Galanthus in April 2014

[johnralphcarpenter]

Young Beardshaw is one of the best gardening presenters around. England's loss is Scotland's gain!

[mark smyth]

Young Beardshaw is one of the best gardening presenters around. England's loss is Scotland's gain!

so true

[Maggi Young]

Young Beardshaw is one of the best gardening presenters around. England's loss is Scotland's gain!

 And his presence reduces the average age of the other (male)  Beechgrove presenters by quite a long way!

[Brian Ellis]

Young Beardshaw is one of the best gardening presenters around.

...and an excellent speaker too

[Leena]

What lovely pictures of snowdrops in April Leena - it brings February back to those of us with such an earlier season, but I don't remember seeing them pictured quite so serenely. Lovely capturing of light and shade.

Thanks Tim.
in case your wondering what the spruce branches are, I keep them over my Helllebores to protect the flower buds from the freezing nights (which are now almost over, I hope). And so they show up in every other photo because I have planted snowdrops among Hellebores.

[Rick Goodenough]

Thanks Rick .
This is one of my favourites  and and it seems to do well here too, an old cultivar 'S.Arnott'.
Picture from last week-end.

Leena...Another perfect clump of G. 'S Arnott'. It seems to do well in every garden. I have acquired this one, but no blooms this year. Thank you for posting this photo.

[Leena]

I had planted three bulbs in summer 2011 and they had increased quite well in only this time.

[johnw]

Leena  - I think it was you who worried about the hardiness of snowdrops.

Here is a small clump of nivalis that found itself in the direct line of fire of a persistent drip from the eavestrough.  In December the drip started and within a few weeks the tunics were washed off, the roots bare-rooted for the most part and any snowcover kept off them.  So they experienced this dreadfull winter fully exposed attesting to their hardiness.

Another surprised, as winter started in December I thought I had lost my reginae-olgae 'Cambridge's.  Instead they appeared in late March but the flowers lasted less than a week before they browned - cold and a dump of snow the culprits, other drops nearby were unaffected.  So these r-os have the capacity to spring flush and flower.

Thes rest carry on normally.

johnw   - awaiting a call from the Christies kinds as we are heading to the coast.

[mark smyth]

Does anyone know anything about Galanthus nivalis 'Dame Margot Fonteyn' that's for sale on ebay?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Snowdrop-Galanthus-nivalis-Dame-Margot-Fonteyn-very-rare-cultivar-/161274207980?pt=UK_HomeGarden_Garden_PlantsSeedsBulbs_JN&hash=item258cb11eec

[Brian Ellis]

It has appeared on the forum if you search Mark, but I think the details are much the same as on eBay.

[Leena]

John, thank you. I was worried about the early snowdrops and too much snow, but this winter has been very good for them here, the snow melted early. Just the opposite to this winter over there. I'm glad the snowdrops are flowering over there now, too.

This one is nameless G.plicatus from Augis Bulbs, three bulbs planted autumn 2011 and it has increased well. It starts to  flower later than many others and it grows quite tall during the flowering. Nothing special, but a good snowdrop which also shows from a distance.
 

[Alan_b]

Does anyone know anything about Galanthus nivalis 'Dame Margot Fonteyn' that's for sale on ebay?

That seller sold at least another three the same in March and one earlier in April.  I must say that if I was to have a snowdrop named after me I hope it would not be one with such an unhappy expression on its 'face'. 

[Alan_b]

Leena, i like the nicely-curved spathes on your nameless plicatus.

[Leena]

Leena, i like the nicely-curved spathes on your nameless plicatus.

Thank you Alan. In this picture from 2012 when the original three bulbs first flowered here the spathe shows even better.
I'm beginning to think that this snowdrop  looks better when it is not a clump so I have to divide it to give the bulbs more space.

[Brian Ellis]

Has anyone bought G.'Priscilla Bacon' or G.'Amy Doncaster' this year?  I am interested to know what the going rate is as I have had two clumps destroyed by our neighbour coming into our garden and doing work on his fence whilst we were out yesterday!!