Galanthus in February 2013

[kentish_lass]

Freddie - those are awesome clumps and lovely photos.  How many years did it take for the clumps to get that big?  Are they planted directly into the ground or in lattice pots?

Steve - I feel a little envious seeing your Witchwood as I think mine will die.  It has a tiny shoot but has stag and there is nothing left of it now that I have peeled off the tunic - it is in the hands of the gods 

Walker Canada is lovely and I was hoping to swoop one up at Myddleton House but never even saw it !

[KentGardener]

Can you maybe post a close up picture from 'Norfolk Blonde'?

There is another pic of 'Norfolk Blonde' here Richard


Lovely pictures of some lovely drops again yesterday - thanks everyone for the eye candy.   

[Mavers]

What camera do you use John?

It really picks out the detail within the whiteness of the snowdrops.

My camera always leaves me disappointed, though it is only a point & shoot.

[chris]

here 3 of my favorites: G.'Richard Ayres'; G.plic.'Gerard Parker' and G.'Primrose Warburg'

[David King]

Some pictures of a few seen recently.

1.  A nice clump of Galanthus 'Trumps'.
2.  Galanthus 'Angelina'.
3.  Galanthus 'Joy Cozens'  supposedly has an orange tinge (see bud far right). 
4.  Galanthus 'Ronald MacKenzie
5.  The very odd Galanthus 'Carolyn Elwes'

[David King]

A few more:

1 & 2.  Galathus 'Glen Norma'
3 & 4.  Galanthus 'Castle Green Dragon'

[art600]

David

Thanks for showing some very nice plants.

As all except Carolyn Elwes look to be growing well - is it a characteristic of this snowdrop?  would be puuting it to one side if I was lucky enough to own it.

[Mavers]

What a lovely shape the flowers are on Ron Mack.

[David King]

As all except Carolyn Elwes look to be growing well - is it a characteristic of this snowdrop?  would be puuting it to one side if I was lucky enough to own it.

It is quite normal apparently and sometimes the leaves are totally yellow.  Not my cup of tea!

[Brian Ellis]

is it a characteristic of this snowdrop? 

Another picture of it here Art
http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.co.uk/

[freddyvl]

Freddie - those are awesome clumps and lovely photos.  How many years did it take for the clumps to get that big?

It's always hard to say how fast a particular species or variety grows in general. It depends on a lot of parameters such as soil composition, soil moisture, location, origin plant material, microclimate, diseases and pests, and so on. Now, if you ask me how old are these clumps: in general 4 to 5 years starting from one flowering bulb. So – in other words – it can go quite rapidly.
As I have said also in the Flemish forum, it is a fact that some species/varieties grows better or worse in one garden while in another garden it can be just the opposite. Even in a single garden, like ours, the same plant species/variety sometimes grows much better in one place than the other despite the seemingly same parameters. Advice: Try the same plant species/variety in more than one place in the garden if you have the possibilities.

Are they planted directly into the ground or in lattice pots?

All our snowdrops are directly planted in the ground. We use lattice pots sometimes for other plants for instance when the tubers are very small or with plants which may not come above groundlevel the first year (Paris, Polygonatum, …) and may not be disturbed.
You have to know that our soil is very sandy so we 'enrich' our soil with compost (from our own compost heap) and fine leafmold. The only ‘fertilizer’ that our plants (including snowdrops) get each year is a new toplayer of fine leafmold in autumn. (Much) Fertilizer is often the cause of disease; we have to grow our plants as natural as we can to become strong and hardy plants with a natural growth habit.


David, that are really beautiful pictures of exceptional drops and all in a big clump for their standard. Wonderful !

[art600]

Another picture of it here Art
http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks Brian

'Even more @Not my cup of tea'

[David King]

David, that are really beautiful pictures of exceptional drops and all in a big clump for their standard. Wonderful !

Thanks for the kind comment.

[Brian Ellis]

Thanks Brian

'Even more @Not my cup of tea'

Not mine either Arthur, but it takes all sorts

[Tim Ingram]

These are a few pictures of naturalised snowdrops at Lorendon woods, near to us at Faversham (North Kent). All single and double nivalis and very attractively situated, especially the 'bowl of snowdrops' (which is probably the site of old excavations for chalk). These woods were left to the local village and have masses of narcissus and bluebells too - good place to walk the dog. There are also a few magnificent trees (though most are much younger), one of which in particular looks like it could give you a good 'swipe', a la Harry Potter (and there is a school next door!). The church down the road has a fine entrance, but no snowdrops - and nearby is a beautiful Elizabethan house which just cries out for a garden...