Galanthus - February 2015

[mark smyth]

While I was away I heard that the lovely side facing G. 'Starling' is not named after the bird but a star.

Just as a puffin has a puffling this is a 'Starling'

[mark smyth]

Two years ago I moved my group of nivalis 'Mini Me' to three places around the garden. It actually set them back even though I did it while they were dormant. They are back to mostly flowering bulbs and all are uniform to colour. Their height ranges from 7 to 10cm

[mark smyth]

Possibly mislabelled and for sale at Shaftesbury and snatched up very quickly - a gorgeous short stemmed big flowered snowdrop. I should have bought them all when I had the chance!  Time will tell if this reverts to typical 'John Gray'

[scatigaz]

Mark, I split and re-planted some varieties this summer when dormant and it seems to have resulted in lesser numbers on most. In fact South Hayes (3 apparently healthy bulbs) and Sibbertoft White haven't shown at all. When I move bulbs in the green, most seem to increase. Makes me confused which is the best way. Any advice would be welcome.

[mark smyth]

I always divide when leaves have turned yellow or dried

[mark smyth]

This photo doesn't show very well the amazing colour of these snowdrop leaves. They were growing close to elwesii, ikariae and woronowii. Bees did the hybridising

[David Nicholson]

Er, green?!

[Brian Ellis]

Mark, I split and re-planted some varieties this summer when dormant and it seems to have resulted in lesser numbers on most. In fact South Hayes (3 apparently healthy bulbs) and Sibbertoft White haven't shown at all. When I move bulbs in the green, most seem to increase. Makes me confused which is the best way. Any advice would be welcome.

Gary there are many factors which may affect this, it depends when you think they are summer dormant as many start root growth a lot earlier than you think - hence Mark splitting when the leaves are still dying down.  If you were accidently to damage the newly growing tip of the root you could destroy it and, as simple roots it will not grow back.  Another factor is the depth of planting and the fact that these beautiful, fickle little bulbs like to be at a certain depth and if you upset them you'll have to put up with their sulking for a year or two (hence I think a good idea to plant in lattice pots so you don't disturb them again).  I've seen a bulb flower this year which has not appeared for three years that I can remember but the pot has not been disturbed in the ground.  Lastly, of course, swift moth larva or narcissus bulb fly may have attacked the bulb.

[scatigaz]

Thanks Brian. That has given me some hope that they may well show next year.

[Maggi Young]

I am pretty sure that this 'drop is a named variety - being us, of course, the darn thing has no label and I've forgotten what it is - can anyone help?

It has green tips and a very long , unsplit spathe  - in the first photo I've folded the spathe back  onthe flower on the left to show how broad it is.  The spathe is much greener than the leaves. It is  10 cms long
 The ovary is approx 7 or 8mm long and the flower around 3.8cm







I think these pix show everything about the plant.

[David King]

A few pics from today's wander.


1.        Galanthus ‘Chantry Tiffany’  sorry given wrong info should be ‘Chantry Taffeta’  (this was GC11)
2 & 3.  Galanthus ‘Alice's Late Should be Galanthus Lazy Bones.  Thanks Steve for letting us know.

[mark smyth]

It has green tips and a very long , unsplit spathe  - in the first photo I've folded the spathe back  onthe flower on the left to show how broad it is. 

Galanthus nivalis 'Warei'

[Maggi Young]

That's him! Thanks Mark - I was a blank!  Its a  lovely 'drop.

[Brian Ellis]

Wol tells me that Val Bourne named GC11 for them so if anyone else is growing GC 11 it should now go by the name 'Chantry Taffeta' (sorry about the misnaming to start with!

I got 'Alice's Late' in summer 2010 and this is the first year it has looked really good.  I would be most grateful if anyone has any further information on this snowdrop, it's never been late (!) and I don't know who Alice refers to or where it originates.  Is anyone else growing it too?

[art600]

Alice Munsey?