Galanthus February 2011

[chasw]

Now,now Richard calm down it could be worse, I could send you a Mrs Tiggywinkle and Ermine Spikey

[RichardW]

they both would need bags on their heads for open days 

[daveyp1970]

they both would need bags on their heads for open days 

Lads stop it I LOVE SPIKIES and am not ashamed of it,have you not read the other thread about plants and feelings if they could read this now

[RichardW]

beauty really is in the eye of the beholder  

esp with spikies

[Jo]

I can't believe all those Lady Elphinstones and ALL yellow! I only get about 15-20% yellows whether I move them or not. Different clones??? Jo and Paddy, do you have acid soil? It must be the most annoying snowdrop in the world.

I've got acid clay Anne.  

And I know this isn't by the book but I lift my clumps every now and then and take out and keep the yellow ones.  Eventually I get a group of yellows and a group of greens.   I know , I know, its not possible.But thats what I do and the yellows stay yellow  

Maybe the bulbs have to be big to be yellow and the special treatment keeps them big    and the heavy clay stops them splitting into lots of little pieces.    

This group hasn't been moved for three years.

[Jo]

Paddy I love your ducks. Are they Khaki Campbells or Runners.   I've got two Indian runners at the mo and you can't beat their eggs for a good sponge cake.

Mind you they've all got big feet and don't mind where they put them 

Hens are the worst for damage,  if you think blackbirds make a mess of mulch its nothing compared to chickens

[daveyp1970]

beauty really is in the eye of the beholder  

esp with spikies

[Paddy Tobin]

Paddy I love your ducks. Are they Khaki Campbells or Runners.   I've got two Indian runners at the mo and you can't beat their eggs for a good sponge cake.

Mind you they've all got big feet and don't mind where they put them 

Hens are the worst for damage,  if you think blackbirds make a mess of mulch its nothing compared to chickens

Jo, those are two Khaki Campbells - great ducks, two eggs each day without fail, winter and summer. Great girls. Great omelettes etc. Hens are really the worst in the world when it comes to snowdrops especially so as I have one bed which I mulched heavily with a mixture of garden compost and leafmould and the hens absolutely love scratching in this as it is so loose and has so many worms. Snowdrops which come in the way are simply scratched and scattered all around. I have two Jersey Giants and these are the most stupid hens you could imagine and cannot understand why I am hunting them from  the snowdrops. My run of the mill hybrids are much easier hens to manage, ladies. A few "chuck chucks" and they will run to me.

By the way, the Jersey Giants are named "Snowdrop" and "Crocus". We did have, from the same clutch, a "Tulip" but she turned out to be a "Frank" and got the chop.

Back to snowdrops! Paddy

[kentish_lass]

Jo - your garden is very beautiful with lovely healthy clumps of snowdrops.  I also love the blue Crocus it really sets everything off - I must get some for next year.  Are they just a regular blue Crocus or a named variety?

I am curious what is going on with the trees in the distance of the photo entitled 'Cyclamenpets'.  The trees almost look woven?  Very attractive.

What happens in your borders after spring time is over - do you have other things interplanted for the summer?  I am curious as my spring borders look absolutely dull and dead apart from some Geranium macchorizum and Epimedium foliage oh and the odd Fern.  I have been trying to establish some Lilium martagon alba without much success

Jennie

[KentGardener]

....you can't beat their eggs for a good sponge cake.

   Was that meant to be funny?  

Jo - love tic showing your pets all together.  I remember the way they all followed you around and were never far from you in the garden.

My 'Lady Elphinstone' are all yellow - but I haven't moved them in years.  Will split and move them when they are dormant this year and see what colour they are next year.

Mavers - that picture!   I hope they don't work in marketing with ideas like that!  

(reproduced here so that we can still enjoy this idea for an interesting backdrop in years to come....)

Brian - perhaps you could get your photographic assistant to try some snowdrop pics with this background so that we can see if we prefer it to the blue?   

[Diane Whitehead]

I've gone back over all the pictures because I can't remember seeing
any blue crocus.

Do you mean those purple ones in Jo's pictures?

[KentGardener]

I visited someone today who has Penelope Ann. Here is a comparison photo.

Penelope Ann on the left.

thanks for the comparison picture Mark - you can see why I thought that might be what you were growing - but, as your picture shows, 'Penelope Anne' is a much larger flower.

[Mavers]

That's better John, I didn't realise the actual picture could be posted like that.

Now peeps can see it more easily.

[Brian Ellis]

I've gone back over all the pictures because I can't remember seeing
any blue crocus.

Do you mean those purple ones in Jo's pictures?

They're the ones Diane

[Paddy Tobin]

In a certain light, with the right spectacles, with an adjustment of the camera settings and a little imagination they could be considered blue.

Paddy