Galanthus in February 2013

[johnw]

Apricot and vanilla smoothie?

Mango Lassie! 

[KentGardener]

About a foot away I lifted the low branches of an evergreen shrub and came on a collection of old hellebore seedpods, collected and nibbled by mice and there with them was a stack of snowdrop flowers. They weren't eaten so it looks like the mouse was simply decorating its nest - a mouse with taste.

Paddy - are you sure it was mice and not fairies  . I don't know why Ireland makes me think of fairies.....maybe watched too much River Dance!  (No - not Michael Flatley  - there was a young girl dressed as a fairy and playing a flute)

Paddy - fascinating. 

Jennie - being in Ireland surely it would be leprechauns.

Paddy - I'd have another check under that shrub if I were you to see if there is any gold under there too.   

[Brian Ellis]

Jennie and Richard, I always think that Highdown form is really petite and upright whilst corkscrew is perhaps a larger plant and the foliage really can swirl quite dramatically when seen from a standing position, but perhaps its where they are grown?

[kentish_lass]

Brian and Richard - looking at the foliage of Highdown next to Corkscrew I saw that Highdown has much thinner almost grass-like foliage and Corkscrew has flatter, wider and thinner leaves which are twisted. As you said Brian....they swirl around closer to the ground (in my case pot at the moment).

I now have gracilis, gracilis large ovary, Highdown, Corkscrew and Yamanlar - so now on the look out for Vic Horton.  Are there any other desirable gracilis cultivars?

Will take foliage photos tomorrow.

[johnw]

Jennie  - Have you found Yamanlar hard to grow?  It didn't stick around here long.

johnw

[KentGardener]

Are there any other desirable gracilis cultivars?

Ronald Mackenzie?

[steve owen]

Giant gracilis ex-Curtis - the biggest gracilis in the universe.

[kentish_lass]

John W - only had Yamanlar a season and it is ok so far....hope I don't lose it as I really like that one.

John F - don't talk to me about 'Ronald Mackensie' - it was a petit pois sized bulb and a no show this year 

Steve - that huge gracilis ex-Curtis sounds lovely - will add to my wish list!  Have you a photo of it?

So far no show on Witchwood & Ronald Mackensie but Margaret Biddulph has sent up a weeny grass like leaf...Yipppeee.  Have a few other no shows but I am trying not to think about them till mid Feb.

[Martin Baxendale]

Giant gracilis ex-Curtis - the biggest gracilis in the universe.

I'd also be interested to see a photo of this giant gracilis (and suggestions re where it's obtainable if possible). I use gracilis a lot in my hyridising and am always on the lookout for good gracilis to use as seed and pollen parents. I find most gracilis difficult to keep going (perhaps because they tend to have small bulbs and are easily exhausted by making them produce seed pods year after year, so am always keen to get hold of bulbs of all the various forms to ensure continued supplies of pollen and seed parents for back-crossings etc.

In short I'm always overjoyed to hear from anyone with spare bulbs of pretty much any of the gracilis forms.

[Carolyn Walker]

I have been trying to post photos of this flower for Uli and others for the last two months but the forum is not cooperating.  This is the X-marked G. elwesii that I was given by a customer in spring 2012.  Investigation revealed that it was selected from straight species G. elwesii growing at the US Botanic Garden in Washington, DC.    I received a clump of 26 varying sized bulbs which I separated and planted individually.  All 26 came up in November/December 2012, and 12 are blooming starting on December 18, 2012 (first photo).  All 12 are still in full bloom right now despite the intervening and long-lasting cold temperatures, down to 5 degrees F (-15 C), with no snow cover.  I think the X is one of the best I have seen.  I have some other photos I wanted to show but the site won’t accept more than one even though I reduced the size.
Enjoy, Carolyn

[JanB]

Hi, have finally joined, after much elbowing from Mark Smyth! Thought I'd try to load some pics of some of what's flowering in Plymouth. Fingers crossed I do this ok!


  Angelique
  Chequers
  Diggory
  Ding-dong
  Erway

edited to show photo names in text -to allow search engine to locate them.

[bulborum]

Well Jan welcome here
Mark always has good ideas
nice start
Love the Diggory
always a nice shape when they open

Roland

[JanB]

Here's a few more. Trymposter x two are both white though! Does this happen or is it not what I think?


    Gerard Parker
    Melanie Broughton
    Trymposter

[Brian Ellis]

Welcome Jan, always good to have new blood on the forum.  Some nice pictures too, thanks.

[Maggi Young]

I have been trying to post photos of this flower for Uli and others for the last two months but the forum is not cooperating. I have some other photos I wanted to show but the site won’t accept more than one even though I reduced the size.

Oh, Carolyn, I think your characterisation of the the forum being 'uncooperative' is rather unfair.  It is more likely to be your connection that has had cut-outs or time lags that cause the system to reject your photos. If there are interruptions to any download this is likely to happen.