Galanthus mid February to March 2007

[Martin Baxendale]

Re. people seeing South Hayes with variable markings, it's probably also worth bearing in mind that any variation may only be temporary, following recent propagation, and as the bulbs settle down and increase in size in the garden in following years the flowers may return to type. So not neccessarily a reason to panic if the flower you see the first year doesn't exactly match the best examples seen in the books. Snowdrops do seem rather prone to having slightly wobbly genes, hence all the wierd and wonderful variations you can get, not to mention the yellow-green-yellow-green problems with Lady Elphinstone. All my Lady Es have passed away over the years, which is a bit of a relief to be honest, given the constant wondering and worrying when they'd be yellow!

[loes]

this summer I planted 3 bulbs of Lady Elphinstone(actually 2 bulbs and one of them I took off the new bulb).
They are all 3 in flower now and lucky me.....they are all yellow.
Is it likely that next year they will be green?

[vanhouttewim]

hello ! A lot of snowdrops are destroyed by bulldozers in the woods too.
it's illegal to bring 1 snowdrop from turkey , but a part of the imported snowdrops will never be sold in the garden centre and are lost forever.
Wim

[Martin Baxendale]

I've finally decided to get rid of the silly James Bond avatar with my posts. Replaced it temporarily with the full picture that Maggi once showed of me (cropped for a book publicity pic) from the internet. So now she can see what I was looking at - my second daughter Zuza just after she was born.

Will look for a more suitable avatar pic. But this'll do for now. It's fun to change it around a bit! Anyone else fancy doing the same? You can always change it back again, but how about popping in a different pic of you in the avatar space from time to time, just to add an extra dimension to the posts? Or not.  

[mark smyth]

yes Wim. At the first Gala I attended one lecture about Turkey showed restaurants and other buildings going up where drifts and snowdrops once were

The law is a farce. Today I learnt that our Environment and Heritage Service has not been fully upholding the law re the protection of bats. The law changed in '95.

[Maggi Young]

.......avatar pic...... It's fun to change it around a bit! Anyone else fancy doing the same? You can always change it back again, but how about popping in a different pic of you in the avatar space from time to time, just to add an extra dimension to the posts? Or not. 

I spotted your change of photo right away, Martin. I think this is a fun idea, look at TOOlie's wardrobe changes for evidence!   Has Zuza still got that wonderful dark hair? I was given a suggestion tonight for a change to my avatar....coincidences are all around us.

[Martin Baxendale]

Maggi, don't know if you're still up but I've just finished a long stint at the word processor. No, Zuza doesn't have dark hair now. Quite the opposite, though we don't know quite where the blond hair has come from. Here's a pic of the Bax family from last Xmas (minus Dad, taking the photo). Top: mum and step-mum the lurvly Ivi, middle left; 1st daughter Rosie on left (alias step-daughter to evil step-mum Ivi) and no. 1 son (only son, but easily mistaken for daughter) Misho, bottom; the irrepressible Zuza. Don't know why on earth I'm putting this into a thread on snowdrops. But I've been too busy to contribute any snowdrop photos this season. So...a Bax family pic instead.

It also gives me a chance to try uploading a pic to the new forum for (I think) only my second time. So may encourage me to get some garden pics onto the forum (work permitting).

[annew]

Martin, is Zuza a chip off the old block then? 

[Maggi Young]

You are a lucky man to have such a family, Martin.  I am surprised to see only little green patch is Ivi's necklace! Oh, no, i take that back, Ivi has green earrings, too. Appropriate in more ways than one, eh?

[Martin Baxendale]

Yes Anne, Zuza is very much a chip off the old block! She's an incurable joker. has already started drawing cartoons and drives her mother crazy.

By the way, saw the pics of your N. 'Jim Lad' and N. 'Sidora' in the RHS Daffs 'Drops and Tulips Yearbook. Looking very good.

[KentGardener]

Blimey - new avatars for Anne and Martin - both improvements in my eyes (tempted to renew mine but the last time I put a new picture of me on here there were comments about how I look like an old man! - My avatar is only the summer 0f 2004 so have I really aged that much?...)

Got home from work looking forward to receiving a parcel of 3 Primrose Warburg's from someone on ebay (but purchased separately from ebay - 2 for me and 1 for my aunt - £12 each - bargain).

It has really spoilt my day - got home - parcel was here - but not at all what was expected!...

the THREE bulbs (Not!)




The yellow Primrose Warburg Flower (Not!)


Now involved in lengthy email complaints to try and get a refund.

the moral of this story:

1)  Only buy named plants from reputable sellers
2)  If buying on ebay don't be tempted to purchase away from ebay as there is no comeback.

A can of beer is need now!

John

[mark smyth]

you can complain to Ebay directly. who are they from? There is a good guy on there - Ombersley Plants. He knows his stuff

[ian mcenery]

Hard luck John presume you will do something to the sellers reputation

Here is my last snowdrop to come into flower Fieldgate Superb

[KentGardener]

Unfortunately I went behind ebay's back and purchased them by sending a cheque directly - I have none of the ebay muscle in this case.  The seller actually found my link on the old srgc by searching the web and knew that I was looking for Primrose Warberg (I had put a wanted advert on the old forum) and she contacted me last week directly).  She pointed me in the direction of her ebay advert number  200082064916  with a nice picture nicked from somewhere else - definately not what she is selling.

Do you agree that what I have received are not Primrose Warburg, even in a really bad year!?...  I may point her in this direction as she, the seller (Toni), has just replied telling me I am wrong.  I know Primrose Warburg can have bad years and not be as Yellow - but what I received today definately looks like a common green Nivalis to me.

Cheers

John

[snowdropman]

She pointed me in the direction of her ebay advert number  200082064916  with a nice picture nicked from somewhere else - definately not what she is selling.

John - no consolation I know, but this seller has just withdrawn a further sale of her supposed 'Primrose Warburg' (Ebay Item No 200083782649) - the picture that she posted shows a green ovary & green markings.