Galanthus in February 2025

[Stefan B.]

Galanthus alpinus var. bortkewitschianus

[Jeffnz]

I like the sepal shape, not pointed.

[Jeffnz]

I know that light intensity can influence the depth of yellows, bugt what about pH?

[Leena]

Stefan, how nice for you to go snowdrop-shopping! It looks like a super happening. And very nice to see your snowdrop pictures.

Mariette, you have a very nice seedling! And 'Cowhouse Green' seems to grow well for you. Here it is struggling, and I must move it this year so that I would increase better. Now it has had only one flower for several years. It grows in a dryish shady spot, maybe more sun or more moist would be better?

Jeff, here I haven't noticed a difference in yellows in different pH soil. Our soil is naturally maybe pH 6, someplace less, but I think yellow snowdrops are yellow also in a bed where I have added calcium.

[Stefan B.]

seeding


Galanthus nivalis 'Viridapice'


Galanthus 'Fly Fishing'

[Stefan B.]

Galanthus gracilis Virescent
(Galanthus gracilis 'Andreas Fault')


Galanthus 'Lady Beatrix Stanley'


Galanthus 'Bunch'

[Mariette]

And 'Cowhouse Green' seems to grow well for you. Here it is struggling, and I must move it this year so that I would increase better. Now it has had only one flower for several years. It grows in a dryish shady spot, maybe more sun or more moist would be better?

Leena, ´Cowhouse Green´ doesn´t grow well, if at all, in the heavy clay of my garden. Yet potted in the soil of my compost heap, it does very well. The conclusion may be that it likes rich and somewhat more aerated soil. Nowadays I grow it in pots into a nice clump and plant it out in the borders then. 

[Mariette]

I know that light intensity can influence the depth of yellows, bugt what about pH?

Besides sunlight, probably it´s something in the soil which makes snowdrops colour more yellow, but none of the specialists could tell me what it is.

[Leena]

Leena, ´Cowhouse Green´ doesn´t grow well, if at all, in the heavy clay of my garden. Yet potted in the soil of my compost heap, it does very well. The conclusion may be that it likes rich and somewhat more aerated soil. Nowadays I grow it in pots into a nice clump and plant it out in the borders then. 

Mariette, thanks for the advise!    I will have to move it to more rich soil, and maybe add grit to the soil, too.

Stefan, really nice and well growing snowdrops.

Some here from yesterday. Nights are mostly below freezing so development is slow, but every day something new is coming up. Let's hope we won't get very cold temperatures any more.

'S.Arnott'



'Trymming'



'Phil Davis' planted one bulb 2018, has increased well.



'Lord Lieutenant', planted one bulb 2014 has been slower, but I like it.



G.lagodechianus from Armenia (Augis bulbs) is the first of my lagodechianus to come up and flower. All others are later forms. This also seems to be not so hardy as I lost it in bad winter 2022 (and bought another next year). I wouldn't be surprised if this one from Armenia was earlier called something else and now lumped to lagodechianus.

[Stefan B.]

Leena, I enjoy looking at your photos. How nice that there is less snow in your garden this winter.

[Leena]

Thanks Stefan.
It has been couple of warm days, temperatures almost +10 and nights -1C, but next week will be colder again. Hopefully not for long and not very cold.
Couple of pictures from today. I enjoy so much my snowdrops!

'Atkinsii' on the left and nameless elwesii on the right.



'Chantry Dame'



'Bambino' has become one of my favourites. So cute and very good increaser.



This is seedling from Stefan. Really nice round petals and dark insides, I like it very much. Its leaves have suffered a bit of frost damage during the cold period in February, but I hope it is not so early next year. Almost always snowdrops from more south flower earlier the first spring here, and later they adapt to our winter/spring.
Stefan, what is the mother plant? G.elwesii? Or is this a hybrid?

[Mariette]

Leena and Stefan: how nice to see Your snowdrops in flower now, too!

Leena, ´Bambino´really reminds of a chubby toddler!

Stefan, Your G. trojanus looks great! Somehow this species owes a special dignity.

These last days we had spring-like temperatures up to 20°C, and the snowdrop season is nearing its end.

This is a seedling.



´Washfield Warham´is always one of the last starting to flower with me.



A Cowhouse Green - seedling.



This year the green mark is much paler than in other years.



Which reminds me of Leena´s complaint that the "green" snowdrops often are not as green with her as they should be. Maybe the stronger sunlight later in the year makes them bleach? I noticed that with several green-tipped pocs as well.

´Robyn Janey´

[Mariette]

A nameless G. plicatus with a long flowering season.



Another nameless one, G. elwesii.



"Yellow" snowdrops are my favourites! ´Amber Yellow´ comes from the garden of Susanne Zager.



´Golden Tears ´clumps well. 



´Rheingold´

[hwscot]

A pot of young plants, seed of virescents from Anne Wright. Sown 2021 and last year I potted up 12 bulbs. This is the first one to flower. It's a small flower, for scale, from the grit to the ovary is about 4 inches (that's a 6" label in the background). It has a sturdy look to it. And no, I haven't stripped the outer petals!

[Maggi Young]

Lots of lovely snowdrops on show here!
 Good deep green on that virescent, Harry.