Galanthus - April 2015

[Rick Goodenough]

John...just terrific to get to see these beauties for the first time. All nice, and the marks and striations on the first shot and last are quite interesting to my eye...also the form of both seems to nicely exhibit the recurved outers. Hats off! Keep posting these...great fun. Rick
...80% is encouraging, too.

[Leena]

Leena, your 'Fieldgate Forte' is terrific...my first time to see it.

Thanks, I like it, too.  It is medium tall but the flower has substance. It is planted only last August, so I don't know yet how it will multiply, but I hope it will thrive here in time.

[Brian Ellis]

Rick and Leena, it is a superb snowdrop and well named!  There is nothing like seeing your first one 'in the flesh' Rick, you will be more than bowled over when you do

[Rick Goodenough]

Thank you, Brian, it will be a long time before I have my own seedlings blooming, but I did do some hybridizing this year and hope to get some seeds going. I did just get seeds germinating that had been sent to me from Melvyn Jope of wild collected G. graecus seed from northern Greece, near Seli in 2014. Very excited to see the little grassy-like shoots appear.

And Leena, 'Filedgate Forte' will be on my list.

I saw many wonderful snowdrops on Cape Cod Saturday at the home of Jonathan and Eugenie Shaw. Here is a teaser with a small clump of G. 'Green Arrow'. Isn't it a wonderful looker? I have several photos from that adventure if folks are interested, just say so.

Enjoy, Rick

[Maggi Young]

Rick, I'm sure the forum readers would be pleased to see a flavour of  snowdrops in an American garden.

[Tim Ingram]

Very nice indeed! I think 'Green Arrow' would create quite a stir over here .

[johnw]

Is it common that 'Primrose Warburg' is virus infected? What about 'Spindlestone Surprise'?

Leena  - Others have mentioned problems with 'Primrose Warburg' but I can't say how widespread the problem is.  Maybe others in the UK can comment.  'Spindlestone Surprise' has no problems here.

Wonderful contrast of greens in 'Green Arrow' Rick!

johnw

[Rick Goodenough]

Thank you Maggi, Tim and John. Here are a few early spring garden shots taken this Saturday, April 11, 2015 in the Jonathan and Eugenie Shaw home in Sandwich, Massachusetts, U.S.

Enjoy! Rick

• G. nivalis 'Flore Pleno' and Crocus
  G. nivalis 'Virescens'
  G. nivalis 'Anglesey Abbey'
  G. nivalis 'Blewbury Tart'
  Very old Gingko with various drops and spring bulbs

[johnw]

Well it certainly looks like spring there Rick. Do you find 'Anglesey Abbey' wildly unstable as we do?  I must dig and sort this year.

Meanwhile a regular nivalis,

the nivalis flower above on the left picked and held next to 'Rodmarton Regulus' for comparison.

Then 'Modern Art'

'Cicely Hall'

elwesii 'Don Armstrong'

johnw

[johnw]

elwesii 'Green Brush'  - has always been stable here
Tramp op
'Spindlestone Surprise'.

johnw

[Alan_b]

I think 'Green Arrow' would create quite a stir over here .

it was originated by Avon Bulbs and should be available from them.

[Tim Ingram]

Thanks Alan. There is a lot more to snowdrops than I will ever know! I assumed it had occurred in N. America.

[Alan_b]

Some years ago I wanted to name a snowdrop I had found as 'Green Lantern' but that name had been taken. I got from 'Green Lantern' to 'Green Arrow' and stuck there for a while until I discovered that the name had also already been taken by Avon Bulbs.  So I eventually arrived at 'Green Hornet'.  I've never quite forgiven Avon Bulbs for beating me to the punch but I must say that their 'Green Arrow' is a really attractive snowdrop.   

[johnw]

Rick  - How fortunate to have such an aged Ginkgo in the garden.  They are not fast growing trees on the coast here where it's cooler, certainly not like Metasequoias which grow frighteningly fast.

I think the frost is out of the ground now as it suddenly went from soup to goop  today.  Northsides a different matter as snow lingers.

johnw

[Leena]

Leena  - Others have mentioned problems with 'Primrose Warburg' but I can't say how widespread the problem is.  Maybe others in the UK can comment.  'Spindlestone Surprise' has no problems here.

Thank you John.

I bought my 'Fieldgate Forte' from Avon bulbs last summer, and it is good to know that they also have 'Green Arrow', I must keep it mind this year.
'Cicely Hall' also has become one of my favourites now, I bought two bulbs and the one growing in full sun has flowered already for some weeks but the one growing in more shady place is still in bud.

What a lovely view around the old ginko tree!