Snowdrops in Timelapse film

[pontus]

Hello Everyone,

At the end of january I visited my friend Tim Whiteley and his woodland garden in Northamptonshire, and we made a short film about his snowdrop collection (80 different varieties), including some timelapse photography, for his website.

part 1 is uploaded on their website and part 2 will follow soon, but in the meantime, I have also uploaded the films on my nursery facebook page here :

https://www.facebook.com/PontusWallstenPlants?fref=photo

part 1 is under part 2.

the videos are also on my website here :

http://pontuswallstenplants.smugmug.com/Other/Video-Section/12482883_SwNRhN#!i=3863380839&k=hJ2nJv6

Pontus

[Alan_b]

So Tim Whitely is the man in charge of Evenley Wood?  He seems a nice gentleman but how could one put it to him politely that planting his snowdrops in large regularly-spaced clumps does not display them to best effect?

[Maggi Young]

A link to the first film is here too : http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12117.msg323807#msg323807  - I had not realised you were involved, Pontus 

[annew]

So Tim Whitely is the man in charge of Evenley Wood?  He seems a nice gentleman but how could one put it to him politely that planting his snowdrops in large regularly-spaced clumps does not display them to best effect?

Maybe that"s how he likes them?

[Alan_b]

Maybe that"s how he likes them?

Quite possibly, but as he opens his wood as a commercial venture http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=12117.msg323807#msg323807 it might be better to please the crowd rather than please himself.

[David King]

it might be better to please the crowd rather than please himself.

Well I am a member of the visiting public.  I thought Evenly Wood was rather nice when we visited.  Some quite photogenic angles with nice drifts which pleased me. 

I must say I wouldn't contemplate telling any gardener private or public how they should plant their plot, unless they asked me for advice, as I think it is their business what they do in it and would be somewhat impertinent of me to do so.

[pontus]

last year they devided up quite a few of the biggest mass galanthus plantings in order to spread them further. They also had quite big sales of bulbs and stocks, and thirdly, this film was shot at the end of january, when the biggest drifts where not yet at their peak bloom.

But there are quite a few "mass plantings" of galanthus as well, including S. Arnott in large quantities.

Tim regularly welcomes voulounteers to help planting work in the wood as well, so Alan, if you feel fit and motivated, I am sure Tim would welcome your help in planting over 5000 snowdrop bulbs individually by hand, over several days, to create further large drifts, as they did with scilla siberica in 2009, planting over 6000 bulbs by hand creating a "scilla river".

Pontus

[Alan_b]

If I was looking round a private garden I would not dream of telling the gardener I did not like his/her style.  But if I've been charged £5 to get in then I feel that entitles me to say whether I liked it or not.  Quid pro quo.  I pay the quid(s), say whether I am pro (or anti) and you can quo(te) me on that.   

Evenley Wood is about an hour and a half by car from where I live but I feel so strongly motivated to create large drifts of snowdrops there that I would go and help if help is needed.  Do you know when this is going to happen, Pontus?   

[pontus]

the recent update I have Alan is that they are busy planting 200 new roses, a mass planting of lilium regale and lilies from the propagating house.

snowdrop division, splittig, replanting and planting of new bulbs occurs between february and july. It depends on the years and time schedule. I think their aim was to dig up a significant quantity of big clumps, pot them up, and then spread and replant as dormant bulbs possibly in summer, but do feel free to enquire by e mail at info@evenleywoodgarden.co.uk as they will inform you I am sure.

Pontus

[Alan_b]

...their aim was to dig up a significant quantity of big clumps, pot them up, and then spread and replant as dormant bulbs possibly in summer...

I suppose if you dig up the entire clump and you're careful and you have large enough pots to fit them then you will minimise the disturbance and then have the bulbs to hand to deal with them as time permits during summer.  But dealing with the pots must make for quite a bit of extra work, don't you think? 

My current thinking is that the best time to lift and divide snowdrops is early May.  The leaves are still there so you can find them.  But the bulbs are about to go dormant so won't be too hard-hit if the lose the final few weeks of their growing season.   

[Maggi Young]

............. as they did with scilla siberica in 2009, planting over 6000 bulbs by hand creating a "scilla river".

Pontus

 Pontus, that scilla river sounds lovely - have you any photos?

[pontus]

yes Maggi, it really is breathtaking, i will dig up a picture on tuesday when I get back home and post here

Pontus

[Maggi Young]

Oh, thank you, I will look forward to that   

[RichardW]

Scillas en masse looks amazing, but it's a shame they don't have the same draw as drops, our scilla display is arguably more impressive than the snowdrops....

[Tim Harberd]

Aren't they all just little blue flowers?.......

Tim DH