Galanthus in the Southern Hemisphere - 2008 season

[Paul T]

Flowering this morning, about 2 weeks earlier than usual due to our strange weather.  The start of Galanthus for the season in my garden....

Not the most perfect flower as yet, but it is the first of the season so it deserves recognition!! 

I've posted this pic in the Flowering Now areas as well, but had to drop it in here as well for the Galanthophiles.

Changed subject from 'Let the White Fever commence' - 5-06-08

[KentGardener]

thanks Paul - looking forward to seeing many more from your side of the pond 

cheers

John

[Paul T]

John,

Well don't get too enthusiastic YET..... there'll be only the reginae-olgae and peshmenii for the next while, and unlike you guys over there I've never seen a named variant of the autumn species here in Aus so there aren't that many different forms to show you.  I do actually grow 3 or so different reginae-olgae which have differences in timing and height etc, but not enough I think to bore you with pictures of the different ones.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

Opening in the last couple of days is Galanthus peshmenii.  Within the next few days or so hopefully there'll be some flowers open on my larger form of reginae-olgae which I can then post a pic of.

Enjoy.

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

The main winter Galanthus season is commencing in my garden at the moment.  Many things are early this year (Eranthis are already out, a full 6 weeks earlier than usual) so I don't know what that will do to the season.  The Galanthus elwesii pictured always flowers in June (I posted a pic of the clump in the "flower now" area yesterday, but just took this pic of them fully open to post here), but I think from memory the G. snogerupii is ahead of itself a bit this season.

Enjoy!!

[Paul T]

Finally got some sunny pics of some of the Gals today.....

The first two are unnamed, although I think the first (left of rose arch) one probably had a name as it never sets seed (so may be one of the polyploid forms?), has pretty good quality flowers, and is the earliest every season.  The other has a much smaller mark, but I can't recall it setting seed or not.

Next is 'Eric's Choice', which is a very large, green tipped pleasure to have in my garden. 

'Essie Huxley' is a large flower, beautifully proportioned and very substantial in texture.  Despite the picture making it look very like the unknown one above, Essie is a superior flower in appearance, and usually is a little later than this (strange weather again).

And lastly the invalidly named "x elcatus", which is interesting rather than particularly beautiful.  The petals are always much more pointed than any other I have here, but it multiplies very well and flowers religiously.  This strange weather though has made them even more pointy than usual, as they normally have a bit more substance than is evident in this pic.

Enjoy.

[art600]

Paul

I cannot yet call myself a Galanthophile, but it is great having a second set of snowdrops this year.  Particularly like 'Essie Huxley' and think the 'x elcatus' is beautiful - elegant and different

[Brian Ellis]

Paul you are blessed for giving us a 'fix' of snowdrops when the roses are in full bloom here!

[David Nicholson]

Careful Paul, you will set all the NH snowie growers loins twitching!

[Paul T]

Thanks all.  Glad to be feeding the snowie addiction! 

[Otto Fauser]

Finally got some sunny pics of some of the Gals today.....

The first two are unnamed, although I think the first (left of rose arch) one probably had a name as it never sets seed (so may be one of the polyploid forms?), has pretty good quality flowers, and is the earliest every season.  The other has a much smaller mark, but I can't recall it setting seed or not.

Next is 'Eric's Choice', which is a very large, green tipped pleasure to have in my garden. 

'Essie Huxley' is a large flower, beautifully proportioned and very substantial in texture.  Despite the picture making it look very like the unknown one above, Essie is a superior flower in appearance, and usually is a little later than this (strange weather again).

And lastly the invalidly named "x elcatus", which is interesting rather than particularly beautiful.  The petals are always much more pointed than any other I have here, but it multiplies very well and flowers religiously.  This strange weather though has made them even more pointy than usual, as they normally have a bit more substance than is evident in this pic.
Enjoy.

Paul,
 your G."Eric's Choice' is very handsome- where did you get it from? G. x elcatus is elwesii x plicatus . Prof. Otto Schwarz - Jena Bot. Garden - sent me a few bulbs in 1972 , and from that importation I distributed spares to other Galanthophiles in Australia .
Otto

[Paul T]

This is flowering for me for the first time, thanks to a wonderfully generous Aussie member here on the forums.  It's Galanthus 'Sibbertoft White', the first pure white snowie I have seen.  VERY pretty!!  Up until I received this I had thought the only pure white Gals were the poculiformis ones, something I hope to get hold of one of these years if they're here in Aus, so this is extra wonderful as it reminds me of them every time I see it, just for the lack of markings. 

[fermi de Sousa]

Now that is a real snowie!
cheers
fermi

[Paddy Tobin]

A beautiful plant, Paul, certainly worth being excited about.

Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

It is lovely isn't it Paul, from the garden of Lady Beatrix Stanley originally and has the synonym 'No Mark' which is quite apt.  I've just twin-scaled it this year so I get a bigger clump quicker (I hope), as it looks so good, even though it will clump up relatively quickly!

Enjoy