Galanthus March 2018

[Josh Nelson]

Not I but Blonde Ingrid who made this observation.  Perhaps "field hospital" is not quite the right description but Florence Nightingale treated soldiers wounded in the Crimean war at a barracks near Istanbul.  This was, to quote the Wikipedia entry:

Ah, yes - thanks to Ingrid; I do recall now!

Looks to be Scutari on eastern side of the Bosphorus - quite near to byzantinus and not far from gracilis populations

[Josh Nelson]

A couple of elwesii for a change, from a clients garden this March.  One with interesting face with unusual apical mark; the other with a nice shape and simple, bold apical mark and small green tips to outers:

[Mariette]

Very beautiful finds, Josh! To me, they look more tempting than most named varieties. You´re lucky to have access to places where Galanthus plicatus is naturalized in Britain; in Germany, You´ll find only G. nivalis and occasionally the odd G. elwesii, which was disposed with garden waste.

[annew]

A very late, and VERY tiny perfect double - Hatpin. I do love tiny things..

[Josh Nelson]

Very beautiful finds, Josh! To me, they look more tempting than most named varieties. You´re lucky to have access to places where Galanthus plicatus is naturalized in Britain; in Germany, You´ll find only G. nivalis and occasionally the odd G. elwesii, which was disposed with garden waste.

Thanks Mariette.  It was finding the population that led to me acquiring (collecting perhaps, though I am loathe to admit it!) named snowdrop varieties; partly to compare and, in some cases, as I wanted to add different genes and characteristics to my plicatus selections for breeding or natural seeding. 

I thought the byzantinus were interesting as soon as I found them and stumbled upon the in-rolled 45mm outer one I posted a while ago. I had previously only divided and spread nivalis, a few S Arnott types and the odd elwesii (which I was distinctly sniffy abut on account of what I thought was their over-dominant foliage!).

Having now got and/or seen a great many different named cultivars, I think that a number of the byzantinus are better than many (at least to me) and I am going to chip some and distribute as I am now sure they are worth it (hopefully when I have also found out a bit more on their history, if this is possible). I think there is an element of over-naming though and however well they may compare to existing named varieties, I personally just love the variation in the population and the excitement of trying to see if anything unusual has cropped up that I hadn't noticed before or that was just a seedling or young plant on a previous visit.

We are indeed lucky in the UK to have large naturalised populations of plicatus and hybrids and the collecting by soldiers or those associated with wars, is not just interesting of itself but one of the few good legacies of the otherwise horror of warfare.

[Josh Nelson]

A very late, and VERY tiny perfect double - Hatpin. I do love tiny things..

That is definitely dinky, Anne!

[Leena]

I personally just love the variation in the population and the excitement of trying to see if anything unusual has cropped up that I hadn't noticed before or that was just a seedling or young plant on a previous visit.
We are indeed lucky in the UK to have large naturalised populations of plicatus and hybrids and the collecting by soldiers or those associated with wars, is not just interesting of itself but one of the few good legacies of the otherwise horror of warfare.

You are indeed lucky to have naturalised population, and it is exciting trying to find new ones, and see all the variation.
I hope to have some day lot of seedlings (other than nivalis) in my garden and see different kinds there.

Does anyone know the origin of 'Hugh Mackenzie', and if it is fertile? I was wondering if it is related to German and Slovenian green tipped/virescent snowdrops?

[Josh Nelson]

You are indeed lucky to have naturalised population, and it is exciting trying to find new ones, and see all the variation.
I hope to have some day lot of seedlings (other than nivalis) in my garden and see different kinds there.

Does anyone know the origin of 'Hugh Mackenzie', and if it is fertile? I was wondering if it is related to German and Slovenian green tipped/virescent snowdrops?

I love the anticipation of seedlings and what they might be or become.  My first seedlings flowered this year, sown 2015; exciting to watch them flower and develop.

I believe Hugh Mackenzie (and, presumably, Fiona Mackenzie) is indeed from Slovenia or nearby; someone should be able to confirm.

[Gerhard Raschun]

I love the anticipation of seedlings and what they might be or become.  My first seedlings flowered this year, sown 2015; exciting to watch them flower and develop.

I believe Hugh Mackenzie (and, presumably, Fiona Mackenzie) is indeed from Slovenia or nearby; someone should be able to confirm.

Found at the web:

Galanthus nivalis 'Hugh Mackenzie'

  AM (Award of Merit)

Origin: A seedling raised by Ruby and David Baker




A clone, which is flowering rather late here, and taller with greater shape then the virescens dwarfs from Slovenia

[Leena]

Thank you Josh and Gerhard. Cox book says it was named in UK, that's why I didn't know about it's origin, but it is good to know where it is from. I planted it last summer, it will be nice to see how it looks in reality.

My first seedlings flowered this year, sown 2015; exciting to watch them flower and develop.

Than was very fast! I sowed seeds from my own yellow snowdrops summer 2015, but they germinated only last spring 2017. I was so happy to see that they germinated eventually.

[Mariette]

Ruby Baker received many snowdrops found by  Wolfgang Kletzing in Slovakia and Croatia, but, to my knowledge, not in Slovenia. Maybe ´Hugh Mackenzie´was a seedling of these, at least it looks so. Ronald Mackenzie may be able to tell more about it, or one of those who inherited Ruby´s papers after her death.

Snowdrops I prefer are rather superb forms of the typical snowdrop than oddities or monstrosities. Therefore, I started a bit of hybridizing myself, one of my favourite "mothers" is ´Daglingworth´. This one´s "father" was ´Percy Picton´.

[Brian Ellis]

one of my favourite "mothers" is ´Daglngworth´

A wonderful snowdrop Marriette.  Well done.

[Susan W]

Avon bulbs 30% off snowdrops 1 week only use code GIG18. Replaced 1lost this year at a good price, happy bunny!

[Josh Nelson]

Ruby Baker received many snowdrops found by  Wolfgang Kletzing in Slovakia and Croatia, but, to my knowledge, not in Slovenia. Maybe ´Hugh Mackenzie´was a seedling of these, at least it looks so. Ronald Mackenzie may be able to tell more about it, or one of those who inherited Ruby´s papers after her death.

Snowdrops I prefer are rather superb forms of the typical snowdrop than oddities or monstrosities. Therefore, I started a bit of hybridizing myself, one of my favourite "mothers" is ´Daglingworth´. This one´s "father" was ´Percy Picton´.

Presume HM has ex Kletzing or similar inheritance then.

Daglingworth meets Percy Picton is an excellent match - very much like it and approve of such interesting experimental crossings! Not sure what I'll get out of this year's crosses, was trying to be similarly adventurous but then found a wonderful virescent which needed the flower cutting off for tlc so used it's pollen on as much as I could as an insurance (and just because...)

[Chad]

I don't know how many of you read the Turkish press?

Here is a link to 16 in habitat Turkish snowdrop pictures.

Chad.