Award-winning flowers on show in Kingswinford

Ashwood Nurseries based in Ashwood Lower Lane, Kinver, Kingswinford, has been growing its hellebores for many years and has received international recognition for the different varieties it grows.

Now, Ashwood Nurseries, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, has launched its tours of the hellebores' homes for 2017, giving visitors the chance to view some of the hundreds of colourful blooms on display. The aim of the tours is to give people an insight into the exotic-looking blooms and show them how to grow them themselves.

The tours reveal the colours, beautiful markings and dramatic dark nectaries of the flowers, as well as the form and shape backs of the blooms, many of which are yellow or neon coloured, as well as purples, whites and reds.

Nursery owner John Massey also has some words of wisdom for those looking to grow hellebores in their own gardens. He said: "Hellebores are easy to grow.

"They prefer a rich soil with plenty of available moisture during their flowering period, but they also require excellent drainage: they are after all 'snow-melt' plants and, if you can grow them on a slope, they will naturally be well drained.

"It's important to give them a sheltered site away from cold winds.

"Hellebores will tolerate drier conditions in summer providing there is some shade but bear in mind that too much shade all year round can reduce the number of flowers. They are best grown amongst shrubs and trees which will give them plenty of light in winter and spring but which will provide some welcome shade in the summer months." For more details on the tours and the nurseries, visit www.ashwoodnurseries.com.