Dryad Nursery news 2024

[annew]

Happy New Year to all our friends!
It looks like being an exceptionally early season so far with many snowdrops already in flower, and struggling through last year's debris in the borders because it's been too wet to get out and tidy up.
The hoop petticoat daffs are getting under way under cover as well, so it was possible to pick the pictured posy on Christmas Eve, all the blooms being of different cultivars.
As thoughts turn to the snowdrop season ahead, I thought it advisable to remind our customers that we no longer sell our snowdrops in growth in the spring, but only during the dormant season in our summer list.
I'm happy to say that last year, despite a terrible time with CITES certification, we were able to send a collection of almost all our snowdrop cultivars to our friends at Esker Farm Daffodils in Northern Ireland, who will be offering them from now on, and taking potted plants to shows over there. Watch their website https://www.eskerfarmdaffodils.com for news coming up!
Meanwhile I am impatiently watching buds on new and developing seedlings and will hopefully be sharing news on some new yellows later in the season.
I hope it is a great growing year for all of you!

[annew]

I've spent the last week refurbishing my website, and I hope it is all working correctly now. I would appreciate it if you will let me know if you spot any howlers, or if pages or links are not working correctly. It should work on your devices too.
Hope you enjoy exploring it!

https://www.dryad-home.co.uk

[Maggi Young]

NEW on Anne's website is  her range of greetings cards featuring her botanical watercolours -  when she finds the time to do these I have no idea! Her schedule wears me out just thinking about it, but the Yorkshire perfectionist seems to manage a full 20 hour  working day!

 Her artwork is just lovely. .... take a look:  https://www.dryad-home.co.uk/cards

[annew]

Thank you, Maggi! I don't have time for painting now. I should retire. 

[annew]

I am very busily harvesting and counting bulbs ready to go in my summer list, which should be ready by early July. If you are on my email list, you will get a ‘heads-up’ alert a couple of days beforehand.
Meanwhile, I can let you know about our newly registered snowdrops and daffodils. These will only be available on ebay this year.
Starting with our new snowdrops!

I am very excited to present the first to be registered of our yellow inverse poculiforms (ipocs), after 16 years of targeted breeding work.

DRYAD APOLLO
In Greek and Roman mythology, the multi-talented and beautiful Apollo represents the sun (along with many other things - from prophesy, archery and music to poetry and healing). One of the most important of the Greek gods, he is the son of Zeus and Leto, so it is satisfyingly fitting that this stunning snowdrop is bred from Dryad Leto as mother and Dryad Zeus as father.
These two parents were in turn deliberately bred as a route to yellow inverse poculiforms (ipocs), each having Wendy’s Gold as one of their parents, so both carrying the genes for yellow colouring into the second generation.  It is so rewarding when a plan comes to fruition!
DRYAD APOLLO bears its flowers on strong upright stems about 12cm high, over plicate leaves which are short and spreading at flowering time, displaying the flowers beautifully. The flowers are almost perfectly conical, dangling neatly from a softly curved spathe. The short pedicel and cylindrical ovary share the same golden colour as the double mark on the outer segments, which consists of a large oval in the distal half, notched at the apex, and a softer shading just above the base. This double mark is repeated on the inner segments, but here the two parts are of equal strength and almost joined with just a paler band between them.
This dazzling snowdrop will be impossible to ignore in the garden, and promises to be the pride of any collection.

[annew]

DRYAD SUNRISE is a distinctive and eye-catching snowdrop to bring movement and light to the spring garden.
The first seedling to be registered from our breeding programme for the green ovary/ yellow mark characteristic, DRYAD SUNRISE was named for the inner segment mark, deep and dark over the sinus, becoming glowing yellow above.
Flowering at 15 cm high under glass, DRYAD SUNRISE has large shapely flowers held on a long pedicel which hangs free of the curved spathe, allowing the flowers to swing with the breeze. The leaves are neat and narrow, semi-upright and short at flowering time, presenting the flowers well.
The tip of the pedicel is yellow where it joins the pea-green ovary. The long outer segments are cupped, ridged and of heavy substance, with a long claw that reveals the markings on the inners. These are washed pale yellow apart from the crisp white margin. At the apex, there is an inverted V, deep olive over the narrow sinus, grading into glowing golden yellow, shading gently towards the base where there are two more diffuse yellow patches. The underside of the inner segments is strong yellow, which adds to the overall glow when lit from behind. The golden colour deepens as the flowers mature.
Bred from South Hayes x Blonde Inge, it is worth noting that it carries genes for both ipoc and yellow characteristics, so may produce some surprising seedlings!

[annew]

DRYAD ROMULUS and DRYAD REMUS

Important twins in Roman mythology, their mother was the daughter of former king Numitor, who had been usurped by his brother Amulius. In a twist reminiscent of the tale of Moses, the new king considered them a possible threat and so they were abandoned into the river Tiber, from where they were rescued and raised in secret, famously being suckled by a she-wolf.
To cut a long story short, the terrible twins eventually reinstated their grandfather as king, and went on to found the city of Rome, unfortunately disagreeing so much upon which of the seven hills to build it that Romulus killed his twin in order to get his own way. Kids eh?
This Roman pair were chosen as a nod to the alternative term for ipocs – pterugiform – which refers to the segmented ‘skirt’ worn by Roman legionaries. A true pterugiform/ipoc has all inner and outer segments the same length, and identical in markings i.e. they have in effect six inner segments and no outers. These forms typically have fairly short segments for that reason, appearing at first sight to be double flowers.
DRYAD ROMULUS and DRYAD REMUS are true ipocs, both having this qualifying feature, differing only in the marks on the segments:
In DRYAD ROMULUS, the mark is a deep emerald green oval at the base of the segment, fading to white just before the junction with the ovary, joined to an inverted V over the distinct sinus by a narrow ‘waist’. This mark is repeated on the inner segments.
In DRYAD REMUS, the mark is a similarly bold emerald green, but a broad, parallel-sided stripe, also fading to white just before the junction with the ovary, and with a distinct sinus at the apex. This mark is repeated on the inner segments.
Both flower at about 20cm high under glass, probably shorter outside, with almost erect leaves.
True ipocs are very rare in cultivation, so this pair will be a remarkable and characteristic addition to any collection.

[annew]

The last of our new snowdrops is DRYAD MINUET.
DRYAD MINUET is the third of our green seedlings to be named, this one bred from Greenkeeper x Angelina. Flowering at only 10cm high, above gently arching, narrow leaves, the upright stems bear relatively large flowers of heavy substance, the outers deeply cupped and shouldered, and with a strong band of bright apple green hatching across the apical half of the segment. The inner segments have a deep green W over the deep sinus. The flowers are held at the tip of the spathe, giving MINUET an attractive and characteristic posture. This striking little gem will be difficult to miss in your collection, and is small enough for troughs, rock gardens and containers, although equally at home in the open garden.

[annew]

Our newly registered miniature daffodils for this year include two seedlings from our triandrus hybrids breeding programme, three classically all-yellow, though distinctively shaped, trumpets, a rare N. albimarginatus hybrid, and a tiny star!

IAN YOUNG 12 W-W
I'm delighted that Ian Young, the Bulb Logger, Bulb Despot and all-round bulb super-hero, has consented to having one of my daffs named after him. I thought he would choose this beauty, knowing his fondness for x susannae types. Tall, slim and with one or two gleaming white bell-shaped flowers per 25cm stem, it makes a beautiful pot subject but should also do well outside.

DUCKLING 6 Y-Y miniature
This is such a cheeky looking flower, rather like a slightly larger version of our favourite Minionette.
Reflexed enough to class as division 6, the perianth gently arches away from the conical, flared corona. Bound to make you smile!

ALBIA 12 Y-Y/W
This is so far the only one of our N. albimarginatus hybrids with a white rim to the corona.
From N. rupicola subsp. watieri x N. albimarginatus, it retains the beautiful perfume characteristic of its father. The lemon-yellow perianth is reflexed, and the broadly conical corona of the same lemon but with a broad band of white at the rim. Increases well.

[annew]

MAGGI YOUNG 1 Y-Y miniature
Named for another mainstay of the SRGC – the tireless and perennially cheerful Maggi, this little daffodil is a ray of sunshine. The brilliant yellow corona is flamboyantly frilled, and the overlapping perianth is very gently reflexed. At 15cm high, it is in perfect proportion and every inch (!) a classic.

STARINA 7 W-W miniature
From Crème Fraîche Group × Keira sdlg KB-M-1-2007, this is a pristine white little star only 28mm in diameter. The flat corona is deeply and neatly six-lobed. I have found this is easier to grow than its grandparent, N. watieri.

FOLLETTA 6 Y-Y miniature
Folletta is ‘pixie’ in Italian, and is a fitting name for this little daffodil, with a reflexed and pointed perianth like a pixie hat. On first opening the back of the perianth is bright emerald green, and still distinctly shaded green at maturity. The corona is gently frilled at the mouth. Flowering at about 15-18cm under glass, it will make a beautiful potful for alpine shows, but also has good show form for cutting.

IVORY BELLE 12 W-W
Sister to Ivory Ripple, this seedling from N. triandrus x N. cantabricus petunioides, has wide-open creamy flowers, with similar corrugations on the corona, but flowering on shorter stems than Ivory Ripple. The corona is conical and not flared at the mouth, and the narrow foliage is more prostrate.
Ivory Ripple makes a superb pot subject, ideal for alpine exhibitors. It also has a delightful scent!

[annew]

Just a reminder that our EBAY listings begin tonight. I will give more details later this evening, once they are live. There will be 5 batches, each available for 3 days.
Meanwhile, I am beginning to pick and pack orders from our main list, so make sure to let me know if you want me to hold off posting if you want to bid and combine postage.

[annew]

Our first listings are now live:
Galanthus - Dryad Minuet, Dryad Arugus, Dryad Bellerophon
Narcissus - Duckling, Folletta, Ian Young, Little Goldheart, Mica, Starina and Trumpet Voluntary.
You will find them here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/dryadzny/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
Good luck!