Galanthus: January 2008

[Gerard Oud]

I just have removed the pollen and put some on of a monostictus, there are more flowers of these to come and i still have some on my program

[Paul T]

Gerard,

I like that 4-4, 5-5 one.  Given it is stable in that regard it would make a fascinating clump.  Purists may hate it, but I love it!! 

[Alan_b]

This is my snowdrop of the moment (flowering early this year).  The recent rains have left it splattered with mud, but still very distinctive.

[mark smyth]

Rosemary?

[mark smyth]

Here are a couple of groups from my garden today. 'Atkinsii', elwesii 'Haydn' and gracilis

[Gerard Oud]

Thank you Paul,
Its stabile for 3 years now,only the small bulbsize give 3 to 3 petals. The big ones however 5 and up give more inner and outer petals in the same number.I had this one on a KAVB show in february 2006 and no one had ever seen such a snowdrop before, and there were lots of experts like Cees Breed.

[Alan_b]

Rosemary?

You mean G. elwesii Rosemary Burnham, Mark?  No.  It is an unnamed elwesii that looks quite similar to that one.  I found it as a solitary bulb three years ago and this is only the third time I have seen it in flower but this year I find I now have two flowering bulbs (and one smaller offset).  So I know it comes back true each year and so do its offsets; a major step in building-up my confidence that this snowdrop is worthy of cultivation and an eventual name.

Moreover it has several sisters or cousins, subsequently found in the same garden where I found the original (which I have mentioned before).  These are not just clones because the green marks on the outer petals differ.  They have manifested as solitary flowers so it is quite imporatnat that I have had one for several years and managed to bulk it up a little.  And, yes Mark, I will consider getting it twin-scaled. 

(Edited on 14/1/08 to correct a factual error).    

[mark smyth]

Oh yes, I forgot already after a few days of you telling us

[Maggi Young]

Alan B.... Shame on you, could you not have given your poor mud-spattered little snowie a quick wash before you took her photo?  Same comment goes to someone else, can't remember who, who showed a other mud splashed flowers recently...... You chaps profess such admiration for the white flowers and then show this disrespect... really, I am shocked by this behaviour

[Paul T]

Go and have some chocolate Maggi.  You'll feel much better!! 

[Maggi Young]

Good advice, Paul . I may be a little tetchy today ( okay then... MORE tetchy..) because our heating broke down yesterday and it's perishing in here.  Even worse than usual 
And... cold chocolate is never as tasty as warm...

[Paul T]

Maggi,

If only your heating broke down then I assume your stove still works?  If so, nothing is better than hot chocolate to warm you up...... or you could go curl up with the BD for warmth?? 

[Maggi Young]

Well that is another reason I'm tetchy... the BD got up and left me to start gathring kit for his NZ trip!      I've had two cups of hot chocolate today already..... it's 11.28am now !!!!

I could go outside to cheer myself up by admiring the snowdrops, but since there is only one... and I mean ONE single flower, not even one CLUMP, out at the minute... and it's raining... I think I'll just stay here and moan

[KentGardener]

I think I'll just stay here and moan

Moan away Maggie.  A problem shared is a problem halved!

cheers

John

[Alan_b]

Alan B.... Shame on you, could you not have given your poor mud-spattered little snowie a quick wash before you took her photo? 

I was in the garden and in a hurry so the photo was more in the way of a candid shot by a paparazzi than a carefully staged photo shoot.