A question of growth

[Brian Ellis]

A friend has just asked this:

As I have reset most of my snowdrops my first proper clump (of Barnes looks odd), will they correct themselves to face the same way, are snowdrops like sunflowers and face the sun, ( I am a bit ocd) do I need to reset them again to face the same way.
Will they always face the same direction they are planted at?  I am desperately trying to resist the urge to dig them up again,when you start from one bulb they always seen to face the same way,  - as my garden is walled things never seem to face the way you would like them to, see I am never happy.   No plants ever suit the paths, they always face wrong way.

I had to admit that I hadn't thought about this!  Any ideas?

[ArnoldT]

Brian:

We've had the same conversation regarding Arisaemas.

No real answer on this.

[emma T]

I don't know .

I will observe and get back to you

[Lesley Cox]

In my - very long but rather haphazard - experience, bulbs, any bulbs with stems, as distinct say, from rhodohypoxis, will face the sun when they are in bud and flower. It is true for me, of snowdrops, fritillarias, tulips and all the daffodils. I realized it first when my main paths were to the south of plantings (remember I'm south of the equator) and all the daffodils were facing away from me and to see them properly I had to step across the garden and other plants to  get a good view of insides. Eventually, because I couldn't move the patches of garden, I made new, narrow paths through the patches so I wasn't being faced by apparently "sour grapes" or sulky-looking flowers who wouldn't look at me. 

So I wouldn't dig or reset your snowdrops unless they are planted to the south of where you will see them. South-east, nor-west don't matter so much, as long as there is some sun, they'll tend towards it, even if their site is fully shaded, if the sun is to the south of your planting, they should be fine.

Besides, when planting such bulbs, there's no way to tell which is front or back. Some people even have trouble knowing when end is up! None of us of course.

[Brian Ellis]

Thank you all, especially Lesley with your experience.  I am sure my friend will be highly pleased when she returns from her evening out and sees the replies.

[mark smyth]

My experience is most where possible open on the south side of the spathe

[mark smyth]

A few examples from those in the green house

Ailwyn lives in a trough that gets no sun so all flowers look west to the brightest sky

[Matt T]

My first Narcissus has been in flower for a week now - hooray! It was facing east when it first opened and has gradually turned around to face north. The bulb frame faces south, so it's looking at the back wall behind which is the house. Maybe it's come from NZ? I don't want to turn it round because it's rooted into the sand. 

[mark smyth]

Brian I would tell your friend to replant next year so the flowers look south

Daffodils when planted en masse, wild or in a garden, always look south

[mark smyth]

I have loads of examples

Wendy's Gold looking and leaning south
Excelsis looking south
The Pearl looking south
WP8 looking south

[mark smyth]

One more example
Narcissus bugei - looking south

[Roma]

The clumps of snowdrops I have against a low north facing wall face north.  The G. reginae-olgae (corcyrensis) flowering now on the north side of the house, but not close to the wall, where they get no sun - if there was any - are facing west. 

[mark smyth]

Roma that's what my snowdrops do the live in troughs on the north side of the house

[Brian Ellis]

My friend - a long term lurker - says:

Many thanks to all for their help, as I have walls to the north and east, and a brick
garage workshop to the south, I think I am going to observe to see if they turn
themselves, to the west there is a greenhouse and large magnolia, but there is more
sunshine that way.  Can see why they are confused and facing all directions.
They do look so much better when they face the same way.

Being a fickle female I will have probably dug them up again by the time I see
you on Sunday.   Itchy fingers!   I will be pulling my hair out if all my moved clumps
look so unnatural in February.

[mark smyth]

I hope you told her not no move bulbs while they are growing?