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

[mark smyth]

'd'Or' needs acid soil to show the best colour. When I first saw it a few years ago at one of the Gala the yellow was really good. Nine in bud was green tipped. It's now more yellow but not as deep as I remember.

[Jo]

Anyone fancy trying it in my acid soil ?? I could make space 

[Michael J Campbell]

 ‘Flocon de Neige' is now £102-00

[KentGardener]

‘Flocon de Neige' is now £102-00

I so wish I was rich.

(then again.... after my mothers up-bringing, I still don't think I could bring myself to spend that much on a single bulb!)

John

[Michael]

I so wish I was rich.
(then again.... after my mothers up-bringing, I still don't think I could bring myself to spend that much on a single bulb!)
John

£102-00 just for one bulb? What has that plant of so special to be that expensive?

[Paddy Tobin]

Michael,

It needs plenty of hype, a shortage in supply and an avid buying public.


On the question of price/value of bulbs: do other members find that an expensive bulb, after a few years when it has bulked up in the garden, simply becomes another bulb that you can swap for something which you would like to have and this without any consideration of original price?

Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

On the question of price/value of bulbs: do other members find that an expensive bulb, after a few years when it has bulked up in the garden, simply become another bulb that you can swap for something which you would like to have and this without any consideration of original price?

Absolutely Paddy, I think it comes under the definition of a plantsman

[Paddy Tobin]

Yes, Brian, Just so and thankfully there are many of such people about.

I have just done a search on this forum for G. 'David Baker' and noticed Mark made a comment on January 9th that G. 'David Baker' was listed on e-bay and imagined that it would be this year's three digit snowdrop. I don't visit e-bay and haven't seen if it reached such a high price but I purchased a bulb last night from Wol Staines of Glen Chantry Gardens: three bulbs, G. 'David Baker', G. 'Three Ships' and G. 'Primrose Warburg' (this with a flower and two good offsets) for a total cost of €80. Now, in light of reading Marks's comments, I feel I have had a bargain.

Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

You'll be pleased to know you got a bargain Paddy, it sold on eBay for £75.99 

[Michael]

I just made a search this morning, and i got really disapointed

That Galanthus nivalis "Flocon de Neige" is double 

Most double flowers look horrible to me (exceptions are the composites, and the rose, of course).
In the case of a Galanthus, just found a good picture of a double one


Just look at that thing, a total mess, it does not have a definite number of whorls, the inner tepals are mostly distorted and randomly overlapped, even the stamens are hediously fused with some tepals and dont look nice at all.

In my opinion, any regular Galanthus would beat that one by far. And the guy on the ebay mentions that it slow to increase, no wonder, he is trying to fight against Nature's laws by creating and trying to maintain that wierd thing 

They say that symetry is beauty... and this one has none. I am really curious to understand why there are people that would pay a fortune for such an aberration. I mean, they could still grow and like double flowers (it depends on the tastes of each person) but paying such high prices for a single bulb is a bit too far. 

I guess i would only pay that high for a galanthus, if the flower was blood red , or any other special feature that instantly make it distinct from the rest. But one thing that it always had to have is a nice symmetry

Otherwise i would spare the money to buy some other interesting, hard to find bulbs as well.

[Paddy Tobin]

But, Michael, even people - the human body - for example, is not symmetrical and yet most examples are considered, by and large, beautiful. Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think you are just a very particular person, Michael!!!!!!!!


I have to agree that there are many snowdrops, those with very abberant parts, which are an abomination. So, I agree with you to some extent.

Paddy

[Michael]

Yes Paddy, you are right, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That definition is even better than mine

But I still think that only a blood red Galanthus would worth that price

I guess the only plants that should be expensive are those wich are extremely hard to propagate, their growth is extremey slow or they are difficult to grow due to specific conditions. I dont think a Galanthus would take 17 years from seed to blooming or from tissue culture to blooming...

[Paddy Tobin]

Michael,

You must try Galanthus 'Hill Poe' - Irish, perfectly formed and symmetrical.

Paddy

[Michael]

Michael,
You must try Galanthus 'Hill Poe' - Irish, perfectly formed and symmetrical.
Paddy

Paddy, i like all regular galanthus  , they do not need to be perfectly formed to look nice. They are really special plants, no matter the amount of differences there are between varieties or species. As long as they follow the overall rule 3+3 tepals and 6 stamens, i willl always like them

I also wish i could grow them with the same success you grow on Europe, but i am afraid that is not possible
But i will keep trying! John brought me G. woronowii and G. reginae-olgae to try for the first time ever! So far they are doing nice, but its stil too early to sing victory! Having a carpet of flowering Galanthus here in my climate is a real challenge!

Yeah, i know we cannot have everything, but my stubborness and obcession regarding these wont let me give up

'flocon de neige' reached over 250 pounds last year y'know
rob

omg, i think that is insane, but at the same time it is good because it means there are people that are really enthusiastic about these kind of plants. If all human beings were that enthusiastic, the world would be much better

[ichristie]

Hi I have been reading this thread for some time and would like to question the info given by Mark about yellow Galanthus plicatus he suggests acid soil, well Galanthus plicatus grows in woodlands  in nature where Beech and Chestnut grow and this leafmould contains lime, ( not all bulbs)I use beech and Chestnut leafmould also scatter some crushed tufa as a trial and all my G plicatus grow well with good yellow colour. other G nivalis yellows are the same. cheers Ian the Christie kind.