Helleborus seeds - Germination time?

[KayJay]

I've had mine a couple of years now but no flowers yet, how long do I have to wait for flowers?

[Shirley Sherriffs]

I got 2 Helebore plants from a friend and she mentioned they " seed everywhere". When the flowers were wide open petals almost folding backwards the seed pods were big & fat ready to pop like pansy seed pods. I just snipped off the flower/sead head leaving about 1" of stalk and dropped them into a dry paper bag. I am just about to pop them into a pot of compost but I didnt know they took Sooooooo long to germinate. Perhaps I should read some of those piles of gardening books I have !!!