Galanthus February 2011

[Alan_b]

... I don't know.

Bottom row, third along, looks the most unusually-marked.

[mark smyth]

Alan all I know is it has a pale ovary

[Maggi Young]

3 - 'Lady Dalhousie' (a kind gift from a forum member and increasing at a rapid speed).

Whoops I seem to have over-written my previous posting:

 - Good to see 'Lady Dalhousie' as it's new to me and I was surpised to learn that a snowdrop was named after a Scot who lived in NS.  And Dalhousie is my alma mater.

The distinguished Nova Scotian Joseph Howe wrote of Lady Dalhousie:

    "Nothing could be more correct and refining than the tone given to society by Lady Dalhousie who, without being handsome was remarkable for the plainness of her dress and the elegant simplicity of her manners."

Much describes her snowdrop.  She was quite a rock hound.

johnw

The Dalhousie family is a distinguished one with many overseas connections, as you have found, JohnW.

 The 'drop version is a lovely thing, you can see more photos of it  eleswhere in the Forum. It received anAM last year.... though some may claim it is not much differnet to some other snowdrops, they miss the point that this is a galanthus which is  elegant, sturdy and thrives in the Scottish climate. Worthy attributes for any snowdrop... especially for those growing in conditons similar to those here in Scotland.

[johnw]

[ sturdy and thrives in the Scottish climate. Worthy attributes for any snowdrop... especially for those growing in conditons similar to those here in Scotland.

Maggi - The very attributes we should be pushing for snowdrops in various climates. Bravo to Martin for taking on the challenge.

johnw - still snowing

[Martin Baxendale]

[ sturdy and thrives in the Scottish climate. Worthy attributes for any snowdrop... especially for those growing in conditons similar to those here in Scotland.

Maggi - The very attributes we should be pushing for snowdrops in various climates. Bravo to Martin for taking on the challenge.

johnw - still snowing

Thanks John. Sometimes it seems like a very long, slow slog though, especially when working with triploid cultivars with such stubbornly low fertility, and even more so when the ploidy levels of other snowdrops you've been working with start to look different to what you thought they were and don't give the results you'd hoped for. And when you do get something good, you have to start bulking it up, which takes even more time. At least there'll be something nice to plant on my grave.  

Hope the snow isn't as bad in your part of the world as it is in the U.S. midwest.

[KentGardener]

I wonder if Fatty Puff will be a better grower than Diggory.  My Diggory is still a no show this year so far although there is a bit of spindly growth near the label - not sure if it is the snowdrop or a weed.

I have been wondering the same Jennie - my Diggory that was 4 flowers last year is a single spindly blade of grass this year.  This will be the second time I have killed Diggory off in my garden and I won't be trying again.  It will be interesting to find out one day if 'Fatty Puff' would be any happier with my garden.  

A rather nice bunch of mixed seedlings you got there.

[Paddy Tobin]

Galanthus 'Don Armstrong', a poculiform elwesii, photographed yesterday afternoon.

Paddy

[Thomas Seiler]

Wow, Paddy! You're always up to date ... 

[Paddy Tobin]

Thomas,

I had photographed some snowdrops yesterday afternoon and was then too  busy to post them last evening. When I saw Ian's posting of G. 'Don Armstrong' in his Bulb Log this morning, I thought I would add my photographs. It is a lovely flower and, from what John Weagle has said, it keeps the memory of a very nice man in our minds. Flowers do this very well, better than statues or plaques in my opinion. They allow the memory to be kept in many places and in the minds of many people.

Paddy

[Thomas Seiler]

Keeping the memory of a person, a place or a situation is a thing, I probably love most in galanthophilia...

[Olga Bondareva]

Paddy, it's great! 

[Martin Baxendale]

It's a beauty, Paddy. By far one of the very best elwesii pocs. I'm drooling! 

[Natalia]

Paddy, magnificent galanthus!
Thanks for detailed photos from different foreshortenings.

[Jo]

The snowdrops in the garden are finally beginning to get going, the main ones here are Magnet and Atkinsii.

But its much easier to photograph the ones in pots so here are some from this morning

[Jo]

And here are some green tipped ones, separately and then together.  Cornwood and Jessica.