Galanthus winter 2009/2010

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark,

It's difficult to comment on the colours of the snowdrops shown. Both photographs are overexposed, the first more so than the second and that impinges on the colours in the shots.

However, I don't doubt your assertion, and Ian's, that plants will be show differences in colour under different growing conditions - even within the same garden, I imagine.

Paddy

[Diane Whitehead]

You could choose a yellow snowdrop that is fairly widely grown
and take along potted ones, and garden-grown ones cut and in
a vase, to a show, like the early bulb show in Wales.  Set them
up with signs giving details of growing conditions. 

[Paddy Tobin]

Certainly, Diane, one of the shows would be a great place to compare bulbs grown in different places and conditions. Interesting idea.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

Anthony have you never been to a garden where Wendy's Gold looks better than yours or maybe yours is a better plant? I have seen many that are superior to mine

These two plants are not showing good yellow

I've had mine look green Paul, but that was a year after planting.

[Diane Whitehead]

Update on my reluctant bud:

I brought the pot into the house and cut away the transparent
cover. I wanted the petals to expand, but it wasn't quite that -
they slowly relaxed so that I can now see the inner markings.
The petals are thin-textured with not enough juice to have
opened on their own.

However, it is worthwhile, though disappointing, to see the
open flower.  The pollen parent was Rosemary Burnham, but
one would never guess it from the seedling.  Ah well, about
16 more still unflowered.  Maybe next year.

[Paddy Tobin]

Oh Diane,

The impatience of some gardeners!

Paddy

[Diane Whitehead]

Ah, Paddy.  A couple of months ago a club member sold off
some excess bulbs from his collection and I bought some and
potted them.  They're flowering!  I am so amazed.  For years,
I have tended pots of green threads with nary a flower.  It
gives me hope to carry on.

[Paddy Tobin]

Perhaps, I should have been more accurate and cited your actions as an example of the impatience of all gardeners.

I think we all do things like this from time to time.

Paddy

[Paul T]

However, it is worthwhile, though disappointing, to see the
open flower.  The pollen parent was Rosemary Burnham, but
one would never guess it from the seedling.  Ah well, about
16 more still unflowered.  Maybe next year.

Diane,

From experience with numerous other genus (I've not flowered Galanthus from seed), you really cannot judge a plant from it's first flower, particularly when that flower has not fully formed.  I have no idea whether the markings would be fully expressed in an unopen flower, particularly one that you mention was particularly thin textured.  You may be surprised with the results from that bud next year.  I've also had green tipped flowers open white, then have the green appear about 24 to 48 hours after opening, so you just never know what "would have been" with that flower if it matured.

My example that I have mentioned elsewhere on these forums before, is of a particularly crappy Helleborus seedling that I bought as a primrose yellow (seedling, so I knew the chances or non-yellow were quite high)..... when it first flowered it was a spidery, rubbish washed out pink that the only reason it was not composted was because I never got around to it.  The second year it flowered it was a massive flower, beautifully round, great substance and good strong pink.  It is still the best pink flowered Hellebore that I posses.  If I'd judged it by the first year then I would never have found out. 

You just sounded so dispirited that you ended up with a disappointing seedling..... I just wanted to mention that next year when it flowers again you may be somewhat surprised (or possibly not, but no point giving up just yet.  )

[Diane Whitehead]

Thank you, Paul.  You're right - hovering over a bud for a couple
of months does certainly set one up for disappointment.  The pot
is off the table, out of my sight, and now I'm watching some hellebore
buds opening up that are unlike any I already have.  They're even
looking good at this first flowering, so may well prove spectacular
next year, like your pink.

[mark smyth]

Someone on Ebay is selling many unusual snowdrops but no photos to go with them

[David Quinton]

I assume that you are talking about galanthusboy?

[Sinchets]

Never having been bitten by the Galanthus bug, I post this not really knowing what it is other than that it came with the garden. It has a stick as it was sat flat under snow for a few days.

[mark smyth]

Yes David. Do you know who he is?

[David Quinton]

Yes! Will PM you if you want to know.