Galanthus February 2010

[mark smyth]

seemples - nobody wants them because everyone is now aiming too high chasing the impossible

[Paddy Tobin]

Paddy, I have just seen a wonderful show of Atkinsii at Rococo Garden near Painswick in the Cotswoolds. Thousands in large drifts but I can`t understand why none were for sale,Jim.

Jim,

Do say you had your camera with you and that you are going to post photographs soon. The spread of G. atkinsii you describe sounds wonderful.

Paddy

[Alan_b]

And an odd one - a chance abberation on a flower of G. 'Woodtown'. Two flowers seem to be fused into one. You can see the two ovaries fused together and then in the following photograph the two centres inside and, finally, the six outer petals.

Paddy

I have never yet found a four-leaf clover but I reckon snowdrops with fused ovaries are quite easy to find if you look in a 'wild' population of snowdrops - maybe G. plicatus in particular.  Here's one I noticed on Saturday.

[David Nicholson]

How many bulbs did you start with Ian? Mine is a clump of one at the moment and I wondered if I have enough years left to get it to the stage of yours?

David I bought only one bulb for £? as a dormant bulb about 5 years ago it quite clearly likes me   but all can go wrong in short order when th N fly is on the prowl.

Is yours in pot or is released into the wild?

It's in the wild Ian. I bought the bulb last February. So by the time I can just manage to potter down the garden I should have a nice clump

[Mavers]

Chimera is delightful Mike thanks for showing us & a warm welcome too.

I would like to see the 'orange' snowdrop in the flesh it is certainly an interesting colour break.

Mike

[Regelian]

This little guy has popped-up in the lawn.  Very small, at about 3"/7cm tall, but a charmer.  I have no idea what it is and believe I planted it from a grab-bag of Galanthus seedlings.  Any ideas as to possible species, or is it clearly a hybrid?

The next is a sweet G. nivalis that popped up amongst the woodland beds.  I rather like the gracile form.  Hope it keeps it.

unk Galanthus seedling
G. nivalis seedling

[Brian Ellis]

You may be interested to see what John Grimshaw has to say about the orange tipped snowdrop:

http://johngrimshawsgardendiary.blogspot.com/

[Anthony Darby]

For pics of snowdrops at the Early Bulb Display, Dunblane last Saturday see here: http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4607.30

[Alan_b]

That's an interesting curiosity, Rob; I hope it proves stable.

[Alan_b]

Any ideas as to possible species, or is it clearly a hybrid?

No sign of folding back on the leaves so not a plicate.  The leaves seem slightly curved, are they applenate or supervolute?  The photograph does not show the base of the leaves so I cannot tell.

[Martin Baxendale]

This little guy has popped-up in the lawn.  Very small, at about 3"/7cm tall, but a charmer.  I have no idea what it is and believe I planted it from a grab-bag of Galanthus seedlings.  Any ideas as to possible species, or is it clearly a hybrid?

The leaves and flower look like elwesii.

[emma T]

Thats a nice find Rob. 

I found a four petaled woronowii today in my local garden centre  . I hope that it also stays the same next year

[KentGardener]

Rob.  I love it.  My guess is that it won't do it again (I have collected a few of that type of anomalies over the last few years and they all turn out normal the following year  ).  Glad you got the chance to take a picture and share it with us - just my sort of weirdness.   

[Regelian]

Any ideas as to possible species, or is it clearly a hybrid?

No sign of folding back on the leaves so not a plicate.  The leaves seem slightly curved, are they applenate or supervolute?  The photograph does not show the base of the leaves so I cannot tell.

Alan, it is volute, but not really supervolute in that the leaves do not completely enclose each other.  There is a slight boating and curve to the leaves. As Martin mentioned, it does resemble G. elwesii a bit, but I've never seen one this small or this early in season.  It is ahead of G. nivalis by at least a week.  Other than blooming time, leaf arrangement and general size, I really do not know how to tell the various species apart.  Apparently, the petal marks are of little use.

[johnw]

Boy that is a strange one Rob.

Here's another weird one, an elwesii, a friend just found.

johnw