Galanthus in April 2017

[Rick Goodenough]

I'm not snowdrop grower and it seems that they don't like me, too. But some I have.
Here one of nice findings in Eastern Carpathian mountains where grows large flowering form of G. nivalis. This one I named 'Carpathian Viridapicis'. If someone wants it - I'm open for offers.

Janis...a nice looking nivalis! Rick

[Rick Goodenough]

Here are three blooming in my garden this week. G. nivalis 'Blewbury Tart'; G. 'Bloomer'; and an un-named elwesii I like quite a bit which is a late bloomer and has an interesting mark configuration with only a hint of color at the apex of the inner segments.

Rick

[Alan_b]

Yes, that is a nice elwesii, Rick.  Is it a good doer?

[Janis Ruksans]

Here still ordinar nivalis blooms in grass together with Eranthis.

[johnw]

Rick  - Just a few shavings under and between pots as well as atop, tight opaque plastic covering and the potted G. go through any kind of winter.  So hard to believe nurseries in the UK can lose potted ones in winters like 2010 & 2011 when it takes so little; perhaps the loss of full dormancy across the pond worsens the situation.

Speaking of which Viburnum 'Dawn' was showing colour back in late February so trust it will still flower.

Glad to see that nasty stationary jetstream has finally moved.  They say warm temps next week and we can only hope not too warm. Palms and phormiums have gone outside.

john - very heavy rain overnight and possibly tomorrow to 30mm.

 

[johnw]

How bizarre just starting to post in April.... now this was a pleasing sight, a fond reminder of the very lovely & generous lady who found it and our mutual friend, Don Armstrong, who rescued it from a close call with extinction.  Must get them out of those chips pronto, they're further ahead in the ground this year.

G. elwesii 'Rosemary Burnham'

john

[Leena]

John, it is good that you have a cold frame. Here this winter has been also the worst in the six years I have collected snowdrops.
'Rosemary Burnham' came up a week ago, I was sure I had lost it, but luckily no.
Many snowdrops are coming up late, and also some (especially the yellows) look a lot weaker than earlier, but some are growing well, so this kind of winter is a good to show which snowdrops grow well (in my garden) also after a long long winter with not much snow.

G.nivalis is naturally good doer also here, and 'Viridapice' does well.
Last picture is of nameless G.elwesii I have grown for over then years (in the picture two different kinds). It flowers but multiplies very very slowly.

[Leena]

These two were planted last summer, I like both of them very much.
'Godfrey Owen' and 'Greenish' (Corydalis malkensis is just coming up beside it).

[Leena]

My G.woronowii of which I posted pictures a week ago. Here are close ups of the flowers.

[johnw]

A few from yesterday

1. small ex Thelma Chapman
2. 'Benton Magnet' - an extremely good-doer
3. 'Alison Hilary'
4. plicatus 'Trym' - surprisingly vigorous once settled
5. nivalis 'Flore-Pleno', an insanely vigorous drop here as well Leena and when one sees the prices on a single bulb it is quite disheartening. The same with Leucojum vernum.

john

[johnw]

This one is rarely mentioned these days, I wonder if it's still about in the UK.

G. 'Green Cage''

john

[Leena]

'Allison Hilary' is new to me, it looks very nice!
I don't have 'Trym', but 'Trymming' has suffered a lot this winter, and only two small leaves has come up. On the other hand 'Copton Trym' has increased from last year, which I'm very happy.

G.nivalis 'Flore Pleno' does well here, I bought 5 dry bulbs from garden center about ten years ago and have been able to divide them already twice. Here is a small clump of them planted two years ago. They look like small elves.

'Green Light' also does relatively well here.  Here it is today.

[johnw]

Leena  - I'm fond of 'Alison Hilary' too, it stands up so reliably.  Quite unlike 'Percy Picton' and 'Colossus', I was looking at them today and decided they are dispensable floppers.

johnw

[Alan_b]

Leena, I glad to learn that 'Green Light' is doing quite well for you; I have a fatherly interest in that snowdrop.  I think it may just have made it into North America but I doubt that JohnW has that one.  I'm sure that your woronowii are indeed woronowii; the mark in the first photograph is more typical than the one in the second.  I wonder if you should try growing the high-altitude snowdrops like krasnovii or platyphyllus that are used to spending a long winter under snow?  The problem is that these are difficult and expensive to obtain.

I think that 'Colossus' has no merit apart from the fact that it flowers early so if you live in a region where that doesn't happen for you then I would not worry about owning it.  But I like the long elegantly-curved pedicels on 'Percy Picton'.  I have never come across 'Green Cage' and wonder why it was so-named. 

[Leena]

Leena  - I'm fond of 'Alison Hilary' too, it stands up so reliably.  Quite unlike 'Percy Picton' and 'Colossus',

Thanks for comparing these, I will be looking for 'Alison Hilary' next summer.

Leena, I glad to learn that 'Green Light' is doing quite well for you; I have a fatherly interest in that snowdrop. .
I'm sure that your woronowii are indeed woronowii; the mark in the first photograph is more typical than the one in the second.  I wonder if you should try growing the high-altitude snowdrops like krasnovii or platyphyllus that are used to spending a long winter under snow?  The problem is that these are difficult and expensive to obtain.

Alan, I'm very happy to have 'Green Light'!
Thank you for confirming my G.woronovii. Yes, G.krasnovii or G.platyphyllus would be good to try here. I have once sowed G.krasnovii, but they never germinated. I'm happy to write, though, that G.woronovii and G.trojanus sown from wild collected seeds (Holubeck) 2015 have just last week germinated!  I hope will be able to keep them alive.

About 'Colossus', I planted it last summer, and here it is flowering now for the first time.