Galanthus February 2011

[Maggi Young]

Since Maggi took me to task for making exactly the same mistake, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Fairhaven (and maybe also http://www.babynamer.com/ailwyn) regarding the sex of Ailwyn.  I pleaded insanity by virtue of "White Fever" and got let off with a caution.

Gender is a tricky thing... especially with names that are not terribly specific.  My Mother used
to get very annoyed when she answered the phone in her rather nice (contralto) voice to be taken for my Father.....

[Maggi Young]

glorious here today, some shots of the masses after a chilly start.

Amazingly cheering to see how fast they come out, Richard.

[KentGardener]

It is such a nice afternoon I found myself leaving London early and getting a couple of hours in the garden - I will regret this day come the end of the year when I have no time off left!  But 'for the moment' I am as happy as Larry (or "a sandboy", or "a clam" depending on where you are reading this  ).  A few pictures of things that have attracted my attention here in the last hour.

1 - 'Margery Fish'
2 - 'Walter Fish'
3 - 'Washfield Colesbourne'
4 - 'Colesbourne seedling' (from the same stable and looking to be a better plant than the original).
5 - 'Ballerina' a lovely little double from Phil Cornish
6 - plicatus Byzantanus just starting to puff itself up to full glory - another week and should be stunning as always.
7 - 'All Saints'
8 - 'Alans Treat' - I think this is in my top ten this year (my top ten changes every year!   )
9 - 'Pat Mason' - she has been in my top ten for three years running now.  
10 - 'Trumps' - performing well once again

[KentGardener]

And a couple more pictures.

1 - Last year I was moaning about my 'John Gray' going floppy in the garden and it was suggested I plant them in a trough or raised bed in a sunnier spot.  Well here they are just starting to flower in their new position (outside my front door as that is the only place here to actually get any sun between November and April   ) - time will tell if they have got a reprieve or whether they are banished from my garden forever.....  

2 - as one of my neighbours cats managed to sneak into the last picture I thought I would let another neighbours cat get a look in too!  They know that I have cat munchies for them whenever they visit!  

3 - 'John Gray'

[Mavers]

You have some lovely snowdrops John. Pat Mason is beautiful & I like Alan's Treat. The Colesbourne seedling is also lovely.

Wish I could be in my garden right now with sun shining...........

Mike

[Sean Fox]

Some wonderful photos again John.
I love the cat with the two different eye colours, very Bowie like.

[Paddy Tobin]

A lovely selection, John, and I agree with you re 'Alan's Treat'; it certainly deserves a place in your top ten, a lovely shape especially as well as the good markings.


Thomas, I love your informal, natural garden and planting, very pleasant and comfortable.

Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

Brian, would you expect Ailwyn to produce a flowerless scape the year after planting it?

I bought one from Mike Broadhurst last year & it looks healthy this year but as I said flowerless.

Snowdrops are a complete mystery to me Why would all those 'Ailwyn' appear with dots on them this year and not last?  I would hope that you have perhaps a lot more foliage (as in number of leaves rather than size) and so it could be developing a new bulb.  I would imagine in this case perhaps there is not enough strength in the bulb to do both as it has not yet settled in.  This is all off the top of my head, I consider myself as much a beginner as anyone.  My 'Rosemary Burnham' is a mass of leaves this year with no sign of a flower so hopefully next year I will have two or three flowers on it.  I know I haven't directly answered your question, but I think this may be a possibility.

[Paddy Tobin]

Brian, would you expect Ailwyn to produce a flowerless scape the year after planting it?

I bought one from Mike Broadhurst last year & it looks healthy this year but as I said flowerless.

Snowdrops are a complete mystery to me Why would all those 'Ailwyn' appear with dots on them this year and not last?  I would hope that you have perhaps a lot more foliage (as in number of leaves rather than size) and so it could be developing a new bulb.  I would imagine in this case perhaps there is not enough strength in the bulb to do both as it has not yet settled in.  This is all off the top of my head, I consider myself as much a beginner as anyone.  My 'Rosemary Burnham' is a mass of leaves this year with no sign of a flower so hopefully next year I will have two or three flowers on it.  I know I haven't directly answered your question, but I think this may be a possibility.

That's all very fine, Brian, but why has the cat two differently coloured eyes? Do you think she is carrying kittens? Will she settle down next year and will her eyes return to their normal colour? Is her name 'Ailwyn' and is "she" perhaps a boy? What could have caused the abnormality in his eye colour then?

Cats are a complete mystery to me.

By the way, one flower on 'Rosemary Burnham' here and signs of very small sideshoots, so new bulbs on the way. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it grew well and bulked up.

Paddy

[KentGardener]

but why has the cat two differently coloured eyes? Do you think she is carrying kittens? Will she settle down next year and will her eyes return to their normal colour?

How bizarre that you should ask Paddy - yes she is indeed carrying kittens (and Bowie is a she cat!)  


(True.  And her last litter produced a kitten with identical eyes to mum).

[Paddy Tobin]

Well, that explains it all - the name caused it all. We should be careful when applying names to snowdrops as it will effect their future performance.

Paddy

[Gail]

I was going to say that the odd-eyed cat was probably deaf in one ear but fortunately googled it first and apparently this is a misconception;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd-eyed_cat

[Paddy Tobin]

I was going to say that the odd-eyed cat was probably deaf in one ear but fortunately googled it first and apparently this is a misconception;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odd-eyed_cat

Or, perhaps, it has a short leg and tripped and hit the corner of a low table.

Paddy

[RichardW]

different colour eyes in dogs isn't that unusual, my Cocker Spaniel has brown/blue, often get asked if he's blind in one eye, never seen it in a cat!

Mighty Atom and Ketton in the sun this pm, despite being worried about the 20th a few weeks ago it now looks like it'll be bang on, just need a day like today!

[Carolyn Walker]

I just registered for your forum today.  I am an American galanthophile in Bryn Mawr, PA, outside of Philadelphia.  I am looking for anyone who has information as to whether snowdrops are thermogenic, i.e., produce their own heat.  This statement is often made, but I am wondering if there is any scientific evidence for it.

I also have Galanthus 'Beth Chatto' that might pre-date the seedling problem.  The marking and the prostrate nature of the leaves both match the bible and the Beth Chatto Gardens description earlier in the thread.  I have a very good photo but can't figure out how to get it on here---sorry kind of computer illiterate.

Carolyn