October snowdrops

[Alan_b]

My snowdrops are either planted in the garden or, if recent acquisitions, live outside in pots and are not watered except by rainfall.   My reginae-olgae have only appeared in the last couple of weeks, which is a bit later than usual.  But many of my early elwesii are showing, which is a month earlier than in some years.  I have generally found:

• The ones in pots are earlier than the same snowdrop in the ground
• Location in the garden can also make a difference of several weeks.

[Brian Ellis]

Paul, I water all mine once at the beginning of September (with miracle gro this year), apart from that they get the rain and nothing else until in growth.  The weather being dry retards their growth, wet either kills them off  or gives them an earlier season as far as I can tell.

[Brian Ellis]

ps I think it also depends a lot on how long you have had them/planted them out, younger bulbs seem to take a bit longer to fit into the rhythm.

[Roma]

Galanthus reginae-olgae
Galanthus corcyrensis  - a bit earlier this year.  I split up a clump last year and planted some in a sunny spot in the front garden wher this is flowering.  The ones at the back of the house which get no sun while they are above the ground are showing but not yet open.

[Alan_b]

My first G. elwesii 'Peter Gatehouse' of the season (with some reginae olgae in the background).  There are more coming through in various earlier stages although (unless I've had losses) the majority are still below ground.  A week ago I don't think there was anything to be seen so I would not worry too much if yours aren't through yet.  'Barnes' is a few cm above ground and early elwesiis 'Remember Remember' and 'Hollis' (in pots as only acquired at the start of this year) are also showing.                                       

[Alan_b]

... Early to Rize,  ... well on the way - all in open ground.

- 'Early to Rize', with a typical triangular outline

'Early to rize' is high-up on my wants list but I've never seen it for sale commercially.  Does anyone know if it is sold and if so, by who?

[snowdropcollector]

Alan, Early to Rize was for sale last year with North Green.

[johnstephen29]

Hi two Galanthus species have come into flower here, first is Galanthus Cilicicus os from Kirsten & lars in Denmark, it's not hardy here so I'm growing it in a pot. Next is Galanthus reginae Olgae tile barn Jamie, I was curious about the name, I know Peter Moore who owned tile barn through the cyclamen society & have been down to the nursery a few times before it closed, he named some of his cyclamen introductions after members of his family and I wonded if it was the same with this Galanthus, so I asked sarah from black smith cottage nursery who I got it from if she knew anything about it, she got back to me  and said she had a look in her Galanthus nook and it said it has been around since the late 80's and that it was named after his father. It's alway nice to know a bit about the plants you've bought.


Galanthus Cilicicus os by johnstephen29, on Flickr


Galanthus Reginae-Olgae Tilebarn Jamie by johnstephen29, on Flickr

[Hagen Engelmann]

Every fine plant should tell us a nice fine story. Thank you for your story about a very special R r-o!

[johnstephen29]

Crikey Hagen that was a quick response 

[art600]

Was delighted to find snowdrops emerging in my front garden.  These are generally elwesii as I inherited many when I moved here.  I have added odd bulbs at repotting time including several peshmenii/reginae-olgae.

Looking closer at what is clearly not elwesii, I noticed that it was different from the norm 

Below are my attempts to get a representative photo.  Impossible in the garden as this dreadful weather continues.  I will be potting up the plant and hope to see the same next year.

There are no leaves to aid identification.

[Alan_b]

That's a pretty-looking flower, Arthur, but you need to show us the leaves if you want help with identification.

Many/all of the autumn reginae-olgae cultivars should be capable of growing outside in the UK, given suitable conditions.  I'm not sure about peshmenii.  I don't know of any elwesii/reginae-olgae hybrids although somehow there is an early-flowering snowdrop that is supposed to be an elwesii/rizensis hybrid.

Weather here is not too bad; have you offended a rain god?

[art600]

Alan

You beat me to the edit I was going to make to add - there are no leaves to help identification.

More than 5 inches in the last two weeks is exceptional.  Local roads have been flooded.  Just hope we do not have a winter like the last one.

[Paddy Tobin]

Galanthus reginae olgae 'Tilebarn Jamie' in flower at the moment.

[Alan_b]

Looking closer at what is clearly not elwesii, ..... There are no leaves to aid identification.

In early elwesii the supervolute furled leaves often form an 'upturned pipe' through which the flower emerges.  You may not see much of the leaves but you always see something of them.