Galanthus February 2010

[johnw]

It's a lovely thing, Paddy.
We still don't know why x allenii needs to be monitored? 

Anne - x allenii can be viral.  Some may be clean but I don't know if the virus is latent and then can re-appear or if when you get a good clean one it stays clean.  Perhaps others can tell us.   I am therefore keeping x allenii and Augustus away from the rest.

Lovely Poc there Paddy.  It will be interesting to see if pollen develops in a few days.

johnw 

[mark smyth]

Paddy it looks like it has good anthers.

[Brian Ellis]

Very nice Paddy, a real treat.  Have to keep an eye on that one!

[mark smyth]

Does anyone grow plicatus Enid Bromley? It's identical to plicatus Maidwell C.

[Martin Baxendale]

'John Gray' is out in force in Kent too Anthony.

I must admit that I am considering getting rid of it from my garden as it annoys me each year the way it flops everywhere!       Last year I moved it so that it was at the edge of a raised bed in the hope that it would fall gracefully over the edge - but nooooo.....  it flops ungracefully in the opposite direction.  

John Gray does need a position in full sun, plus plenty of feeding and time to settle in. But when it's doing its thing in a good position it's a stunning snowdrop.

I managed to take some quick snaps of clumps in the garden open in the sun today (Friday) on a quick pit-stop to a home and garden that I've seen far too little of recently (on the road all week selling my novel). I'll try to find time to resize and post them tomorrow.

Also found a new beauty flowering amongst my seedlings that really made my day - supposedly a cross between John Gray and Bertram Anderson, which from the look of it might actually have been a rare successful cross between two triploids, showing characteristics of both parents, plus being incredibly strong and stout. My breeding programme may finally be getting somewhere (an improved, stronger John Gray that doesn't flop over so easily in less-than-ideal situations being one of my prime objectives).

[KentGardener]

Also found a new beauty flowering amongst my seedlings that really made my day - supposedly a cross between John Gray and Bertram Anderson, which from the look of it might actually have been a rare successful cross between two triploids, showing characteristics of both parents, plus being incredibly strong and stout. My breeding programme may finally be getting somewhere (an improved, stronger John Gray that doesn't flop over so easily in less-than-ideal situations being one of my prime objectives).

Congratulations Martin.  Can I put my name down for one in 2015 please 

I've decided to give all my John Gray away, as Brian has correctly said my garden gets very little sun at all during the winter so I am never going to be able to grow John Gray at its best. 

That will also give me a prime planting spot to put one of my others 

[KentGardener]

Hi Richard

More great photos.  Cute little Robin assistant you have there too. 

Is the "Daphne's Scissors" definitely correct?  I have not seen one with green tips before - though I have only seen it in the flesh half a dozen times so I could easily be wrong.

I've always had a soft spot for 'Highdown' - I think it is the colour of the ovary that appeals to me.

[KentGardener]

Mark - interesting Woronowii - it sounds like a real giant - make sure you give us a report next year.

Very nice upright Elwesii poculiform Paddy - looks much better behaved than 'The (floppy) Bride'.   

[RichardW]

Is the "Daphne's Scissors" definitely correct?  I have not seen one with green tips before - though I have only seen it in the flesh half a dozen times so I could easily be wrong.

I hope so, is my 3rd attempt, the first I was given definitely wasn't right, was given another a few years ago which has faint green tips and another 3 bulbs last week which is what I took the photo of yesterday, my other has a better "scissor" and fainter marks which are mentioned in the monograph.

Highdown always looks great in a clump, am always amazed at how tiny the bulbs are.

[mark smyth]

John, this photo shows Daphne's Scissors with a slight green mark

[Martin Baxendale]

Just to show how good 'John Gray' can look when it's in a sunny spot, well fed and settled in (which admittedly can take a few years), some quick snaps of established clumps in the garden yesterday:

The first pic is in a shadier spot, the second two in full sun.

[Martin Baxendale]

And some equally quick snaps of the nice newcomer I found amongst my seedlings yesterday. Supposed to be a cross between the two relatively infertile triploids 'John Gray' and 'Bertram Anderson', and it does show some characteristics of both parents, plus it's very strong and sturdy, and looks like it may well be polyploid (triploid or tetraploid):

[Martin Baxendale]

Just measured my new seedling (pics just posted) and, to give you an idea of size, it's 25cm tall with outer flower segments 3cm long and 2cm wide. It's a bit of a thunker.

[Martin Baxendale]

Okay, silly mistake in that last post. I put the outer segments are 30cm long. Now corrected.

[johnw]

Martin - That one looks very good   We certainly need good-doers that spread like mad.  And thanks for the tip on John Gray, what a difference.

Have you thought of going at some of the sprouting seeds with colchicine?  Perhaps a new race of Frankendrops.

johnw