Q: I have a thick carpet of seedlings under my hellebore plants. Should I thin them out or just let nature take its course?

A: Perhaps they compete in a small way with the mother plant but I usually let the smaller plants fight things out undisturbed. If you want lots more Lenten roses, scoop up a shovelful of soil and seedlings and carefully separate them. Plant four inches apart in loamy soil in slight shade and fertilize with liquid plant food in May. Feed again in August. Repeat next year. Plants will be big enough to bloom two years from now.