Galanthus to mid February 2007

[Alan_b]

Thank you for the welcome (although I posted a little on the old forum).

My green elwesii is no less green than it was two years ago.  I found it in a different location, by a lamp post, actually.  So I have every reason to hope it will remain constant.  On the other hand, none of the offsets has yet managed to flower.  Am I counting my chickens too soon?

[KentGardener]

Hi Alan

thanks for the picture of the Green Elwesii - it is a lovely looking plant - when you want to trial it in other gardens you have a willing volunteer here!...   

John - thanks for your thoughts on the use of bark.  I have been top dressing with it for the 5 years that I have lived here.  It is actually just the non composted bark that I have used (decorative mulch).  For the last 2 or 3 years I have been growing snowdrops and they seem reasonably happy - but I have heard from so many people that bark is bad for them - hence my original post/question on the subject.  It is good to hear of your use of composted bark and I shall look out for that in the spring when it is time to replenish my mulch.

regards

John

[Alan_b]

The was a question posed a few days ago about where to visit in the vicinity of Colesbourne http://www.snowdrop.org.uk/.

You could take a look at Painswick Rococo Garden http://www.rococogarden.co.uk/.  I recall mass plantings of a 'wrong' snowdrop - atkinsii maybe.

Also nearby is Rodmarton Manor http://www.rodmarton-manor.co.uk/ which is well worth a visit.  "The garden will be open for snowdrops on 11th, 15th and 18th February from 1.30pm."

Edit:  Oh.  I have just discoverd there is a whole page on Colesbourne (and also that my reply is too late to be apposite).  Maybe a moderator can move this reply to the appropriate page?

Not to worry, the post you make is relevant here. I am confident that those reading the Colesbourne page will read this too! Cheers,
M 

[mark smyth]

Alan you need to get the green elwesii twinscaled. It's too good to let die. I know someone who will do it for you. She does many every year.

[Alan_b]

Fortunately, my green elwesii is not the only one.  When I asked permission of the garden owner to take it from the verge of her garden, we looked round and found another one growing elsewhere.  The garden has many naturalised elwesii and some nivalis and plicatus also.  Since this initial discovery I found one more and I understand several others have turned up.  For some reason they seem to manifest as dispersed singles rather than in a clump.

I would like to wait until I have at least two flowering bulbs before I consider getting one twin-scaled. 

[Paddy Tobin]

Anne,
How could you try to spoil my fun so cruelly. Hurt, it's the only word for it. Heartbroken, to hear the poor snowdrops spoken/written of in such disparaging terms. I'm overwhelmed by this blow. Reeeeeling, I am. How could you? AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!

Anthony,
You had me worried with your comment on 'John Gray' and I looked in the snowdrop book, read very carefully, studied the photographs etc and could find nothing in the photograph to alarm me. The pedicle seems to me to be to description though the angle of the spathe to the pedicle in this photograph is, perhaps, a little odd. However, there is a simple explanation for this: the hand of the photographer giving a little twist on the stem lower down so as to face the flower in a more suitable way for the photograph. What did you notice?

Re 'James Backhouse', I find there is a certain range of variation between the flowers in the clump and this one was chosed for the photograph because it seemed the most photogenic! The illustration in the snowdrop book, page 227, shows two rather 'demented' flowers. The one on the left is particularly odd but the one on the right is closer to the one I photographed. I would describe mine as one of the better examples of 'James Backhouse' - and I am sometimes even more full of it than this!

Alan,
The green elwesii is just a beauty. No wonder it is your pride and joy. Well spotted. May it grow in health and in number and may you enjoy it as much always.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

I'll take a pic of my John Gray.

[mark smyth]

Do you mean the pedicle is strange because the scape is upright? I have never seen a good 'John Gray' as they always fall over. Best grown in a trough says David Bromley

[Paddy Tobin]

Aye, Mark, 'John Gray' is inclined to flop about a bit; it's a fairly tall plant or perhaps he was fond of the wee drop. I haven't found it falling over to the extent of lying on the ground fortunately but with this unfortunate habit in mind I planted mine is a very sheltered spot so as, at least, not to have the wind adding to its bad habits and this has proved reasonably successful.

Paddy

[John Forrest]

Isaw Maggis's posting about mixed pot of 'UK' snowdrops at the garden centre and found some in our local one bearing the same label. There was just one pot in any sort of health, perhaps beecause they are all growing in peat compost and had been allowed to dry out. I bought the good one and waspleased with the variation. No two were the same.

[Maggi Young]

Not at all surprised that you are pleased with this batch, John. Lots of variation for just a few quid, if the prices down there are same as here. £2.48 per pot, I think

Surround them with barbed wire and everyone will think you're a millionaire!

[John Forrest]

I was robbed!!! Had to shell out £2.99 for mine.   

[Maggi Young]

Crikey, Jof, you'll really need that barbed wire ,then

[KentGardener]

cheap at half the price - they are charging 5.99 a pot at a garden centre in Kent!

[Anthony Darby]

Had to take the weans to my parents' in Doune as Stirling schools had inservice training yesterday and today. Saw this unusual nivalis 'Viridapicis' in their lawn so took its pic in the gloom when I picked them up again (no snow dropping here in central Scotland yet). I just think it is a freak occurance and probably won't be repeated?