Galanthus February 2011

[annew]

One of the many neighbours' cats who Use my garden has been using my greenhouse plunge as a litter tray.

[David Nicholson]

Anne, I would have throttled her (neighbour I mean-closely followed by the cat)

[Brian Ellis]

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.

I am sure many of us would say 'Hear, hear" to that

[kentish_lass]

Firstly I would like to say how guilty I feel for starting this controversy over the snowdrop Beth Chatto - I wish I had kept my observations to myself 
I only mentioned it because I wanted to buy one myself and noticed that everywhere I looked - they were slightly different.  I do feel bad Paddy as I know you loved that snowdrop - lets hope that one day very soon you get to own the real one that Beth selected all those years ago.

In her lovely book The Woodland Garden she refers to her snowdrop as a very special snowdrop that occurred in the garden many years ago (the book was published in 2002).  She goes on to say that she was “surprised and pleased to see that it seeded true”.  So at first the seedlings must have looked the same but maybe slightly changed over the years and it went unnoticed being such a large and busy garden.  It was all a very innocent mistake.

I am always very happy with my special purchases from The Beth Chatto Gardens and they take pride of place in my garden.  I hope this issue has not caused her any upset in her advancing years.....

Jennie

[kentish_lass]

Me again.......
I do not know if anyone has the book The Woodland Garden by Beth Chatto.  The paragraph about the snowdrop starts at the bottom of page 40.  Here it is:-

"We have a special snowdrop of our own.  It occurred here many years ago, a perfect, globular shape and scented, especially when brought into a warm room.  It opens its first flower almost at ground level, not very impressive at first, but slowly the stems lengthen and the flower expands.  A second flower follows from the same bulb, prolonging the season well into March.  We are surprised and pleased to find that this snowdrop seeds true.  Several years ago we sent it to a panel of experts at the Royal Horticultural Society to determine if it was already known.  No one could put a name to it.  My good friend Graham Stuart Thomas suggested it be named after me, and so it has been recorded as Galanthus plicatus 'Beth Chatto'"

From the lady herself - no mention of markings though.
Jennie

[Maggi Young]

Oh Jennie, I'm sure that Beth Chatto would be pleased to know that folks all over the world are appreciative of "her" 'snowdrop and working together to sort out it's current situation. Working to discover the truth is useful, especially when it involves this great co-operation from far- flung forumists...... all good, I'm sure.

[Alan_b]

On display for judging at the RHS Halls on Tuesday - the biggest pot of Godfrey Owen you ever did see.

[RichardW]

it is a very beautiful thing.

[Gerard Oud]

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.

I am sure many of us would say 'Hear, hear" to that

I am working on it to get more of them, but its not a easy one, even for me!

[Alan_b]

An attractively-marked snowdrop on the Avon Bulbs stand.  It did not have a name, just labelled as "seedling".

[chasw]

I think that there are toooooooooo many names floating about at the moment,Jan spotted one on the bay named Grim Reaper whatever next

[Paddy Tobin]

Re: Galanthus 'Beth Chatto'

Jennie,

Have no worries at all about your information and comment on G. 'Beth Chatto'. Accuracy in naming and labelling are essential and all here would prefer to be sure the bulbs we grow under a particular name is true to name and description.

Yes, it is a disappointment that my treasured bulb is not as I thought it was but that is the way it goes.

Paddy

[steve owen]

I think that there are toooooooooo many names floating about at the moment,Jan spotted one on the bay named Grim Reaper whatever next

Absolutely Chas, but when even the "Snowdrops" book can record that two admittedly well-known snowdrop people visited a garden and "selected" and named over half a dozen new snowdrops in one afternoon,can you blame others doing the same and putting some nondescript flower on Ebay to try to make a quick buck? No-one even illustrious galanthophile names have a right to the indiscriminate naming of supposedly new varieties - that is why the marketplace is in danger of being flooded.

Incidentally the latest Ebay bandwagon word is "grumpy" - it must appear on at least five or six (nondescript) plants up for sale.

I sound grumpy myself. Just call me Victor Meldrew.

[Mavers]

Hi Paddy I bought g.Beth Chatto on ebay from bethchattogardens a couple of years ago.

I will photograph it over the weekend & post the picture.

I recall the flower having a aberrant inner petal & they assured me g. Beth Chatto does do this..........so maybe I do have the correct plant.



Often we are informed that snowdrops do not like being grown in pots so do you think those beautiful Godfrey Owen were grown in a pot or dug up as a clump just prior to the show?


Oh poor David I understand your frustration completely regarding cats. I was going to suggest dipping small sticks in neat Jeyes Fluid & sticking in the ground however you seem to have tried the fluid anyway. I have resorted to leaving prickly rose prunings on the soil between the snowdrops. The cats are deterred if they cannot moved the prunings but the pesky varmits are pretty persistent once they have a favourite spot. 

[Brian Ellis]

Firstly I would like to say how guilty I feel for starting this controversy over the snowdrop Beth Chatto - I wish I had kept my observations to myself 

Don't panic Jennie, we have rumbling about this for a couple of years.