I received my order yesterday, and I had to write to you to thank you very much for the beautifully packed, and very healthy plants. Everything I have received from you is fabulous, and I can tell they are treated with love and care. Well done, and I look forward to placing many more orders with you.
Erythronium ‘Harvington Imogen’ is one of three new Erythronium released in 2023 by Twelve Nunns Nursery. It is named after Imogen Dawson, the granddaughter of Hugh Nunn. It is Hugh’s lifetime passion for Erythronium that has led to the creation of these new varieties. Erythronium ‘Harvington Imogen’ has distinctive mottled foliage and elegantly reflexed flowers that are creamy white. The inside of the flower is pink and gold with pinkish-brown marking. Growing to a height of 25-30 cm, the flowers emerge mid April.
The new Harvington Erythronium have taken more than 20 years to develop. Named after family members, selection has been based on the strength of pencil marking in the flowers, along with the anther and stem colour, and the foliage form with its striking mottling.
Gardens Illustrated Magazine introduced all three in its April 2023 edition, with an article entitled ‘Natural Selection‘.
‘the breeding programme at Twelve Nunns Nursery spans two generations and has taken more than 20 years of careful, meticulous selection to create a new trio of Harvington Erythronium.’ (Alys Fowler APRIL 2023 www.gardensillustrated.com)
Erythronium ‘Harvington Imogen’ leaves die back in June and the bulbs become dormant over the summer. The best time to buy and plant Erythronium bulbs is in July/August/September, because they will root down in the autumn while the soil is still warm. The attractive glossy leaves start to emerge towards the end of February.
Please note: We send these to you as dormant, freshly lifted, flowering size bulbs from July through to September ready for potting up or planting directly into the garden.
The species and cultivars of Erythronium that we offer are all selected because they are good garden plants. They grow well in dappled shade and the bulbs should be kept damp and not dried out. For planting advice see our Erythronium Planting Advice page.
Erythronium ‘Harvington Elizabeth’ is one of three new Erythronium released in 2023 by Twelve Nunns Nursery. It is named after Elizabeth (Liz) Nunn, the wife of Hugh Nunn. It is Hugh’s lifetime passion for Erythronium that has led to the creation of these new varieties. Erythronium ‘Harvington Elizabeth’ has elegantly whorled cream flowers, with a rose-pink edging and a violet-pink pencilling in the throat of the flowers. It is a large cultivar with lightly mottled leaves, which flowers late March to early April, growing to a height of 30-45 cm.
The new Harvington Erythronium have taken more than 20 years to develop. Named after family members, selection has been based on the strength of pencil marking in the flowers, along with the anther and stem colour, and the foliage form with its striking mottling.
Gardens Illustrated Magazine introduced all three in its April 2023 edition, with an article entitled ‘Natural Selection‘.
‘the breeding programme at Twelve Nunns Nursery spans two generations and has taken more than 20 years of careful, meticulous selection to create a new trio of Harvington Erythronium.’ (Alys Fowler APRIL 2023 www.gardensillustrated.com)
Erythronium ‘Harvington Elizabeth’ leaves die back in June and the bulbs become dormant over the summer. The best time to buy and plant Erythronium bulbs is in July/August/September, because they will root down in the autumn while the soil is still warm. The attractive glossy leaves start to emerge towards the end of February.
Please note: We send these to you as dormant, freshly lifted, flowering size bulbs from July through to September ready for potting up or planting directly into the garden.
The species and cultivars of Erythronium that we offer are all selected because they are good garden plants. They grow well in dappled shade and the bulbs should be kept damp and not dried out. For planting advice see our Erythronium Planting Advice page.
Hello, I would just like to say how pleased I was with my order, the plants arrived very well packaged & with really good roots. It was an added bonus that I was able to speak to a real person to get another plant added to my order, the plants are now in my garden and I am looking forward to them growing and getting established.
Just wanted to say thank you for my plants. They look very healthy and I can’t wait to see them in flower next year. I already have some much loved hellebores in the garden which are over twenty years old and hopefully these new additions will last just as long. I would also like to add that the plants were beautifully packed. Thank you again.
Erythronium oregonum is a bulbous perennial which grows up to 30cm in height. A native of British Columbia and Oregon, this lovely trout lily is so named as its maroon and green mottled leaves resemble the scales of a trout. The elegant creamy white flowers with a yellow eye are borne from mid March to early April.
Erythronium oregonum flowers from mid March. Their leaves die back in June and the bulbs become dormant over the summer. The best time to buy and plant Erythronium bulbs is in July/August/September, because they will root down in the autumn while the soil is still warm. The attractive glossy leaves start to emerge towards the end of February.
Please note: We send these to you as dormant, freshly lifted, flowering size bulbs from July through to September ready for potting up or planting directly into the garden.
The species and cultivars of Erythronium that we offer are all selected because they are good garden plants. They grow well in dappled shade and the bulbs should be kept damp and not dried out.
Our collection has taken many years to develop. It takes at least 5 years to grow a flowering sized bulb from seed and propagation by division is slow.
For Erythronium oregonum planting advice see our Erythronium Planting Advice page.
Our Erythronium range has been reviewed in The Telegraph and provides further information and advise which is well worth reading:-
‘Why now is the best time to plant Erythroniums, the most exquisite flowers of spring’
Last year we were delighted to introduce three new members of the Harvington Erythronium family, namely ‘Harvington Lilli’, ‘Harvington Elizabeth’ and ‘Harvington Imogen’ .
‘Gardens Illustrated’ , as part of their 30th anniversary edition published in 2023, wrote a wonderful piece about our Harvington Erythronium breeding programme here at Twelve Nunns. Started by Hugh and Liz Nunn from a nursery based in the village of Harvington during the mid 1980’s, the article explained how this programme ‘spans two generations and has taken more than 20 years of careful, meticulous selection to create a three new Harvington erythroniums. And now that Harvington trio is finally ready to meet the world.’
But why breed Erythroniums?
‘They’ve got everything: grace, poise and charm.’ That, and their rarity value, makes them compelling to grow,” says Penny. And just like that, the compulsion to create something wonderful is inherited from one generation to the next.’ (Alys Fowler, Gardens Illustrated April 2023).
Erythronium are quite simply stunning! Flowering from early March, their upturned petals reveal delicate markings and brightly contrasting stamen atop of slim stems, each stem producing three flowers, contrasting well with their mottled foliage.
But don’t be deceived, these are easy to grow, as long as they are positioned in a cool, dapple-shaded area with protection from strong winds.
Erythronium will clump up beautifully for you with a little care. Once Erythronium bulbs are planted in groups in your garden they will provide colour next Spring. In time, if the soil around the flowering bulbs is left undisturbed, they will set seed and begin to naturalise.
We are delighted to be able to offer you a chance to experience these magnificent erythronium yourselves. Along with our Harvington Erythroniums, including our three new family members, we also have the rarely available Erythronium hendersonii and Erythronium howellii, but only whilst stocks last.
For those of you who would like to make a more eye catching display, we have some great offers on E.White Beauty, E.Old Aberdeen and E.Harvington Sunshine.
We send all our Erythronium as dormant, freshly lifted, flowering size bulbs from July through to September ready for potting up or planting directly into the garden. Each flowering size bulb has been carefully grown for at least 4 years.
We know you love them as much as we do!
Erythronium hendersonii is regarded by many Erythronium enthusiasts as one of the most choice. It is a bulbous perennial which grows up to 30cm in height. Its pale lavender petals are set off by a ‘blackcurrant’ eye in the centre of the flower. It comes into leaf towards the end of February and into flower in March. Their leaves die back in June and appear again in early March, and the flowers shortly afterwards.
Erythronium hendersonii bulbs become dormant over the summer. The best time to buy and plant Erythronium bulbs is in July/August/September, because they will root down in the autumn while the soil is still warm. The attractive glossy leaves start to emerge towards the end of February.
Please note: We send these to you as dormant, freshly lifted, flowering size bulbs from July through to September ready for potting up or planting directly into the garden.
The species and cultivars of Erythronium that we offer are all selected because they are good garden plants. They grow well in dappled shade and the bulbs should be kept damp and not dried out.
Our collection has taken many years to develop. It takes at least 5 years to grow a flowering sized bulb from seed and propagation by division is slow.
For Erythronium hendersonii planting advice see our Erythronium Planting Advice page
Our Erythronium range has been reviewed in The Telegraph and provides further information and advise which is well worth reading:-
‘Why now is the best time to plant Erythroniums, the most exquisite flowers of spring’
Please note: We send these to you as dormant, freshly lifted, flowering size bulbs in July and August ready for potting up or planting directly into the garden.
The species and cultivars of Erythronium that we offer are all selected because they are good garden plants. They grow well in dappled shade. They must remain moist at all times.
They flower from late March through April. Their leaves die back in June and the bulbs become dormant over the summer. This is the best time to buy and plant Erythronium bulbs because they will root down in the autumn while the soil is still warm. The attractive glossy leaves start to emerge towards the end of February.
Our collection has taken many years to develop. It takes at least 5 years to grow a flowering sized bulb from seed and propagation by division is slow.
Morning. I received my order of Hellebores from you yesterday. It is my first time to order from you and I am very impressed with the quality of your plants! I will certainly recommend you to my gardening friends.
Helleborus x hybridus ‘Harvington Double Lilac Speckled’ has been selected by Hugh Nunn and is just one variety of Harvington Hellebores® grown by Twelve Nunns. Harvington Hellebores® are excellent, easy to grow garden plants and flower at that time of year when there may be little or no other floral colour. They are winter flowering, frost hardy perennials, that reliably come back year after year, flowering from December through to the end of March. Their dark green, glossy, evergreen foliage also provides year-round interest.
Hellebores look particularly attractive against planting companions such as snowdrops, aconites and early daffodils. They create a perfect ground cover for areas of dappled shade, such as borders under deciduous trees and shrubs, but will also thrive in patio pots.
Upon receiving your Harvington Hellebores® plugs, please allow some light and air into your plants immediately and keep them in a cool light place. Ensure that the plug plants are always kept moist and plant them as soon as possible after receiving them. If possible, plant each plug in a 1 or 2 litre sized deep pot or container for this growing season so that they establish well before planting them out. Once they have rooted down into the pots, they will be ready to plant into the garden or into a larger pot or container in the autumn or following spring.
To find out more about planting your Helleborus x hybridus ‘Harvington Double Lilac Speckled’ plugs please see our Hellebores Planting Advice page.
As a specialist nursery, now based in South Lincolnshire, we have developing Harvington Hellebores® for over 30 years. All plants offered are propagated and grown by us here on our nursery. We are passionate about the quality of our plants and are constantly striving to achieve clarity of flower colour, attractive foliage and garden worthiness within our Harvington Hellebores® range. Our dedication has attracted interest from the national press, who have written more about our story, as follows:
There is a wonderful article written by Val Bourne in ‘The English Garden’ magazine (April 2024) focussing on our Harvington hellebores. Supported by fabulous photographs of some of our varieties, beautifully captured by Annaick Guitteny, the piece outlines the story of Harvington hellebores, and includes a section on how to care for them.
