Autumn-Season 2008 begins

[Paddy Tobin]

Martin,

Isn't it a pity that these 'miffy' snowdrops were given a name in the first place? Of course, I realise that some plants which started off as good healthy and good-growing plants may have declined because of virus infection or some such problem and originally did deserved to be named.

Paddy

[Martin Baxendale]

Martin,

Isn't it a pity that these 'miffy' snowdrops were given a name in the first place? Of course, I realise that some plants which started off as good healthy and good-growing plants may have declined because of virus infection or some such problem and originally did deserved to be named.

Paddy

Indeed. In the past a lot of snowdrops have, in my opinion anyway, been named without enough thought to how good they were as garden plants (how vigorous, how disease resistant, how weather-resistant) as well as to whether they were distinct enough from existing cultivars.

One of the major problems I suppose is that to start with there just weren't many different snowdrops around when people started collecting them, so (like native ferns in Victorian times) almost every variant was selected out and given a name. Also, most named snowdrops were never deliberately bred and selected for good garden atributes. They were chance finds, often in old gardens, and were often already very old clumps when discovered, so in some cases already suffering from old age and so prone to disease. Of course that doesn't mean some of them aren't lovely snowdrops, just that some of them can be a bit of a challenge to grow and keep going, which may be fine for the keenest growers but can be a bit problematic for the general gardening public.

[snowdropman]

In the past a lot of snowdrops have, in my opinion anyway, been named without enough thought to how good they were as garden plants (how vigorous, how disease resistant, how weather-resistant) as well as to whether they were distinct enough from existing cultivars.

One of the major problems I suppose is that to start with there just weren't many different snowdrops around when people started collecting them, so (like native ferns in Victorian times) almost every variant was selected out and given a name. Also, most named snowdrops were never deliberately bred and selected for good garden atributes. They were chance finds, often in old gardens, and were often already very old clumps when discovered, so in some cases already suffering from old age and so prone to disease. Of course that doesn't mean some of them aren't lovely snowdrops, just that some of them can be a bit of a challenge to grow and keep going, which may be fine for the keenest growers but can be a bit problematic for the general gardening public.

Martin
Just to illustrate your point, the Database that I maintain of named snowdrops that are NOT listed in the 'Snowdrops' book has now grown to c. 800 named forms & counting (today alone I added 15 new names).
 
When one considers that the 'Snowdrops' book, which was first published only 7 years ago, only listed c. 500 named forms, this is a phenomenal increase in numbers and, of course, the true figure of newly named forms has got to be even higher because I cannot possibly have unearthed all of them, try as hard as I might .

[Paddy Tobin]

Martin,

Unfortunately, the practice continues to this day. For example, recently an old garden was sold as a site for redevelopment. It had many clumps of snowdrops which had been growing there for many years. With best intentions, many of these snowdrops were rescued but then, unfortunately, were named after the garden. I have received some bulbs but only at the end of last season and haven't seen them in flower yet. However, until then I am presuming that they are  simply some already named snowdrop to which another name has been applied. Now, the chances of unmuddling the confusion that this may cause are very slim indeed.

Again, there is a snowdrop here in Ireland which was distributed from a Miss Rita Rutherfoord but which had never been officially named. Those who had it generally labelled it as 'ex Rita Rutherfoord'. Well, this is how I had seen it labelled several times. Unfortunately, Miss Rutherfoord died this spring but had given me a good clump of the snowdrops only a fortnight before her death. After her death, the executors of her will contacted me and offered me more of the bulbs. I distributed the bulbs to several people and gardens only to find some people already had them and that they were being called 'Lady Moore'. In the company of her mother, Rita Rutherfoord had received them from Lady Moore, wife of Sir Frederick, Curator of the Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin,  around 1940 on the steps of the Mansion House in Dublin - Miss Rutherfoord had written to me to give me her account of receiving these bulbs and how she had kept them going since then. Now, before her death, she had expressed a wish that a particular name be applied to the snowdrop, one that would remind people of her part in keeping this bulb going  for over 60 years. Unfortunately, or not maybe, the name 'Lady Moore' is well in circulation at this stage and Miss Rutherfoord's wishes are unlikely to be fulfilled. Although she asked me to apply this new name I will not now do so as it would simply lead to confusion with the same plant doing the rounds under three names.

The snowdrops from Rita Rutherfoord, originally from Lady Moore, is most likely distinctive - I have only observed it for one year in my own garden - while the other snowdrop is new to me and I will see how it does this year.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

Here is Galanthus peshmenii flowering in the greenhouse today.

[mark smyth]

Mine are almost over, outside in a trough, but the last one to open is my special one. It's albino again

[mark smyth]

Well, now that I've taken a photo it's not quite an albino Galanthus peshmenii. Also here's an elegant reginae-olgae

[Anthony Darby]

I had three in a trough last year. One has bravely appeared this year, but it hasn't opened yet.

[mark smyth]

Anthony my peshmenii are multiplying in the trough but failing in pots

[biodiversite]

Matt Bishop et al write Galanthus elwesii Hiemalis Group 'Barnes'.
According Matt Bishop et all EP Barnes bought bulbs from Barrs in 1928 and selected this early flowering form. He then sent some toOliver Wyatt who named in 'Earliest of All. Modern stock of 'Barnes' after '73 from Oliver Wyatt's last home where they were labelled 'Barnes'. Rod Leeds growth both forms side by side and says 'Earliest of All ' flowers three weeks earlier

Thank you Mark. Finally, is 'Barnes' clearly a clone, or a selected strain for the Barnes' garden ? I'm not absoluty certain to have understood...

Moreover, here are two plants from Czech Republic I have for years. One was bought as G. r-o. ssp. r-o ex Taygetos Mts (the big flower), the other one as G. r-o. ssp. vernalis from Epiros, which is clearly not as it is in flower now. I compared the two plants ; foliage is similar and begins to grow, greyish out, green with grey line in : what do you think about the identities ?

[Pauli]

Hello,

my Galanthus reginae-olgae is just starting to begin to flower. Usually it is even later, but we had already very cold days. It is a very good grower, the group was started from 4 bulbs and I have given many away.

All the best from Linz

Pauli

[art600]

Moreover, here are two plants from Czech Republic I have for years. One was bought as G. r-o. ssp. r-o ex Taygetos Mts (the big flower), the other one as G. r-o. ssp. vernalis from Epiros, which is clearly not as it is in flower now. I compared the two plants ; foliage is similar and begins to grow, greyish out, green with grey line in : what do you think about the identities ?

Do you have a picture of the emerging leaves?

[biodiversite]

Yes !
The two first ones are from the Epiros plant, and the last one from the Taygetos Mts plant : does it help you ?

[biodiversite]

Hello,

my Galanthus reginae-olgae is just starting to begin to flower. Usually it is even later, but we had already very cold days. It is a very good grower, the group was started from 4 bulbs and I have given many away.

All the best from Linz

Pauli

Very fine !
Do you know the origin of the plant Pauli ?

[Pauli]

Very fine !
Do you know the origin of the plant Pauli ?
[/quote]

Hello Biodiversite!

Unfortunately I have no idea where it comes from.

All the best from Linz