KentGardener's Galanthus Blog 2013

[Mavers]

What a STUNNER David!!

I desire it even more now

[loes]

I did see Green Tear and it was still for sale but instead of just 1 snowdrop to buy, I chose for a few.
I'll wait a few years.
Instead I wanted a Rosemary Burnham but the last one was already sold 

[Mavers]

I think that is what I shall do regarding Green Tear Ioes.

Did you notice what Rosemary Burnham was selling for?

[art600]

Mike

Wol & Sue were selling it for Ł35

[Mavers]

She seems good value at Ł35 Art.

Hopefully I will see one for sale one of these days.

[art600]

Mike

Mine is now two and I have two flowers - bulb bought last July.

Can be difficult, so keeping fingers crossed.

[KentGardener]

Yesterday saw me up bright and early for what is becoming my annual pilgrimage to the secret woodlands of Cambridgeshire.  My host for the day was, once again, forum member Alan B.  Alan often finds time to explore woodlands and churchyards within an hours drive of his house and I have been lucky enough over the years to visit some of his most interesting snowdrop sites.  We worked out yesterday that it is 6 years since I started my trips to Cambridge - how time flies! 

Annoyingly the journey didn't start well as there was a railway replacement bus that added to the journey time - but I was prepared with a copy of Dr Jože Bavcon's book about Slovenian snowdrops to get me in the mood for the day ahead.

After a bus, train, tube and another train Alan met me from his local rail station and we started the day at his house for a look at some of the snowdrops in his collection.

A few that attracted my attention.  (I'm still going through a 'green marked outers' phase.   )

1 - one of his finds from a previous year.

2 - A seedling that appeared in Alan's garden and is flowering for the first time.

3 - The lovely 'Ex Emma Thick' slowly working her way into every county of England.   

[Gail]

John, what is the book?
I've just put Jože Bavcon in Amazon and got;

 Your search "Jože Bavcon" did not match any products. Did you mean: joke bacon
Showing Top Results for "joke bacon" in All Departments

[KentGardener]

After refreshments at Alan's I donned my Long Johns, extra jumper, scarf and hat and we set out in Alan's car to visit various locations. 

I always find it interesting to see how populations in different areas can have genetic differences.  Sometimes you find nothing but completely uniform drops but yesterday we were lucky enough to see areas with Twin Headed, Green Tipped, Abnormal flowers, and yellows.  We managed to spend about 4 hours on our hands and knees before the cold got the better of us and we returned to Alan's for hot drinks and lunch.

1 - my host spotting something interesting

2 - the first twin headed we found

3 - Another twin headed just emerging

4 - a pretty little 4 petal one - it really was tiny (the rest of the clump were all normal 3 petals)

5 - one that I rather liked because it showed its inners even on a cold day

 

[KentGardener]

1 - green stripes

2 - more green stripes

3 - trying to be a yellow

4 - succeeding in being a yellow

5 - faint green dots

[KentGardener]

These are unlikely to appeal to most - but I am sure Emma and Davey will like them.   

1 - weird one

2 - weird two

3 - weird three (I think this was the most interesting drop of the day.  At first I was convinced it was slug damage but still took a picture.  It was only when I got home and loaded it onto my laptop that I found it was a really interesting mutation.  I wonder if it will do it in 2014 - and whether I will be able to find it again?)

[KentGardener]

And finally a few with green tips.

That is the end of my trip to Cambridgeshire.

[Hagen Engelmann]

-a few with green tips-

I would say a lot with green tips.

It seems you had a trip full of impressions. Fantastic!
And the yellows 

[snowdropcollector]

John and Alan, seems the two of you have had a great day with lovely findings  . Great to see all the drops with green markings, and of course the great yellow one.

Are the snowdrops with green markings all found in a little area, or do you find them spread all over the place ?
When I look out for snowdrops over here, mostly you find the 'specials' in a little area and not spreaded.
I did find a yellowish ( as you say trying to be yellow) in a large population of Nivalis at a farm. I go back there every two/three
years, yellowish Nivalis are only in a small area in that population.
Picture of 'Elles Dream' ( as I have named the snowdrop ) is attached.

[snowdropcollector]

Two more picture of Nivalis 'Elles Dream'.