak in from elsewhere…