Galanthus February 2011

[Mavers]

Thanks for all the wonderful photos of the Westminster show Jennie.

I have only been once to this show & it was very enjoyable........I remember the lovely smell of all the spring flowers on entering the main hall from the cold air outside.

[Brian Ellis]

My thanks too Jennie, I never get there but am always most grateful for the reports from John and the others

[chasw]

I am suprised looking at the pictures,and would have thought that it would be a lot busier,

As with all Snowdrop events,maybe the mad rush was over

[Carolyn Walker]

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

Paddy, I would like to help get 'Beth Chatto' into production again.  BCG is going to check with you about the herbarium specimen first and then I await instructions as to where to send a plant and how.

Everyone, I have to speak for myself and all the American "lurkers" on your forum, the discussion of the dead bee on a cocktail stick pollinating device certainly gave us a new appreciation of what it means to be a true galanthophile.

Carolyn

[David Nicholson]

OK it's nothing special but here are a couple of shots of a little bed I made just for Snowdrops last year. I dug it well and put lots of garden compost and composted bark into the soil. The Snowdrops I had were dug up from other places and made ready for re-planting in lattice pots and were all on little named heaps on a table I use for bulb re-potting. I may have told this story before but I turned to pick up my trowel, forgot the table was there, fell over it and me and the Snowdrops finished up on the lawn-a bit mixed up! I resorted everytning as best I could and they all went into the new bed.

Last week I spent over an hour clearing lumps of cat muck out of the bed (nearly a quarter of a bucket full), straightened all my labels and tidied the bed up generally. Today I did exactly the same chore........... and I'm angry. Maureen said I should have put plastic wire mesh over it but why should I have to do that and spoil the look and potentially the flowers. After I had photographed it I gave it a very liberal sprinkling of slug pellets. I don't normally do this where animals are about but quite honestly I don't care. I can understand people who like cats (I don't) but why on earth can't they train them to go in their own gardens and not mine. David is far from a happy chappie!

[Michael J Campbell]

but why on earth can't they train them to go in their own gardens and not mine. David is far from a happy chappie! Angry Angry Angry

David because Cats are such nice creatures they never c**p in their own garden. That wouldn't be very nice now, would it. You know the old saying about your own doorstep.

[Paddy Tobin]

Carolyn,

How wonderful to hear this as it would certainly be wonderful to have the true bulb back in circulation again.

I would certainly not be the one to undertake this task but there are several who post on the forum who have the expertise or know those who could undertake this work. It would be appropriate, I suppose, that the bulb would return to the Beth Chatto Gardens at some stage to be grown on there where it originated.

Paddy

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

Paddy, I would like to help get 'Beth Chatto' into production again.  BCG is going to check with you about the herbarium specimen first and then I await instructions as to where to send a plant and how.

Everyone, I have to speak for myself and all the American "lurkers" on your forum, the discussion of the dead bee on a cocktail stick pollinating device certainly gave us a new appreciation of what it means to be a true galanthophile.

Carolyn

[snowdropman]

or lack of green tips .. I'll relabel mine later

Mark - I can only think that you do not have the genuine article - mine have consistently produced green tips, and multiplied vigorously, every year since I acquired them in 2004.

[snowdropman]

Paddy, I would like to help get 'Beth Chatto' into production again.  BCG is going to check with you about the herbarium specimen first and then I await instructions as to where to send a plant and how.

Carolyn - if you point David Ward in the direction of the RHS Horticultural Database at http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/standard2.asp?namenum=74611&crit=beth%20and%20chatto he can see some information about the herbarium specimen held at RHS Wisley.

[Paddy Tobin]

Lovely job, David, and the snowdrops are looking well.

I wonder would a drench with Jeyes Fluid put the cats off doing their business. If they are really a nuisance you could resort to one of those automated spraying systems to frighten them off.

Of course, you could do the sensible thing and just shoot them.

Paddy

OK it's nothing special but here are a couple of shots of a little bed I made just for Snowdrops last year. I dug it well and put lots of garden compost and composted bark into the soil. The Snowdrops I had were dug up from other places and made ready for re-planting in lattice pots and were all on little named heaps on a table I use for bulb re-potting. I may have told this story before but I turned to pick up my trowel, forgot the table was there, fell over it and me and the Snowdrops finished up on the lawn-a bit mixed up! I resorted everytning as best I could and they all went into the new bed.

Last week I spent over an hour clearing lumps of cat muck out of the bed (nearly a quarter of a bucket full), straightened all my labels and tidied the bed up generally. Today I did exactly the same chore........... and I'm angry. Maureen said I should have put plastic wire mesh over it but why should I have to do that and spoil the look and potentially the flowers. After I had photographed it I gave it a very liberal sprinkling of slug pellets. I don't normally do this where animals are about but quite honestly I don't care. I can understand people who like cats (I don't) but why on earth can't they train them to go in their own gardens and not mine. David is far from a happy chappie!

[Paddy Tobin]

Chris,
I have dropped David Ward an e-mail and alerted him to comments here so he should see the link you have provided.

Paddy

Paddy, I would like to help get 'Beth Chatto' into production again.  BCG is going to check with you about the herbarium specimen first and then I await instructions as to where to send a plant and how.

Carolyn - if you point David Ward in the direction of the RHS Horticultural Database at http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticulturaldatabase/standard2.asp?namenum=74611&crit=beth%20and%20chatto he can see some information about the herbarium specimen held at RHS Wisley.

[David Nicholson]

Lovely job, David, and the snowdrops are looking well.

I wonder would a drench with Jeyes Fluid put the cats off doing their business. If they are really a nuisance you could resort to one of those automated spraying systems to frighten them off.

Of course, you could do the sensible thing and just shoot them.

Paddy

OK it's nothing special but here are a couple of shots of a little bed I made just for Snowdrops last year. I dug it well and put lots of garden compost and composted bark into the soil. The Snowdrops I had were dug up from other places and made ready for re-planting in lattice pots and were all on little named heaps on a table I use for bulb re-potting. I may have told this story before but I turned to pick up my trowel, forgot the table was there, fell over it and me and the Snowdrops finished up on the lawn-a bit mixed up! I resorted everytning as best I could and they all went into the new bed.

Last week I spent over an hour clearing lumps of cat muck out of the bed (nearly a quarter of a bucket full), straightened all my labels and tidied the bed up generally. Today I did exactly the same chore........... and I'm angry. Maureen said I should have put plastic wire mesh over it but why should I have to do that and spoil the look and potentially the flowers. After I had photographed it I gave it a very liberal sprinkling of slug pellets. I don't normally do this where animals are about but quite honestly I don't care. I can understand people who like cats (I don't) but why on earth can't they train them to go in their own gardens and not mine. David is far from a happy chappie!

Paddy, I've tried Jeyes Fluid; I've tried dried teabags dipped in Olbus Oil; I've tried every concoction available from the Garden Centre; I've tried orange peel; I tried Zoo Poo from Paignton Zoo which is supposed to have lion and tiger droppings in it; and I've tried carpet grippers in another part of the garden and all have failed.

It's one of the penalties of living on an estate with every other household owning a cat. Cats in the neighbourhood run a mile as soon as they see me coming but I can't be out there 24 hours a day. Most dog owners, these days, pick up their dog's waste, why can't cat owners be more responsible in training their animals? It is possible to do I'm assured. My neighbour, who is similarly plagued, does own a rifle but his wife will not let him use it. Wives aren't around 24 hours a day every day though!!

[steve owen]

David

I had the same problem. I bought a high frequency alarm triggered by the cat's movement. Doesnt hurt them but produces an effect rather like Ms Piggys' bemusement in Pigs in Space on the Muppets (come on, I know you watched it with the kids like I did!) Result; no more cats or pooh. Sold in garden centres etc. Give it a go!

Steve

[David Nicholson]

David

I had the same problem. I bought a high frequency alarm triggered by the cat's movement. Doesnt hurt them but produces an effect rather like Ms Piggys' bemusement in Pigs in Space on the Muppets (come on, I know you watched it with the kids like I did!) Result; no more cats or pooh. Sold in garden centres etc. Give it a go!

Steve

Thanks for that Steve. I've always been suspicious of those as being products introduced to maximize the profit margins of garden centres by emptying the pockets of customers but I really will have to give one a go.

[snowdropman]

Chris,
I have dropped David Ward an e-mail and alerted him to comments here so he should see the link you have provided.

Paddy

Thanks Paddy - the Standard Specimen at RHS Wisley includes a description which hopefully will match Carolyn's 'Beth Chatto' - like you, I would really like to see this beautiful snowdrop re-introduced.