Stagonospora infection - collected threads

[Brian Ellis]

More of those in pots, Sutton Courtenay is bulking up nicely!
Hobson's Choice is one of the Anglesey Abbey mob.  To me one of the most distinctive and attractive is Lapwing, when we were at Ashwood's last year John had a nice clump of these.  Sibbertoft white is a delicate little flower, I can't wait to see a clump of this one (the scalpel calls)  Washfield Colesbourne on the other hand has a robust green marking on the inners

[Brian Ellis]

Venturing out into the garden they are just getting going, as I have said before the difference in flowering time around the country amazes me.  Always a sucker for names I bought By Gate (syn. Warburg No eight) just to plant by the gate    Instantly recognizable is Diggory, named after Rosie Steele's late son.  Isn't he plumptious Maggie? Next is Ding Dong, suffering from last summer I think as there is only one flower.  Edinburgh Ketton has a mucky H shaped mark and here is John Gray bending under the weight of the flower as it matures

[Brian Ellis]

I wish that I had taken this picture of Kyre Park as it first came out, it's just going over.  When it's in a clump it's a lovely thing.  Joe Sharman had some at the RHS a couple of years ago.  The first 'drop I was given by Ann Borrill was good old Maidwell L, still a nice snowdrop.  Quite different is the lovely Modern Art, but I'd like to get a Courteen Hall as I believe it is more robust.  Lastly for the moment as it started to rain is Silverwells

[Maggi Young]

Diggory, named after Rosie Steele's late son

Terrible tragedy to lose a son, or any child but how nice to have such a fine snowdrop named for him and to ensure his name is remembered widely.

[Anthony Darby]

Brian, I think you have become my very best friend. What a superb set of snowdrops/pics. I do like 'Godrey Owen'. Wasn't he a cricketer (if he wasn't, he should have been)? Or was that Godfrey Evans?

[Maggi Young]

Nice green spodge on Kyre Park but that Lapwing is a stunner!
I find myself, perhaps because in another existence I was an Art Reviewer/Critic, that Modern Art appeals greatly to me....  I am getting worried now... hunger and an intimate appreciation of snowies.... what's the phone number for NHS 24 ?

[Brian Ellis]

Thankyou Anthony, I don't know who Godfrey was apart from the fact that it was named after Margaret Owen's husband.

Maggie

what's the phone number for NHS 24 ?

don't you mean Cadbury's?

[Maggi Young]

don't you mean Cadbury's?

No Brian, I've got that one it's 0121 451 4444 
Nestlé  is    00800 63785385

...... you see ,I am well prepared for most eventualities....

[dominique]

Here is an elwesii from wild source, very round petals. I am not specialist of Galanthus but i like them. Is it ordinary or particular ?

[Anthony Darby]

Cripes Brian. Snowdrops are like buses. You wait ages for one then half a dozen come along at once! Brilliant!

[Paddy Tobin]

Brian,

What a display of the great and the good - and the expensive, no doubt. All looking well and I must agree with you that 'Lapwing' is an excellently marked snowdrop.


Dominique,

Is it special - yes, if you like it. G. elwesii is very variable and a great variety of markings will be encountered even in the same clump. If you like it, then treasure it.


Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

Really Anthony it was yesterday's unseasonal warmth that got them to lift their skirts.  Until now they have just been hanging and on the verge of showing their marks.  I really thought we were way behind others on the forum eg Mrs Macnamara is still just about to come out of bud, mind you it could also be that I had so much clearing to do that I had to spend more time in the garden yesterday and so I noticed them more

Thanks Paddy, some were expensive, but then they weren't ... ERNIE has funded their purchase so far and so I kid myself that I haven't spent anything.  Again some people spend their money on cars, drink, expensive holidays...and so on.  I seem to have none left by the time I have spent it on the garden

[Paddy Tobin]

Who's "ERNIE"?

Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

Sorry I should have explained that it is the national premium bond scheme in England, I believe there is an Irish one too.  Basically it is a gamble on whether your "winnings" equate to, or outdo savings elsewhere, and basically I suppose I am a gambler!

[Martin Baxendale]

Sorry I should have explained that it is the national premium bond scheme in England, I believe there is an Irish one too.  Basically it is a gamble on whether your "winnings" equate to, or outdo savings elsewhere, and basically I suppose I am a gambler!

And ERNIE is the name of the machine that picks the winning premium bond numbers - ERNIE = Electronic Random Number .... something.....something.

Anyone else getting a lot of signs of stagonospora on the snowdrop leaves and flower buds this year? I'm getting loads, and lots of snowdrops not even appearing (presumed gone during the wet, wet summer). Lots of leaves coming up with red-brown 'scorched' tips and brown-red stained flower buds.

Never had it this bad before. Must be the wet summer - Matt Bishop reported in last year's (I think) RHS Daffs, Snowdrops and Tulips Yearbook that he recently lost almost his entire collection to stagonospora when he temporarily planted them in a patch that was wet all year round during a garden move. I've always said a dry(ish) summer rest is essential, but never had it proven so worryingly before.

I'll have to start lifting affected bulbs to see what's happening below soil level.