Photos of Irish Snowdrops needed

[Paddy Tobin]

Many thanks to those who e-mailed me about this snowdrop. Greatly appreciated.

Obviously, it is a very rare snowdrop and not yet being offered commercially. As I said, I am particularly interested in the snowdrop as it is of Irish origin and have hopes of establishing a sort of national collection of snowdrops both in my own and other gardens, particularly at Altamont Gardens in County Carlow which is a garden under the care of our government and where it is likely to be well cared for and also available for viewing by the public.

I am delighted to say that G. 'Ruby Baker', as well as being of Irish origin, is also an excellent snowdrop in its own right regardless of country of origin. Sometimes, for the sake of completeness of a collection, one seeks out a particular snowdrop even though it has nothing else to recommend it other than its origins. This is not the case here as G. 'Ruby Baker' strikes me as well worthy of a place in any garden.

It will come my way some day I have no doubt.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

Good luck Paddy.

[Paddy Tobin]

Anthony, I live in great hope!

You can see that this is an excellent snowdrop but it has been distributed under very strict conditions and these have to be honoured. This is a pity but it is also the person's prerogative. It will eventually come into wider circulation. The important for the present is that it is in a few gardens and is safe and growing away.

Last spring I was given bulbs of Galanthus 'Lady Moore' which had quite restricted distribution. It came from Lady Moore, wife of Sir Frederick Moore former Director of the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin. She gave it to a Mrs. Rutherfoord around 1940. Mrs. Rutherfoord's daughter was with her on the occasion and when she left home she brought some bulbs with her, kept them going since then and guarded them very warily being very reluctant to part with any except to people most deserving and worthy in her mind. It is a pity, in a way, to see such a practice and, as it applied to a plant from Lady Moore, particularly so. A saying of Lady Moore is often quoted in Irish gardening circles, "The best way to keep a plant is to give it away."

Miss Rita Rutherfoord gave me some bulbs of G. 'Lady Moore' as she knew of my interest in Irish snowdrops and unfortunately she died very shortly afterwards. She was a tremendous lady, a formidable lady whose running of garden club plant sales for the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland is still recalled with a certain amusement. She ran them with an iron fist. There was no favouritism shown even to the people who voluntarily ran the plant sale. They had to take their chances of purchasing some of the rare plants on offer in the same manner as those who came to the sale. No "booking" of plants prior to the opening of the sale was allowed. I recall seeing a unusual plant with "ex H.D." on a label and asking her about it. She told me that it meant it had come from Helen Dillon's garden and I needed to know no more. Apparently, no further recommendation was needed for any plant in her mind.

I distributed bulbs to some people whom I knew would grow it on and mind the plant but found when I contacted some people that they already had bulbs but had found it necessary not to make this known previously. The same will happen with G. 'Ruby Baker' in time. People who have it will want the peace of mind of knowing that the responsibility of keeping a fine cultivar going does not rest with them alone and will pass it on to others as back-up and for safe keeping.

Paddy

[ashley]

... guarded them very warily being very reluctant to part with any except to people most deserving and worthy in her mind.
... when I contacted some people that they already had bulbs but had found it necessary not to make this known previously.

Other than distributing rare material first to those most able to propagate it this exclusivity or elitism contradicts our shared love of plants and seems to me sad, even pathetic.

Best of luck with the collection of Irish snowdrop cultivars Paddy.

[KentGardener]

The same will happen with G. 'Ruby Baker' in time. People who have it will want the peace of mind of knowing that the responsibility of keeping a fine cultivar going does not rest with them alone and will pass it on to others as back-up and for safe keeping.

Paddy

I do hope so Paddy.  (fingers crossed 'icon')

After my experience last year of virus in my garden and also in a friends garden I can easily see that it is too much of a risk to put restrictions that something may only be grown in a mere 4 gardens

Best wishes

John

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley & John,

Numbers of this snowdrop are very very small at present so, even if there was a freedom to distribute, it would simply not be possible to do this so it is not, as might be inferred, a case of hoarding a special snowdrop at all. It is simply being minded by a few careful growers at present so that in future years it will be available to a wider group.

Ashley, any interesting snowdrops down Cork way?

Paddy

[mark smyth]

 

[Tony Willis]

When something new is found it is most likely twinned that summer and once they flower they will be passed to the important people first to grow in their gardens as an insurance policy. By the time they appear in catalogues it could be 10 years down the line unless you are lucky enough to be given one.

Saw this as I was on my way out.  Lets get a grip, who is an important person,its only gardening for goodness sake. We all only grow a few plants that usually manage perfectly well on their own in the wild.

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark,

Ten years down the line is not too long to wait for a good snowdrop. If we got all we wanted immediately we would have nothing to look forward to or savour.

I am amused by your choice of words when you say the snowdrops would be passed to "the important people". This categorisation would certainly rule me out for many many years. Fortunately, gardeners are a far less demanding lot in general and seem always to delight in giving plants to people who are simply enthusiastic and have an abvious love of growing them.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

Tony,

You beat me with your comment on the "important people". I must say that I have met many of those who might be considered the important people and have always found them a delight. To illustrate, Helen Dillon has held a very high profile here in Irish gardening circles for many years and she is one who simply would not allow me leave her garden without taking some plant with me as a memory of the visit. I have many plants from her garden which I treasure for their association. And, most importantly, she is only one of many. Gardeners are in general a very generous lot.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

snowdrops would be passed to "the important people".

I know exactly what Mark means by this.... it is a shorthand way of describing precisley what does happen with rare plants....... if a plant is extremely rare, by definition, there are not enough to go round all those who would covet such a plant.... it is only natural that such rarities will pass first to those folks, considered by the "keeper" of the plant, to have the best chance of growing/propagating it.... this translates, both for ease of naming and also by extrapolation ( of the plant is rare and yet you have it, that makes you "important" in the history of that plant!) to the people being passed the plant becoming regarded as important.... quite simple really!
 
Take this example:  one's best friend might be deeply keen to obtain a rare plant in your possession.... but you know  that your friend, while enthusuiastic, is a poor cultivator of plants...... for the survival of that plant, is it more sensible to give your friend the plant, or another person, known to be greatly skilled as a grower?  I think most folks choose the skilled gardener!

There is another case, of course, less clear cut from some points of view  ......  you have a rarity, you are asked for a cutting by a good grower... BUT, you are a rabid exhibitor and so is your friend.... NOW do you give him the plant???  Sadly I have known of cases where a plant has been given..." on condition you don't show it".......... how miserable is that?

[Paddy Tobin]

Apologies, Hagen, I don't understand all you have written but I do understand your admiration for Ruby Baker - the person and the snowdrop which bears her name.

Paddy

[Martin Baxendale]

I take your point, Maggi, and I'm sure we all agree with what Mark was trying to say. But I think "experienced growers" or "skilled growers" would have been a better choice of words than "important people".   

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Martin, you are correct, I'll box Mark's ears for him when I see him next! 

[mark smyth]