Galanthus February 2010

[Paddy Tobin]

Richard,

The little fleck of yellow from the aconites through the drifts is great to set off the white of the snowdrops. I have seen blue crocus planted with snowdrops giving a good effect also.

Paddy

[johnw]

John can you tell us more about the Slovenian snowdrop book?

Mark

It's Jože Bavcon's book, The Common Snowdrop and its Diversity in Slovenia as reviewed in one of the last two Daff, Snowdrop Yearbooks.  There are photos of  a dizzying number of interesting selections many if not most of which have been named, probably a huge mistake as some are similar to ones already in the trade and others mere curiosities. Still it is a testament to the diversity to be found in but one country.

Oh, as Brian E. pointed out to me, the first half is in Slovenian, the, the photos and then a English translation.

http://www.bgci.org/barcelona04/abstracts/pdf_posters/Bavcon.pdf

Or you can go to the University's website, where you can order it:  

doc. dr. Jože Bavcon   (joze.bavcon@guest.arnes.si)
vodja botaničnega vrta
Ižanska cesta 15
1000 Ljubljana
tel: 0038614271280
http://www.botanicni-vrt.si/

It was 15 Euros (17.78 Euros including post).

johnw

[RichardW]

Richard,

The little fleck of yellow from the aconites through the drifts is great to set off the white of the snowdrops. I have seen blue crocus planted with snowdrops giving a good effect also.

Paddy

they're a perfect combination, and unlike something things that go well with drops are always in flower at the same time, the crocus are just starting to open.

few more from a quick zip round at lunchtime.

Diggory
Bitton
Bertram Anderson
Upcher
Blewbury Tart
Seagull
Blonde Inge
3 Garden finds

[chasw]

Well I managed to finally get out into the garden to take some pictures,now that all the snow has gone,and sat down to post and we now have really heavy rain

 Madelaine
Blewberry Tart
Sally Pasmore
Cedrics Prolific

[Paddy Tobin]

Find 5 looks a good one, Richard.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Lovely day here today - 11c- but a slight breeze.

These four snowdrop photos show Atkinsii, Atkinsii Moccas form, Lyn and Silverwells. I forgot to photograph Limetree. Which is which? Not easy if impossible

[RichardW]

Find 5 looks a good one, Richard.

Paddy

to be honest, I don't really like it, though of all of them planted where that is growing it gets the most comments.

Mark, all the same but from different angles? 

[cycnich]

Lovely day here today - 11c- but a slight breeze.

here's a competition. These four snowdrop photos show Atkinsii, Atkinsii Moccas form, Lyn and Silverwells. I forgot to photograph Limetree. Which is which?

Mark
          You seriously need to get out more.

[mark smyth]

Pat I was jsimply showing how these cultivars look alike

[cycnich]

Pat I was jsimply showing how these cultivars look alike

Hi Mark
           Just winding you up mate. I have the greatest respect for your knowledge of Galanthus and you have a super collection and I always read your posts. I have only been growing Galanthus seriously for a short time and made up my mind to stick to things that you can recognise without a label but I admit it is not easy. One thing I have learned in that short space of time is that there are way too many named cultivars and the joint rock don't help by handing out pcs and ams for very average plants. I really think it is up to the serious Galanthus growers to put a stop to this as they are being laughed at and frowned upon by the rest of the Alpine world if you get my point. As soon as a plant is given an award it is on ebay for silly money, this is not the way forward  is it Mark. What are your views. Pat.

[mark smyth]

Galanthus = Saxifraga in the alpine world

I'm always telling people to buy only what they can ID. I'm going to put all my Atkinsii lookalikes in one group - if I remember.

Editing todays photos just now

[johnw]

Find 5 looks a good one, Richard.

Paddy

To me as well Paddy.  I have a fondess for these little globe-like ones.

We have just survived a very powerful storm that gave winds of almost 90 km/hr, the storm in its full fury lasted more than 24 hours unabated.  Certainly the longest in memory.  One of the office walls blew off and just missed the cars about the lot.  Had it been snow instead of rain this would have been the mother of all blizzards - witness what happened in NYC and Philadelphia.  Nearly 8" of rain fell in parts of Maine, maybe half that here. Needless to say the snow is mostly gone but another nor'easter is headed our way hot on its heels.

johnw

[steve owen]

A quick photograph from the garden this evening before the light faded. It is Rosemary Burnham. This is the first year it has flowered for me. I know that it can be a difficult variety to keep going but at least now I have a permanent memory of it.

David and other posters

Nice pic of Ms Burnham. I was also fortunate to obtain it last year. There are a small number of wonderful virescent (as distinct from greentipped) varieties that provide succession flowering in my garden; in order
Rosemary Burnham and Moyas Green the earliest two
then Margaret Biddulph
Virescens
and finally Rushmere Green. Both these latter varieties yet to show the flowering scape.

I have seen good clumps of all the above in different gardens, with the exception of Rushmere Green which iI assume is still very scarce and maybe no-one has had the chance to develop a good-sized clump.

Meanwhile we await Green Tear becoming more widely available to see where that fits in the sequence.

Speaking of clumps, I have seen (either in gardens or in posted pics on SRGC really good healthy clumps of several of the well-known yellow varieties; Primrose W, Spindlestone S, Wendy's, Sandersii, etc; but I haven't been able to find anyone growing a decent clump of Savills Gold. I have just one plant clinging to life. Does anyone grow it well or seen it grown well? Is it an acid-lover? I dare not experiment with just one plant!

Steve

[mark smyth]

didnt someone say on the forum this week that yellows want acid soil or was that to get better yellow flowers

[snowdropman]

I haven't been able to find anyone growing a decent clump of Savills Gold. I have just one plant clinging to life. Does anyone grow it well or seen it grown well? Is it an acid-lover? I dare not experiment with just one plant!

Steve

Steve - I have been growing 'Savill Gold' since 2005 - it seems to increase quite well - I do not give it any special treatment, growing it in my normal mix - I grow it in an area that is under the canopy of both a Holm Oak tree & a Horse Chestnut tree, so I guess that it never gets too wet and in the winter it gets a reasonable amount of light because the Horse Chestnut is bare.