Galanthus 2006

[mark smyth]

I only gave them that name for the purpose of my records and their origin. Four different ones were found and have been twinscaled by the finder

[Lesley Cox]

Maggi, I'm all in favour of "Joan's  dianthus" or "Dr Wallis' primula" but the problems really start when these, without warning become Dianthus `Joan' or Primula `Dr Wallis' or, indeed, Galanthus `Bushmills' (of which there could soon be four plants around, all distinct). Your are right in that the plant's history and personal connections all go to make it a more treasured thing, but we MUST be careful to avoid attaching names which are not true or appropriate. But are we?

Here endeth the first, and I hope only lesson.

[David Nicholson]

I'm with Lesley on this one, plant naming is a problem and results in a large number of named hybrids many of which are poorer plants than their parents, or are simply not sufficiently dissimilar. I can't speak for other Societies but certainly in the National Auricula and Primula Society all seedlings (which of course do not "come true") are shown in seedling classes. The breeders of those attracting the attention of the judges and obtaining a winning card are then invited to give their plant a name. This at least ensures that "quality and similarity" are taken into account.

As Mark as done, most growers give their plants an "unofficial" name for ease of their own record keeping. Much easier to remember than breeding codes. Still, after all, that it's a problem without solution.

[Maggi Young]

Yes, the "naming of parts" has always been a tricky business. I think it would be almost impossible not to make connections with plants you got from a particular source though i agree that these names are better kept to oneself, for all the reasons given above. I am also very wary of the naming of EVERY variation found in any given plant; in some genera this seems a real irritation for me and I suspect, others (oops! I'm writing this in the galanthus page... well, if the cap fits.....I was thinking too of Pleiones and Primula allionii and Dionysia hybrids... so many of these seem altogether TOO similar to me to warrant naming BUT, and this is a BIG BUT ( no personal comments here, please) there is a distinct problem, if you'll forgive the pun, of ensuring that when one distributes UN-NAMED but very promising, young plants that may well be distinct enough then there is a danger that different people will end up giving different names to the SAME plant, and there lies a lot more confusion !
Not easy, is it? 

[snowdropcollector]

Maggi, I do not know how that is about the little bit pale/yellow looking leaves with Wendy's Gold and other yellow flowering species with snowdrops. It is the first time that I will have a yellow flowering species in my small collection. I did try to make some pics today, but they are all of poor quality. Will try to show you one, do not exactly know how to show you in this forum. Will see if I can manage to do it.

[snowdropcollector]

Ok, it did work. Sorry for the bad quality. But these are the Wendy's Gold which are almost flowering in my collection at the moment. See picture in above topic.

[mark smyth]

they look OK to me

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley & David,

Re naming of plants: I believe that Maggi and I were on the same wavelength re the naming of plants - we name plants AT HOME  after the people who give them to us, so we will have 'Helen's snowdrop', 'Bob's uvularia' etc. However, we  didn't for a moment mean that we would pass these plants on with those names. Of course we might say to the recipients of these plants that 'this is one I got from Helen or Bob' and I'm sure that information might make the plant that little bit more enjoyable and interesting to them.

Accuracy in naming plants is of the utmost importance and especially so when we put names in writing here in the forum as we are likely to start a misnomer or continue a previous mistake.

I could not agree more with Maggi re the naming of plants - far too many plants are given names without meriting such a distinction. Snowdrop enthusiasts may be among the more common offenders.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday I posted a photograph of Galanthus 'Castlegar', an Irish snowdrop cultivar. When I went around the garden today I found that the blasted slugs had visited overnight.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

'Struth, Paddy, it seems we were not the only ones who found Castlegar "tasty" !!I don't know what you have had in the way of frost, but we have had enough here in Aberdeen to have frozen the slimy pests... or so you would hope! Seems your slugs are still mobile and hungry... what's  the betting they come back tonight to eat the rest of the flowers? I have been horrified by the amount of caterpillar damage we were still seeing happen outside only a week or so ago. Is there no stopping these beasts?
It's bad enough when things are being eaten in the full season, when the damage, though annoying, feels less serious because there is so much in growth but at this time when the pleasure of flowers is thinner on the ground it seems MUCH worse.

PS, that was what I meant about the "pet names" for flowers.

[Paddy Tobin]

Maggi,

Surely, you must compliment me on my moderate use of language in my last posting. You can easily imagine what I really want to say about those slugs.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Too ******* ***** I do, Paddy! Thanks indeed!

[mark smyth]

I found emerging snowdrops eaten today, again, so out I went with their favourite food. You know the one! The blue one.

Paddy were you saying a few posts ago you liked 'Mark's Tall'?

[Paddy Tobin]

Galanthus 'Mark's Tall'

Mark, as I said, it is to be treasured for its connections. I, like yourself I believe, would take a particular interest in plants with an Irish connection and like to have them if at all possible. Then it is possible to build up a stock and spread them around so that they will last in cultivation. Of course, there are many many that I haven't got but if I had them sure all the interest would be gone out of them. It is a great thrill to get a plant that one has wanted for some time, better than having them all on the same day, so to speak.

Top of my list at the moment are those connected to the Halls in Lucan. They appear from photographs to be such elegantly-held flowers and, of course, the connection with the Halls who have been so active in snowdrop growing and collecting for so many  years would make it especially to be treasured. Of course, there are many more that I could mention but listing them would only put the longing on me.

[KentGardener]

Hi All

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and that you are sufficiently recovered for late night drinking tomorrow.  There has not been a lot of time to read the forum pages in the last week and I have spent this morning catching up on all that has been happening in the threads!...

A bit of input from me:

1)  Mark's bushmills do not have the same name - one is bushmillsA and the other bushmillsD (I presume the remaining 2 from the 4 found are B and C).  As Lesley asked - is Bushmills a garden centre?

2)  I am going to put down some slug bait today as I have noticed an increasing number of the tiny little ones in the last few days.  I don't want to experience the same upsetting discoveries as Paddy and Mark have.

3)  Mark - when is the new 2007 web page going to be ready?  Could we have it 'go live' even before every link is ready please.  I really want to see a good quality picture of Carolyn Elwes.

4)  are bark chipping detrimental to snowdrops?  I have been using them for a few years but someone recently told me that they thought they would damage the emerging snowies...

regards

John