Good (and Bad) Doers for Beginners?

[Gail]

Does the Swift Moth lay eggs when the plant is in leaf?  If not is there any mileage in covering the pot with a net fine enough to keep the pest out?

The female swift moth lays her eggs in flight - the books sometimes say over weedy ground but actually over any herbaceous plants; while they are in leaf rather than dormant. I'm convinced that she knows the price of everything in your garden and aims for the most expensive. Causes real problems here with snowdrops and peonies.

[kGarden]

I'm convinced that she knows the price of everything in your garden and aims for the most expensive.

Something I now know to look out for, at least.  Thanks.

[Bronwyn Parrott]

This is all so interesting for me as a newbie, thank you all.
ChrisD, I have sent you a PM as I would be very grateful for some G.regina olgae ssp vernalis and would like to send you the cost of postage.
Thanks to Brian's advice I will dig up my feeble looking drops in May and not only move them to a part of the garden with Nivalis growing happily but also put them in trellis pots! See how much I have learnt already!!
Bronwyn

[ScotsmanInKent]

Also being a newbie I don't have that much to add on good and bad doers.

Magnet and Merlin do very well for me and do have nice distinctive characteristics. and mid season
sam arnott/brenda troyle also really good growers and nice size flowers and early.

what I have found is that a high proportion of sand/grit for drainage and the addition of some well rotted leafmould seems to make all my drops grow better. They dont like being too damp.

had my first big disaster this spring with Webdys Gold.
only one unhealthy show and so dug it up and found a large grub and eaten bulb.
Is this the swift moth everyone is talking about, or something else.
daphnes scissors was a similar story but not so bad looking show and a smaller but the same pest.

[Gail]

Is this the swift moth everyone is talking about, or something else.

Yes, that is the blighter - whitish body and brown head.

[Alan_b]

I have posted on this pest in previous years.  See for example http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=8723.msg239494#msg239494 from late March last year.