Breaking News..... Bulb Despot finds "New"snowdrop

[art600]

The ant's eye view is excellent - I think it may have potential. 

[Maggi Young]

Been having a look at the BD snowie.... I thought that it was a straight nivalis but on closer inspection.... yes, the weather is nicer here today.....we see that the leaves, though very narrow, do show a degree of folding at the edges , just a small fold.... so, plicatus involvement here, it seems. 

[Jim McKenney]

In the Gradus ad Parnasum of things snowdrop, I’m afraid that I’m still mucking about in the lowlands here in Maryland. While I try to be an upstanding member of the community of galanthophiles, the separation and lack of community render me a rather poor specimen of that  breed. When I hear about the largess enjoyed in the capitals of the  galanthophilia, it’s hard not to  sometimes grumble about the excesses of the galanthomanes. It is not that there are over 1000 named cultivars which surprises me: we gardeners are never wanting names. What amazes me is that there are people who can evidently distinguish so many.
The weather patterns here generally run from west to east; but it seems that a weather event moving in the opposite direction dropped some of the same snow that fell in Aberdeen in my garden. Perhaps this is simply an example of my naivete in the labyrinth of garden snowdrops, but here are some images of a one from my garden which, to my callow eyes, looks very much like the BD’s snowdrop.
There is no sun today and these images are not very comforting; but they give the idea.
This one has a name: 'Ophelia' – help, indeed.

  

[Jim McKenney]

Here are two more images which did not make the first cut.

[Jim McKenney]

If I keep having to do this, Maggi will think I'm doing it to boost my posting count.

Here's the third one.

[Jim McKenney]

No, here it is.   

[Maggi Young]

Jim, it occurs to me that I have heard this name before..... question is, did I bring said snowdrop to the Young Garden ??   BD will be devastated if his 'drop is a mere impostor of another's glory 
Rigorous investigations are called for, I think.

It is not that there are over 1000 named cultivars which surprises me: we gardeners are never wanting names. What amazes me is that there are people who can evidently distinguish so many.

Calm your amazement, Jim....if there are a handful of people who could name a tenth of those 'drops when faced with a selection, I'd give up chocolate   

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi,

Just for comparison purposes, here are two photographs of G. 'Ophelia' and I agree with yourself and Jim - there are many, many names and few to identify them all, except through reading the labels, of course.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

That's the rub, Paddy, whether one has the labels or not!

BD points out to me that "his" 'drop has got three very long outers, plus three longer inners, then the neavily marked double inners.....he is confident it is not Ophelia, who, as I now recall, lives in the front garden!

[ChrisB]

I'm just back from a visit to Howick to look at their snowdrops which are wonderful today, but the extra publicity the gardens have undertaken lately means I now have to battle people for the loos and the tearoom.  I just like wandering around the gardens and I'm used to having them pretty much to myself when I do.  Now I have to share, boo hoo.  Good luck to you with your new snowdrop, Ian!  Is that a self portrait you are using for your picture?

[Maggi Young]

Hi, Christine!
 Yes, Ian's self portrait is a pencil drawing ...... Jean Wyllie and I think it makes him look like an axe murderer ( Jean is kinder, she said a mugger  ) rather than the benevolent Despot he really is..........

[Jim McKenney]

Well Paddy, your 'Ophelia' is certainly a much more presentable one than mine.

Poor 'Ophelia': I've always though my 'Ophelia' looked as if she had just been fished out of the lake.

I've shown this one to several drop lovers over the years, and except to say that it is likely one of the Greatorex hybrids they were non-commital about the name.

It came from a well-known UK supplier decades ago.

When the weather is better I'll post more images: maybe someone will recognize it.

[Maggi Young]

Jim, I think this is the Ophelia you bought...... hope you didn't pay too much for her........

[ChrisB]

 

[Jim McKenney]

...... hope you didn't pay too much for her........
(Attachment Link)

I don't remember what I paid, but I'll bet it was nothing compared to some of today's prices!