Galanthus March 2008

[KentGardener]

I hope that my current attitude (it could well change in future) will not be seen as too silly. 

Anything that is found to have virus in my collection is moved to my Mum's house (50+ miles away).  Her garden is a LOT bigger than mine and has plenty of room for sick plants. 

The reasons I do this (I think) are:

1)  I have spent the money already and can't bring myself to chuck them.

2)  I hate killing anything and always rescue plants that are dying on peoples desks/windowsills.

3)  One day there might be a cure for virused plants (please?) - and mine might be the only ones left?...

But I would never keep them within 10 miles of my garden.


I know that there is talk of some 'old plants' being less healthy and more virus prone; and almost not worth keeping around - but one of my other passions is Victorian Asplenium scolopendrium ferns - there were varieties in the hundreds once - but now they can be counted in the tens.  My friend Tim Brock is doing his best to keep any surviving ones in existence and I always have the thought of all those lost ferns in my mind.  Part of me thinks I should burn the virused plants - but the other part of me will not let this happen and I send them to Mums in the hope they recover (no chance?) or have babies - or a cure is found one day.

John

Jx

[Gerdk]

Here are two late flowering Galanthus, both pokuliform

1. white - no cultivar name
2. Belles Etoiles - acquired last year in Oirlich

Gerd

[Martin Baxendale]

Doesn't sound like a silly attitude to me, John.

Very nice, Gerd.

[mark smyth]

I'm always thinking pocs do not stand out and dont understand all the named cultivars but Belles Etoiles stands out

[KentGardener]

Hi Gerd

thank you for posting the picture of 'Belles Etoiles' - it has cheered my afternoon so much after the rubbish week I am experiencing so far.

Once again, another plant from over the channel that actually looks different from all the other snowdrops.

thanks and best wishes 

John

[mark smyth]

Has anyone noticed Palepink of Ebay fame is now advertising for a snowdrop. If only I had Yaffle!

[johnw]

John - I took the same measures with 3 or 4 Hellebores that exhibited the classic symptoms of "black death" virus.  They were to good to toss. I gave them to a friend about 10 miles away as she had no other Hellebores and there were none in the neighborhood.  Five years later she says they have performed well and flowered.  I haven't seen them personally and she really is not a gardener so I must have her photograph the leaves this spring.  Others here that have exhibited the same symptoms died within a year or so and these were in pots. Have not seen this in the ground.  So all this is puzzling.

johnw

freezing rain overnight and the province was a skating rink.  Going to plus 8c and heavy rain this afternoon.

[Maggi Young]

and there were none in the neighborhood

But how do you KNOW that for sure, especially in the UK where gardens are so closely packed!

If attempting to clean plants up, then a proper quarantine regime of an insect proof covering etc is surely a must?   This cover could also  be of some material that would inhibit a wind borne germ etc....

[annew]

I agree, Maggi, I wouldn't like to live near John's mum - my innocent little 'drops would be exposed to all the nasties from John's plants.

[art600]

Maggi

Shame on you   

Mea culpa, Arthur.     In my defence, I can only say I am just VERY fond of our garden birds

Maggi

So am I - and my bulbs.  In thirteen years our beloved moggie has only caught one bird, but presented us with countless mice  

[KentGardener]

I agree, Maggi, I wouldn't like to live near John's mum - my innocent little 'drops would be exposed to all the nasties from John's plants.

I shall now keep quiet about where my Mum lives in case my inheritance from the house is damaged!

John

[Brian Ellis]

If only I had Yaffle!

Well, as they say, I haven't one myself but I know somebody who has...but they are not for sale.

[mark smyth]

Brian if one is sold for Ebay prices just think of what you could spend with it. I know someone with twinscales I wonder if that will do?

[tonyg]

This really belongs in the Feb thread, I've taken too long to post!
Walsingham Feb 12 2008.  Massed snowdrops, some with eranthis, super narcissus too but I've posted them on the narcissus thread - some people probably don't come here for fear of catching the fever!
The last pic is a snowie that I bought there, don't know if it will throw 2 on a stem again?

[mark smyth]

Great find. Next year will tell if it's stable