Galanthus February 2011

[KentGardener]

Here are a few of the clearer photos taken today at the RHS Halls in London

5. Me at the show today

Jennie

I don't think I would have recognised you Jennie and I only saw you last week!    I left at 2pm so missed you anyway.

A couple more photos from me.  Sorry about the quality - but thought worth posting anyway.

1 - Jo Sharmon's buttonhole (I think I know what 3 of them are but not the other)
2 - Ladybird  

[Alan_b]

Galanthus plicatus Deputy Dawg. Is it worth naming?

ABSOLUTELY!!!  It's the spitting image!  Are you sure you somebody has not photoshopped that one, Mark?  The only problem seems to be that only a minority of us are old enough to remember Deputy Dawg. 

I also think we need to propose to Hanneke van Dijk a Snowdrop Group 11 "Funny Face Group".  'Are the inner segments white with 3 or more green marks that resemble a face?'.  There are already ""Grumpy" and several others to go into the "Funny Face Group".  I think I remember pansies being marketed as "Funny Face Pansies" but, again, probably only because I am sufficiently old. 

[Alan_b]

On the subject of snowdrops that look like cartoon dogs, Ian Christie told the Galanthus Gala that he has one that he proposes naming "Snoopy".  He remembers "Snoopy" as a sad-faced dog, which I personally don't think is particularly true.  I asked him if he might be confusing "Snoopy" with the renownedly sad-faced and similarly-named "Droopy" but he said not.  But which of the two dogs is sad?

[Hagen Engelmann]

Absolut great pics all.
Martin, I cannot help you really. My two GREEN BRUSH look like the same/equal. I hope: at first there was a bed of seedlings and the best (and only one and not a group) was taken for twinscaling.
My two flowers look like the good recent pic here in the forum.
Now I`m going to Boschhoeve.

[RichardW]

Galanthus plicatus Deputy Dawg. Is it worth naming?

yes, it's brilliant, and the name is perfect  

Alan you're right, Snoopy does not conjure up the image of a sad dog.

[Paddy Tobin]

Just to add to the information on G. 'Beth Chatto', following on Carolyn's post above, here is an e-mail received from David Ward on Monday.

I should add that, personally, the disappointment for me in discovering that the bulb I have been growing as G. 'Beth Chatto' is not true to name is that it was treasured purely for its association with the lady whose garden we have truly loved. But, hopefully, David will get it into production again and it will be available in a few years time.

Paddy


Dear Paddy,
 
Many thanks for that information. I do recall that Wisley asked for a specimen but I wonder what they have? or rather what I supplied them with!  It might be a good starting point to see that herbarium specimen.
 
I had a short conversation with Beth who told me that the plant which was sent to the RHS and subsequently named as mentioned in The Snowdrop book was a selected seedling from her garden from plants given her by Cedric Morris. It was sent up to London for identification and she feels sure that it was Richard Nutt who identified it as "a very fine example of G. plicatus subsp. byzantinus"
Beth cannot recall what happened to the plant that went to London and is not even sure if it came back here.
 
Surely only plants propagated vegetativly from that one specimen should bear the cultivar name. Yesterday I looked over the main patch of Beth Chatto seedlings. The first flowers are just opening, most have the inner segment markings separated not joined but I have dug out 6 showing the pinched X with two flowers per bulb to keep an eye on. Its certainly the most prolific seeder of all our snowdrops.
 
If anything more of relevance crops up I will let you know.
 
Kind regards
 
Dave.
 

[mark smyth]

Maybe the snowdrop I showed should be droopy?

It is real and if I can get some bulbs it will be a new Irish snowdrop. I got an email last night asking if it is worth naming with a photo attached. I hope the photo is genuine. I didnt take it .

[Brian Ellis]

Yes Paddy it is an outstanding scharlockii type, looking through David's photographs that he has taken today using his brand new background I was struck by the similarity to 'Bishop's Mitre" which Richard Hobbs showed at the Gala as part of 'Norfolk's finest'.

Richard I really like that mark, one of Glen Chantry's plants according to my database.

Brian - is the background on the first photo more of a dark blue?  I really like that....even better than black (in my humble opion) 
Lovely photos & snowdrop
Jennie

No it is all taken with the same background, the difference would be to do with the lighting and flash.  I'll ask him what he has done to the lovely black background   It is a dear little snowdrop, very short and the flowers almost touching the ground.

[RichardW]

if someone has faked the photo they've gone to a lot of trouble to include the variation in the marks, It does look almost too good to be true, hope it is genuine, it's great 

[mark smyth]

Big Boy's baby that I mentioned a couple of more years back has been named. It is now Titanic

[KentGardener]

A couple of quick pictures from the garden today.

1 - 'Netherhall Yellow'
2 - 'Goerge Elwes'

[KentGardener]

Big Boy's baby that I mentioned a couple of more years back has been named. It is now Titanic

There is a tiny picture of 'Titanic' on Avon bulbs website Mark

1 - http://www.avonbulbs.co.uk/top-of-the-drops-card_1381_1373.htm
2 - click on the image showing all the little pictures
3 - it is centre on the bottom row.

[Mavers]

I like the shape of it John.

I would like to add be very wary of buying Green Brush without seeing the plant first!!

[emma T]

I would like to add be very wary of buying Green Brush without seeing the plant first!!

I order one from Avon bulbs , i hope i get one that looks like its picture    Has anyone grown it for a while to see if it varies from year to year ? When it arives i shall take a photo.

[emma T]

What would anyone recommend using for pollination , paint brush or some thing else  ?
I didn't have a paint brush .

 I am making do with a dead bumble bee on a cocktail stick