The ebay season begins....... ( includes ikariae/ woronowii comparisons)

[Martin Baxendale]

I would rather have a snowdrop which had the constitution of an ox and would grow in any soil and make a thousand gardeners happy

Exactly what I'm trying to breed, Maggi, or at least one of the main aims of my breeding programme.

[Anthony Darby]

I'll sort Maggi out. She's coming to Dunblane 4 weeks tomorrow.

[mark smyth]

Changing the subject back to Ebay I see a forumist, Alan_b gets a mention as the finder of a drop .

[Maggi Young]

I'll sort Maggi out. She's coming to Dunblane 4 weeks tomorrow.

Indeed I am... and coming mob-handed, Anthony, there will be a bus-load of us!

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi, how many bus loads will be leaving Dunblane?


Oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh!




Paddy
(Just joking, Maggi)

[steve owen]

The whole thing is lunacy, I tell you.

Maggie
You didn't quite say the whole galanthus thing was doomed to go the same way as Dutch tulip fever, but does anyone know how the tulip thing eventually imploded and collapsed? How about crocus fever, or a narcissus romieuxii craze?

[Maggi Young]

The whole thing is lunacy, I tell you.

Maggie
You didn't quite say the whole galanthus thing was doomed to go the same way as Dutch tulip fever, but does anyone know how the tulip thing eventually imploded and collapsed? How about crocus fever, or a narcissus romieuxii craze?

I was thinking about Tulipomania, Steve  

I think we croconuts and daffydillers are too sensible to get carried away .... we embrace variety with joy but not hysteria....

[KentGardener]

Now Maggie, you have to admit this one looks different. It is early, plicate, it has long pedicels,it has 2 marks on the inner, it 2 marks on the outer, it has chunky, puckered outers, its large and vigorous, it doesn't look like most the other sort   

Hi Jo

what a funny looking thing.  I kind of like it - and then again I kind of hate it.  If it can give Elytrigia repens a run for its money it gets my vote.  Just a shame the petals are quite so irregular in the way they stick out all over the place.  A good doer - hmmm - perhaps one for Martin to add to his cauldron?

John

[KentGardener]

I would rather have a snowdrop which had the constitution of an ox and would grow in any soil and make a thousand gardeners happy

Exactly what I'm trying to breed, Maggi, or at least one of the main aims of my breeding programme.

That is the first thing I thought when I read Maggi's comment.  I think the first one your produce should be called Galanthus "Maggi's pleasure" 

John

[Alan_b]

Indeed, I have had an Ebay "credit"  -  I am otherwise engaged this week so have not been taking an active part in the forum, just doing the occasional lurk!  I am quite new to snowdrop growing and not at all expert at it but I have found several interesting ones  Last year when Joe Sharman released "Green Light" as a new snowdrop in his catalogue I gave an account on the forum of how I came to find it and collect it with Joe's help.

I can confirm that "Green Light" is quite a vigorous snowdrop, at least for me.  It has been bulking up nicely in my garden since I found it (during which time I have managed to kill-off Anglesey Abbey, another supposedly vigorous green-leaved snowdrop).

[Alan_b]

Now Maggie, you have to admit this one looks different. It is early, plicate, it has long pedicels,it has 2 marks on the inner, it 2 marks on the outer, it has chunky, puckered outers, its large and vigorous, it doesn't look like most the other sort   

Whilst I do have a few minutes to post, can I just say that I am very impressed by Jo's snowdrop.  I'm not sure I find it entirely beautiful but it is something interesting and different and I for one would be very happy to grow it in my little collection.

On the other hand, I saw a specimen of ecusson d'or last year and was completely under-whelmed!  The markings did not seem all that strong and an iffy sort of yellow.   

[Diane Whitehead]

daffydillers are too sensible to get carried away .... we embrace variety with joy but not hysteria....

Daffodils are generally bred deliberately and released at a very high price
which gradually comes down as stocks increase.  I remember there was
one (was it a white one?) which cost about $200 way back in the 1950s.

[mark smyth]

Alan when I first saw d'Or at the Gala clutched tightly in the hands of ? it was a really good yellow like nivalis 'Sandersii'.

[Maggi Young]

daffydillers are too sensible to get carried away .... we embrace variety with joy but not hysteria....

Daffodils are generally bred deliberately and released at a very high price
which gradually comes down as stocks increase.  I remember there was
one (was it a white one?) which cost about $200 way back in the 1950s.

Hmm... well, yes, Diane, I managed to overlook the breeders and buyers of those fancy jobs .......I was thinking fondly of those growing and loving the more natural types,  the species and the occasional hybrid ( often of the type that occurs in the wild)..... 

[art600]

Decided to buy  from Beth Chatto on EBay.  There was a starter pack of  21 unusual Snowdrops for £45 plus £4 postage.

I was shocked  when the parcel arrived - it was huge.  I was totally blown away when I opened the parcel.

I know that some might regard the snowdrops as not that unusual, and I do have some already, but I thought that 21 named snowdrops for £49 was too good to miss.

In the parcel were:-
Cedric's Prolific - instead of 5 (as advertised) there were at least 19, all with flower   
Washfield Warham - instead of 3 there were at least 13 bulbs, all in flower 
S Arnott - instead of 3 there were 6, all in flower   
Hippolyta - instead of there were 17, all in flower     
James Backhouse - instead of there were 19, all in flower     

I think you would agree this is outstanding value.  Without EBay I would not have known of this offer.

There were 2 other offers, one less expensive and one more expenive.  Each offer had several opportunities.