Galanthus - January 2015

[mark smyth]

Does anyone know if 'James Backhouse' can be green tipped?

[Leena]

I bought my 'byzantinus ex Warham' from Wol and Sue Staines   

I checked and it wasn't in their dormant bulb list last summer, I hope it will be there next summer.

Paddy, I always admire your snowdrop garden scenes, so inspiring and wonderful.
Here it is only snow at the moment.

[Alan_b]

Does anyone know if 'James Backhouse' can be green tipped?

It would not surprise me, Mark.  That one seems to be whatever it feels like each year and something different the next. 

[Carolyn Walker]

How did you cover it, Carolyn? Mine suffered badly through snow cover...

I covered it with a plastic almost clear storage box, which will go on again tonight as the temperatures plunge from the low 40s today to 15 degrees F.  I am nervous about all my snowdrops that have their leaves fully extended (because they are fall-blooming) as I lost my whole patch of 'Faringdon Double' last year and four 'Diggory'.  I am pretty sure it was because they were planted as dormant bulbs that fall and were not really established when winter hit, and it was a bad winter.  Another reason why, for our climate with very low winter temperatures, I think planting in the green in the spring is better.  Over my 30 years of growing snowdrops, I have had almost 100% success with spring planting and very mixed success with dormant planting.  I can't speak to planting methods in other parts of the world.

[annew]

Does anyone know if 'James Backhouse' can be green tipped?

None of mine ever have been.

[ruben]

Lots of sun today and a first spring feeling. 

Galanthus 'Lapwing'
Galanthus elwesii 'Paradise Giant '
Galanthus 'Franz Josef'
Galanthus gracilis 'Corkscrew' - with very twisted leaves

[ruben]

Galanthus elwesii 'Godfrey Owen' - perfect poculiform
Galanthus 'Rosie' - a early flowering double
Galanthus elwesii 'Huttlestone' - a green leaved elwesii
Galanhtus nivalis 'La moriniére' -

[ruben]

Galanthus 'Ivy cottage corporal'
Galanthus 'Chequers'
Galanthus nivalis 'Llo ngreen'
Galanhtus 'David baker' -

[Maggi Young]

'Godfrey Owen is a very handsome flower.
I see  from looking at these photos, and all your superb crocus pictures ( http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12598.msg321639#msg321639 ) why you feel it is Spring, Ruben!   

[Hagen Engelmann]

A little bit of sunshine and your world looks ok, Ruben!
Thank you for these fine pics. And I thought there is January in Belgium.
Here is a pic for all, but especially for you.

[ruben]

Thanks Maggy! But its still winter! It start raining again 

Wooow, that a real stunner Hagen. Made in Belgium LOL - i found a lot myself but not one so green as yours! Maybe this year in a new search.
I will post my finds of nivalis var. scharlockii when they are flowering!

[Dean C]

Galanthus 'Ivy cottage corporal'
Galanthus 'Chequers'
Galanthus nivalis 'Llo ngreen'
Galanhtus 'David baker' -

Ruben, some lovely drops!

A little bit of sunshine and your world looks ok, Ruben!
Thank you for these fine pics. And I thought there is January in Belgium.
Here is a pic for all, but especially for you.

Hagen, That's another stunner!

[Anne Repnow]

Beautiful pics, beautiful drops, Ruben!

I covered it with a plastic almost clear storage box, which will go on again tonight as the temperatures plunge from the low 40s today to 15 degrees F.  I am nervous about all my snowdrops that have their leaves fully extended (because they are fall-blooming) as I lost my whole patch of 'Faringdon Double' last year and four 'Diggory'.  I am pretty sure it was because they were planted as dormant bulbs that fall and were not really established when winter hit, and it was a bad winter.  Another reason why, for our climate with very low winter temperatures, I think planting in the green in the spring is better.  Over my 30 years of growing snowdrops, I have had almost 100% success with spring planting and very mixed success with dormant planting.  I can't speak to planting methods in other parts of the world.

Thank you, Carolyn, that is very interesting! I am very nervous about my autumn-flowering galanthus - it is their first winter. But I planted them in the green and so far they seem ok. But we haven't had any really hard frost yet. I'll keep that plastic box handy...

[JanB]

A little bit of sunshine and your world looks ok, Ruben!
Thank you for these fine pics. And I thought there is January in Belgium.
Here is a pic for all, but especially for you.

Would love to see this in the flesh, Hagen, looks to be so heavily green that it's more leaf that outer!

[penstemon]

Another reason why, for our climate with very low winter temperatures, I think planting in the green in the spring is better.  Over my 30 years of growing snowdrops, I have had almost 100% success with spring planting and very mixed success with dormant planting.  I can't speak to planting methods in other parts of the world.

I think I agree with this. Considering that the first frost here, in November, was a drop to -22C, established bulbs would have a much better chance. I planted a few dozen ordinary snowdrops some years ago and planted them in November, and not one appeared the next year.
Since I have to water snowdrops in the summer, spring-planted ones recover quite well.