help with identifying plants

I am trying to get my garden in order and thought I would make a log of what plants are where, how to prune etc, what colour flowers they are. I have a few plants and although I know what type of plant it is (for example a hellebore) I have no idea of which named variety it is. I have a bamboo as well which i remember planting but dont know what its called. I will try trawling web sites but if I get stuck could someone here help? would it be best if I described it or take a photo?

 

log on to SHOOT!! We're all on there - I won't describe it,as it's on loads of threads, but it's
http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/
Enjoy!!!!

 

As well as that, though, to help ID plants - yes, do put a photo on! I always enjoy that sort of thing! :D :D :D

 

Lazy-Gardener. The best thing is to record them when you get them. When I get a new plant I write all the details down in a small book with date and where purchased.

Some named varieties can be readily identified, but it is not that easy with many others. For instance there are over 40,000 named Dahlias, and quite a lot are going to look the same. I visited Old Court Nursery outside Malvern last autumn, which has the national collection of Asters. There were literally hundreds of dark blue Asters in flower, each with its own name tag - but most of them looked exactly the same!

 

PeterS, you're very organised. I have a plant in the greenhouse that I don't recognise, and I must only have bought it last year- hopefully it'll be a nice surprise!

 

Hi Peter-I intend to do that from now on! Unfortunately my mind has gone on the plants I bought years ago!

 

glad someone said I could post a photo. I have a link to photobucket here

www.photobucket.com/albums/e173/bikertart/helleboreflower.jpg

( sorry but until I know how to link it you will have to cut and paste the address)The flower is a hellebore with green flowers and is flowering now. Its about 18 " high and doesnt appear to have an odour. I have a look on the new last night but couldnt find a suitable site to look at indovidual ones. Perhaps someone can help narrow the field for me please?

 

It could just be a green flowered form of H. x orientalis or it could be H. lividus.
I know it is asking a bit, but to help identify any plant if you could include a picture of a leaf and something to indicate the scale, it would make it a lot easier. I usually place a coin near the leaf I am photographing.

 

Hi lazy gardener, for showing images, put after- no spaces between, like this:



I have put a space after jpg to show what I mean. If I remove the space, look:

 

Oh so thats how its done- thanks

 

Your mystery hellebore, lazy-gardener, is Helleborus argutifolius. Note the teeth along the edges of the leaves, which are almost always absent on H. lividus. And the amount of flowers on that stem rules out H. x hybridus.

 

thats brilliant. thanks everyone!

 

Hi Tim, have you got some hellebores? They are so beautiful, I'd love to see some pictures if you have.

 

Hello Liz. Yes I do have hellebores growing here. Below is a photo of Helleborus torquatus growing in Croatia, close to the border with Bosnia.


This photo is of a superb example of H. atrorubens growing in one of the nursery beds. It was collected from a large colony in southeast Slovenia. It's not at all representative of this species (one plant of any hellebore species cannot be considered representative as they are all so variable), as most plants of H. atrorubens have green on the inside of the sepals.


Below is a photo of H. purpurascens growing in a woodland site northwest of Budapest, Hungary.


And last but not least, our own native species, H. occidentalis. This site is not all that far from me.

 

You certainly know your hellebores, Tim! Do you have any idea why they're so variable?