Galanthus February 2009

[Anthony Darby]

It's a slippery slope you are treading on Rogan.

[Gunilla]

In March I will be updating my web site to show all new photos taken over the last two years.

For all the new people who have never looked my gallery is here
http://www.snowdropinfo.com/gallery2007.htm

That link should come with a warning  .   I don't want to catch the galanthophilia bug but it's almost impossible to stay away from the snowdrop threads. Very amusing and fun to read and also a lot of beautiful pics of snowdrops.  It's a good thing most of them probably wouldn't grow well here 

[Brian Ellis]

Last summer we went to an open day at a garden in the Yellow Book, it was very pleasant and I noticed some labels which looked quite interesting   A private visit was arranged for this morning and seven of us had a wonderful time looking at someone else's collection.  The house was an old coaching inn in Suffolk and the garden is on a steep slope and levels out down by the river.
It was really nice to see some nice clumps of snowdrops, but like many others there was evidence of Botrytis in some areas  

Cedric's prolific was living up to it's name.

Selborne Green Tips had lots of twin flowers.

Lyn and some of the others in the background - Ransom's long pedicel etc

One of the clumps of Mrs Macnamara which were still looking good.

The bank was a repository for Galanthus nivalis and seedlings from around the garden.

Another view across the bank.

S.Arnott by the pond.

A very attractive fungus.

Saville Gold.

A very green snowdrop from Tony Venison.

There were other treasures like Green of Hearts, but I was talking too much

[Mavers]

Thanks for sharing your day out Brian.

Looks like a lovely place to visit.

[Mavers]

Mark are they your finger tips carefully fondling E A B? 

[mark smyth]

LOL, Mike. Yes.

I have snowdrops over the last few weeks and spent yesterday repotting them. Sadly and very annoying there are too many with Stag on the bulbs. These will go for a long, cold, soak in a few weeks time. Some Narcissus I bought last year are also affected. When I lift and divide them all this year I must soak everything for a long time

[Martin Baxendale]

The deep snow finally started melting properly here today, and what a mess it's made of the snowdrops!    I've never seen them look such a mess. Almost all have been completely flattened by the weight of the snow and their flowers soaked and muddied. What with the earlier freeze delaying them all, then all of them coming up at once only to be flattened by incredibly deep snow just when they were ready to open, and keeping them covered for a week, it's not been much of a season.

[Maggi Young]

Sad, Martin,but up here, when the snow finally goes I expect our snowdrops will come bouncing out happy as can be.... so few are at all advanced at the minute, they will just be safe under the snow 

[mark smyth]

Just like here Martin

[mark smyth]

Brian who's garden were you in?

Some of you are off to Ann's soon. I'm jealous but have a good time. I've looked and cant find my photos of her garden.

[Martin Baxendale]

Sad, Martin,but up here, when the snow finally goes I expect our snowdrops will come bouncing out happy as can be.... so few are at all advanced at the minute, they will just be safe under the snow 

Yes, lucky for Scottish snowdrop growers that the cold will have kept them even further back than usual, so they shouldn't have been too badly affected by the snow. Here, they were just at the worst stage for heavy snow, their flowers all opening at the same time, and the snow flakes were so huge that instead of settling around the flower stems, as often happens, the flower stems were just pushed down and completely flattened against the wet soil. Leaves too - never seen them looking so flat and sorry.

[mark smyth]

Does anyone grow elwesii Ransom's Dwarf? Would you have any to spare?

[vivienr]

The bank was a repository for Galanthus nivalis and seedlings from around the garden.

Another view across the bank.

Lovely pictures of the snowdrop bank, Brian. I am full of admiration for gardens where they manage to maintain these lovely drifts. They look so natural but the natural state of a woodland is to be full of rough grass, tree seedlings (you can see a holly seedling in one of the pics), brambles, bl****lls and other wild flowers. We have a woodland garden and keeping the small areas where I am trying to naturalise some nivalis clear is very hard work. The latest small patch has about 100 sycamore seedlings coming up with the snowdrops. If anyone has any maintenance tips I would love to hear them.

[Maggi Young]

Lovely pictures of the snowdrop bank, Brian. I am full of admiration for gardens where they manage to maintain these lovely drifts. They look so natural but the natural state of a woodland is to be full of rough grass, tree seedlings (you can see a holly seedling in one of the pics), brambles, bl****lls and other wild flowers. We have a woodland garden and keeping the small areas where I am trying to naturalise some nivalis clear is very hard work. The latest small patch has about 100 sycamore seedlings coming up with the snowdrops. If anyone has any maintenance tips I would love to hear them.

I recommend stating loudly, in the garden, that you intend to farm the sycamore seedlings for huge profit..... undoubtedly, once they hear this,  each and every seedling will wither and die before your eyes! 

[vivienr]

  I wish

At least I can see the snowdrops.... the daffodil bank is covered in brambles and with this weather it will not be cleared before they flower.