Hazles Cross Farm Nursery
We are a family run nursery, open to the public, specialising in Hellebores, Trilliums and rare/unusual perennials. We are also developing mail order for our plants and seeds.
I have had a passion for hellebores for over 30 years since discovering them in the gloomy depths of winter illuminating an otherwise drab winter garden in a large stately home. From there I investigated the work of Elizabeth Strangman, Helen Ballard and Will McLewin in studying the wild species and developing further the range of garden hybrids first developed by the early Victorians in Germany and the UK.
Once I saw the dainty forms and stunning foliage of the species I was hooked and have spent considerable time and money travelling Europe to see them in their native habitats. This lead to collecting seed and growing the plants in the UK which in turn led to the building of a collection of all known species and several as yet un-named plants which were accepted by Plant Heritage (formerly The National Council for the Protection of Plants and Gardens) for full collection status and we now house a national collection for helleborus species.
The work of Helen Ballard in her development of clear crisp simple colours and elegant uncluttered forms combined with the massive extension of colours and the introduction of double forms by Elizabeth Strangman inspired the artist in me. I wanted to develop new colours and refine the double forms. As a scientist an understanding of genetics helped fine tune the breeding lines and eventually the Hazles Cross Hybrids were born.
