Snowdrop events 2012

[Maggi Young]

This Sunday is Margaret Owen's snowdrop day. All money raised from entry, snowdrop sales, soup, cake, coffee, tea goes to MS.

If you go you will meet Ian Christie. I'm sure he'll be amazed by her collection and will anyone who has never been. Sadly the N. Irish 3 are not attending this year. I wish I was

Mark, is there a link to a website with info on opening time, directions etc?

From previous years - and I expect the same applies this year -  the notice has been :
Garden  of Mrs Margaret Owen MBE, open, 11am-3pm, The Patch, Acton Pigott, nr Acton Burnell, Shrewsbury SY5 7PH.
Snowdrops for sale, raffle, produce, hot soup, home-made cakes, tea & coffee. Entry £3, proceeds to Multiple Sclerosis charity (01743 362139).

 

[Alan_b]

I cannot remember why we are discussing "Charlotte Jean" in this thread but here is a picture (taken today).  She not really doing what she is supposed to; the spathe on the right is split to a depth of about 2mm although you cannot see that from this camera angle. 

[Brian Ellis]

Lovely Alan, does the spathe split even more?

[Alan_b]

Good question Brian.  I have only had mine since April 2010 and I don't have a picture of it in flower from last year.  However I do have a picture of it growing in-situ in 2004 so I'll let you be the judge.     

[Brian Ellis]

Cheers Alan, I think I see some of them with a deeper split - or is that wishful thinking.

[steve owen]

... and saw the first poc scharlockii.   

That would be 'Charlotte Jean' I take it Steve?

No Brian, Charlotte Jean is not a scharlockii. It was found in a population devoid of scharlockii types. The snowdrop I saw in Holland is the first poculiform scharlockii.

[Brian Ellis]

... and saw the first poc scharlockii.   

That would be 'Charlotte Jean' I take it Steve?

No Brian, Charlotte Jean is not a scharlockii. It was found in a population devoid of scharlockii types. The snowdrop I saw in Holland is the first poculiform scharlockii.

Does it have a name then Steve?

[steve owen]

Yes, but courtesy requires that it is the discoverer/namer who should have the pleasure of announcing it.

[Brian Ellis]

Do let us know when it is announced

[Maggi Young]

I cannot remember why we are discussing "Charlotte Jean" in this thread but here is a picture (taken today).  She not really doing what she is supposed to; the spathe on the right is split to a depth of about 2mm although you cannot see that from this camera angle.  

Lovely Alan, does the spathe split even more?

Good question Brian.  I have only had mine since April 2010 and I don't have a picture of it in flower from last year.  However I do have a picture of it growing in-situ in 2004 so I'll let you be the judge.      

Günter Waldorf's page for G. 'Charlotte Jean'
http://galanthus-online.de/kultivare-a-d/charlotte-jean.html  ...shows a sharlockii scharlokii- very lovely it is, too.

 Edit to correct spelling error.

[Alan_b]

Yes, Maggi, but we are going round in circles here.  Charlotte Jean sometimes must have a split spathe like a Sharlockii because that is how Joe Sharman has described it and how Günter Waldorf has photographed it - but manifestly not every time or every year.  The one I have now was very kindly given to me by Joe Sharman because I lost my original but neither of my two flowers has a split in the spathe of any note.  Nor do many of the flowers in my picture of the original source clump.  The source was a wood full of normal nivalis snowdrops without split spathes.   

[Maggi Young]

Alan, yes we see again and again that so many of the named 'drops are not stable in the characterisitics that made them stand out. But Joe described CJ as a sharlockiischarlockii, did he not? This is a differential from "normal" nivalis. Is it not the case that most named drops have been singled out as being different from their peers?

[Alan_b]

Yes, Maggi, but you're not called Maggi Young just because of your youthful appearance but because Young is your family name.  Likewise I think a Scharlockii should be so-named because it derives from other snowdrops in that family, not just because it has the appearance of a Scharlockii.  And CJ was found on a bank of normal earless nivalis snowdrops in a wood full of normal earless nivalis snowdrops.   

[steve owen]

Thanks Alan, that's clear.

[Maggi Young]

Yes, Maggi, but you're not called Maggi Young just because of your youthful appearance but because Young is your family name.  Likewise I think a Scharlockii should be so-named because it derives from other snowdrops in that family, not just because it has the appearance of a Scharlockii.  And CJ was found on a bank of normal earless nivalis snowdrops in a wood full of normal earless nivalis snowdrops.  

A youthful appearance? I should be so lucky!  
I am called Mrs Young because I married Mr Young.

Galanthus nivalis 'Sharlockii'  'Scharlokii' usually has green tipped outers and the deeply split spathe.
As I understand it, it can arise in any nivalis population and comes true from seed.
A white version can thus be expected to appear  in some otherwise "normal" populations, even without a significant presence of other sharlockii types. There must always be a situation where one plant is the first.  
The literature describing these plants seems to support this. Good enough for me  


edit to correct mis-spelling