Galanthus 2006

[Maggi Young]

Paddy, glad to see your photo of G. 'Castlegar'... it looks like one I could actually recognise... that is a more distinct marking, to my eye, than the average snowdrop! I thought we might not get a good shot of Mark's ones,since the cat got to them !

Joakim: I love your ID photo, please post a bigger version in the Let me Introduce myself page.. is this you wife and baby or do you just spend a lot of time with Mrs Santa Claus and the baby Claus! Such a nice family photo and great for this time of year!

I am going to make a new year's resolution this year to learn to tell at least a dozen snowdrops apart.

[Lesley Cox]

'Castlegar' is a lovely fat form. Very nice. Maggi, oh that we here HAD a dozen forms available to tell apart. I am green (and white) with envy that so many are around in the UK and Europe. A brand new catalogue from Marcus Harvey in Tasmania lists several and I'll have a go at those, but have to arrange CITES certs in order to import them. Crazy really, as these are long time nursery stock. Not the slightest possibility that they are collected from the wild.

[admin]

Unrequested 'instructional' material posted in one of the general forums is out of place in my opinion. I find the presumption of the poster that the other readers/visitors to the forums are in need of his instruction unpalatable.

I find it excellent that members are prepared to make the effort  posting such material without having to be hounded for it. Many organisations   running  forums, both plant oriented and otherwise, would give their  eye teeth for such levels or participation and enthusiasm. The bottom line is if we  don't like it we can ignore it, but let us  not discourage those who are prepared to make the effort. The forum would be a much poorer place if we went down that road.

[Paddy Tobin]

Re my comments on Mark's postings:

There can be no doubt that I have been too forceful in expressing my opinions on Mark's postings and have, in the process, annoyed, hurt perhaps or at least bothered some fellow posters. For this, I wish to express  my sincerest apologies.

Mark, in an effort to retrace my steps somewhat and pour oil on troubled water, let me say without hesitation that your postings are a valuable and important contribution to the various forums. The regularity and frequency of your postings keeps interest alive in many topics and encourages others to contribute, something which makes the SRGC a particularly excellent site for alpine, general plant and garden lovers. Your regular photographs also are a valuable contribution, one I particularly enjoy myself, I must say.

Your website is excellent, though I haven't visited for a while but will renew acquaintance shortly. Your website is an excellent location for basic information on snowdrops as well as for your extensive collection of photographs and, perhaps, you, or the administrator, could show a link to connect to your site so that those who require this information can access it with ease. This would also spare you the bother of posting it repeatedly. Your website would be valuable resource for the forum members.

Yes Mark, unfortunately, I do find the tone of some of your postings irritating, a little bit of 'blowing your own trumpet' as you have said yourself in one of your postings - your number of postings, your number of photographs and such like. I suppose I should have the common sense and maturity to smile at such foibles rather than being annoyed by them but with advancing years I am more and more grumpy.

I earlier attributed a posting on this subject to Ian as I thought Ian was the administrator. My apologies Ian.

Now, to conclude, She Who Must Be Obeyed has spoken - Maggi, I couldn't possibly use your phrase of the corpulent lady singing - and  will in future desist from comments such as I have posted over the past few days. There is plenty on the site that is tremendously enjoyable and I shall continue to enjoy it and allow others to do likewise.

A contrite Paddy 

[mark smyth]

'Castlegar' is a great addition to any building collection. Although it looks like a typical snowdrop it's its early arrival that makes it useful. In some parts of England they can be in flower from mid November.


I see numbers of photos, posts etc like birthdays.

[Ian Y]

perhaps, you, or the administrator, could show a link to connect to your site so that those who require this information can access it with ease.

Please note that all forumists are at liberty to post a link to their own website  ( or another of interest) in the LINKS pages or to include same in their signature bar or in the specific area for websites in their profiles: these will then be displayed in all their posts. Any forumist showing a little globe/planet earth symbol in the icons beneath their name/photo by the left of each post has activated such a link and (one) of their websites can be reached via that, or by clicking on the link in a signature bar.

[Paddy Tobin]

Galanthus 'Castlegar'

I have grown this snowdrop for the past three years and would  like to see it bulk up some more to make a judgement on it as a garden  plant. To date it seems to be a good grower. The photograph shows the development from one bulb in the clump; it now has three flowers and so it promises to bulk up reasonably with passing years.

The flower is nicely marked and has a distinctive deep sinus and is large in proportion to the size of the plant. The photograph could be better - the outer petals lift more when fully open but the sun has not shone here for over a week and so I must wait longer to see it at its best.

Because of its Irish connections this snowdrop is one I especially treasure. The original clump was found in Co. Galway and introduced by Dr. Keith Lamb, which gives it an extra significance for me. Keith is one of the gentlemen of Irish gardening, has introduced several very interesting plants and has a garden full of interest and hospitality.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Paddy, nice to hear a bit more about Castlegar....Lesley, I like it 'cos it is fat! When snowdrops open very widely I think they look as if they are straining to take off!

It gives an extra dimension to one's appreciation of a plant to know about its history, I think and when one has a particular personal connection in mind with that history, then so much the better. I am thinking of how many of us will treasure a plant in our gardens because of its association with someone special... that plant often becoming referred to as "Joan's dianthus" or "Dr Wallis' primula"; it all goes to make history and memories, doesn't it?
And where would we be without the old gardeners and plant hunters and breeders who have found or grown the plants we hold dear?

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark: Your reaction to my comments stands to your credit. My compliments.


G. 'Castlegar' and others of Irish connection are especially interesting to me. The additional connection with Keith Lamb enhances  my enjoyment.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi,

These plants with 'connections' are certainly the ones to be treasured. Like yourself, we have plants which always have a person's name attached to them - 'Helen's Good One' for a nice snowdrop, for example. History and connections makes it all the more enjoyable.

Why, even 'Mark's Tall' is to be treasured for its connections.
Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

A long long time ago - maybe yesterday, but it seems longer, someone said they had 'Wendy's Gold' almost out? I've checked mine and no sign above the ground yet. The only snowdrop I have in bloom at the moment is Galanthus elwesii 'Hiemalis'. Looks very like Dobbies' 'nivalis' but who am I to inform the experts who run these garden centres.

Actually, ignorance usually works in my favour with many a bargain wrongly priced due to mislabelling. My last 'bargain' came from a batch of euphobias  labelled 'Salvia officinalis Purple'. The labels had not been switched as they were stapled to the pots. What's more there was a coloured photograph on every label, and there was a similar number of identical, correctly labelled, euphorbias (Euphorbia amyg[daloides] 'Purpurea') right next to them!

[snowdropcollector]

Paddy, great picture !! Lovely species also this Castlegar, misses this one in my collection. The weather is very poor here also, dark and a little foggy.

Anthony,  I was the one that informd you that Wendy's Gold is almost flowering in my collection. I did order these bulbs this summer, and so they flower for the first time in my collection. If they are named wrong, I can nothing do about it.
I will try make a picture this week.

[mark smyth]

Anthony the 'nivalis' in the garden centre are probably wild dug. It's a major problem even though some Turkish farmers are now farming snowdrops. Garden centres would be better with a real plants person but it's all money, money, money. I would go back and search the bulbs for specials like all green, fat flowers or yellows. Below are two great finds from a garden centre over here. They have been twinscaled so fingers crossed!

My 'Wendy's Gold's are up maybe about an inch

[Maggi Young]

Quite like those, Mark ! Couldn't understand at first why two such different flowers were both labelled "bushmills" on their files then realised that Bushmill, as well as being a brand of intoxicating liquor is also probably a Garden Centre... is that right?

Richard, you also mentioned that you thought the foliage of your Wendy's Gold was looking a bit yellow?
I do not grow Wendy's Gold, but I have often found with other yellow variants of plants that they can show this symptom quite a lot. perhaps it is a usual thing for it? In the same way, some plants with unusual white variations can often bee rather weak and less strong and prone to yellow leaves, too.
Anybody else noticed this or am I the world's worst grower?

[Paddy Tobin]

Bushmills - a very nice whiskey indeed and the snowdrops aren't too bad either.

Mark, you have given them the same name but, I wonder, are they a bit different? The first pictured has more green on both the  outer and the inner segments, no gap at all between the green on the inner segments and the ovary. Also the ovary of the first one is considerably longer than that of the second.

You mentioned twin scaling - has one been propagated from the other?  Or are they two individual snowdrops you came upon?

Paddy