Chestnuts, Hellebores, and Growing Foxgloves
Ellen and C.L. talk about eating chestnuts, the perennial plant that’s commonly called hellebores, and what it means when you are talking about pesticides. We end with a listener’s question about growing foxglove plants from seed.
:34 What’s For Dinner: Chestnuts
6:31 Eat/Drink/Grow: Helleborus
17:50 Insider Information: Define “Pesticide”
21:38 Love Letters and Questions: Lynn asked about propagating foxgloves
These hellebores are Helleborus niger, the Christmas Rose. This particular variety comes into bloom in late November, making it perfect for filling urns or other containers for the winter holidays and beyond. This urn is planted in a cold zone 7
Here is how a chestnut looks right off of the tree
Out of their prickly husk, the chestnuts are shiny and smooth…and that slickness is one thing that makes them a bit hard to cut into!
These foxgloves were all grown from seed.
Oh, I feel like SUCH a celebrity! Thank-you for using my question on the pod this week! I didn’t think to include my location: Philadelphia or growing conditions: shady yard with a lot of large and small trees stealing the moisture from my soil. As well as one patch which only gets a blast of late, hot afternoon sun; which is the trickiest part of the yard (so far, a broad-leaf amsonia survives there best). I bought a package of 5,000 ‘Foxy’ foxglove seeds (so, a teaspoon’s worth!) to try broadcasting in spots fluffed up and enriched with some of my ample compost. I am also going to try winter sowing in gallon milkjugs along with heuchera, ligularia and hosta.
We’ll be rooting for you! (Horticultural pun intended.) Keep us posted about how things germinate.