Galanthus March - April2007

[fermi de Sousa]

Joakim
your plant appears to be some sort of Tazetta Narcissus, probably the kind they sell for flowering indoors during the winter.
cheers
fermi

[mark smyth]

I've been weeding and taking photos today and discovered my group of elwesii 'Mandarin' have produced a flower.

[Martin Baxendale]

I've also found a couple of snowdrops flowering. Both seedlings from crosses I made years ago, so hopefully will be long-term late flowering clones rather than just late flowers on early snowdrops. Will post a couple of pics later.

[Martin Baxendale]

Here are pics of the two snowdrop seedlings I found flowering in the garden today. Both from deliberate crosses made some years ago. Very small first-time flowers; they should get bigger with time.

[Maggi Young]

A pretty pair, Martin. Do  you think that this late-season flowering is a quirk of youth, or might it persist?
They would be especially valuable if they were to remain "Baxendales Unbelievably Tardy", wouldn't they?

[mark smyth]

yes very nice and time will tell. Six months to first snowdrops of 2007/8

[Martin Baxendale]

All other seedlings I've flowered have bloomed within the 'normal' season at first flowering, so I'm hopeful these two may be naturally very late flowering. I've pollinated them (both plicatus types) with saved pollen from the late-flowering G. nivalis virescens (quite fertile as a pollen parent, but not as a seed parent) as I tend to do with all late plicatus types, hoping to extend the season. Fingers crossed. Eventually I'd like to achieve Gal. 'Baxendale's Where The Hell Have You Been We Thought You'd Never Get Here It's Nearly Bloody Autumn'. 

[Maggi Young]

Gal. 'Baxendale's Where The Hell Have You Been We Thought You'd Never Get Here It's Nearly Bloody Autumn'.

I'd better start saving now so I can afford ink and a big enough label to write the name with when I've paid 150 quid for the bulb at a galanthus auction!!

[loes]

Do galanthus peshmenii need special care?or is it happy in the garden in a dry and sunny place?
(can buy peshmenii september surprise)

[Paul T]

Galanthus peshmenii I treat the same as G. reginae-olgae.  I find they seem to like a bit more sun (but I am not sure whether they "require" it or not) and don't mind it being drier and warmer than most of the more traditional winter/spring Galanthus.  The autumn species and G. gracilis are the ones I find really do like it a bit warmer and drier (G. gracilis in particular.... I find it rots easily if treated like other Galanthus and kept cool and moist here).

Good luck growing it.  The autumn Galanthus are such a treat.   Incidentally I have a pot of G. peshmenii currently with 6 buds or flowers on it.  Those are my first potted Galanthus for this season, and there are 3 buds on a small clump of G. reginae-olgae in one part of the garden (no signs of buds in other parts)

[Maggi Young]

I find they seem to like a bit more sun (but I am not sure whether they "require" it or not)

Interesting point, Paul and one which is echoed with other plants in this and other contexts, such as lime in the soil...   does the plant "require" sun, lime, whatever, or does it merely "tolerate" it?
Not the easiest question to answer, is it? But in recognising that the question exists, you show yourself to be a good ( that is observant and caring) gardener!
Doing my best, as Spring appears to be REALLY with us here, to accept that your season is going the other way!

[loes]

thanks for the answer Paul.
I`ll look for a dry place for my g.reginae olgae,g.gracilis and,soon,peshmenii.(or keep them in the greenhouse)
could you show a photo of your g.peshmenii as it flowers?love to see it.
good luck with your autumn in Canberra(I have a aunt living there but I don`t think she`s growing galanthus),I`m sure glad it is spring here!

[Paul T]

Maggi,

If you think I'm "good" then oh boy do I have you fooled!! LOL .... oh, I see you meant observant and caring. 

Loes,

Glad to be of help.  I wouldn't find a "dry" bit of the garden, but perhaps aim for "drier".  Mine still don't dry out, but they definitely are warmer and drier in summer than any of the other Galanthus I have.  I'll try to get a pic of the peshmenii tomorrow.  They are a little finer than reginae-olgae, although that species is so extremely variable that I am sure there are similarly delicate populations of them as well.

[Paul T]

Loes,

Here's are pics of my Galanthus peshmenii (freshly opened flower), Galanthus reginae-olgae (older flower) and a pic of the two species together (different peshmenii flower than the first pic).  I have this morning taken pics of the peshmenii more fully open (i.e with petals outstretched like the reginae-olgae) if you are wanting me to post one?  The pics I've posted show the markings for you anyway.  This year I must admit that the peshmenii is nowhere near as dainty as previously, being much more robust and of a similar size to r-o.  Maybe this was just a good year for them?

Anyway, I hope this is what you were after.

[mark smyth]

mine are just dying down and yours are popping up