Galanthus Gala 2012

[Thomas Seiler]

Three gardens in Cornwall had been open on Friday before the Gala. The first one we visited was Pentillie Castle and Estate, standing within 2,000 acres of mature rolling woods and parkland that overlook the River Tamar. Vast drifts of snowdrops had naturalized there, though, unfortunately, many of them did not show up this year, as the owner said. Nevertheless, we were given an impressive tour through the garden. Here some impressions:

[Thomas Seiler]

The second one open for the Gala was Ince Castle of Alice Boyd, a large peninsular estate and garden with superb views across the Lynher estuary. A wall planted with hellebores and snowdrops was very nice.

[Thomas Seiler]

The third one was Nancy Davy's The Little House in Saltash with a wonderful collection of snowdrops. The weather was rather terrible this day, cold and with rain, so I did take no photographs of individual snowdrops, which were closed. But I have never seen a snowdrop theatre before. Here it is:

[KentGardener]

Lovely pictures Thomas - I wish I had been on your coach trip. 

That mosaic in the garden of Nancy Davy is lovely.

[Thomas Seiler]

We, Mathias and I, were not in the coach but travelling individually - though we met the German group in all three gardens that day.

Yes, the mosaic is beautiful. Quite an unusual presentation.

[GoodGrief]

I thought that moss-covered bench was amazing. Maybe Avon should borrow it for their next Westminster display?

Malcolm.

[Alan_b]

I wish I had been on your coach trip. 

Apparently the coach carrying the German galanthophiles got stuck fast in a narrow lane on the way to Ince Castle, too far from the destination to get out and walk.  I think it was there for about 45 minutes before managing to free itself.  So you don't want to have been on that particular coach trip and it's just as well that Thomas wasn't.     

[Maggi Young]

Crikey... wonder if that was  because the driver was following SatNav instructions, or it's just a very narrow
lane?!!  
 Hope we'll have no such difficulty on our coach trip to Dunblane tomorrow..

[David Nicholson]

Crikey... wonder if that was  because the driver was following SatNav instructions, or it's just a very narrow
lane?!!  

Cornwall does narrow very well indeed especially out in the sticks

[Maggi Young]

Yes, I imagine it does... and English lanes seem to have high hedge on banks, making them more tricky to navigate and see what's coming....... even narrow Scots roads don't, for the most part, have that "corridor" feeling  

[David Nicholson]

Yes, I imagine it does... and English lanes seem to have high hedge on banks, making them more tricky to navigate and see what's coming....... even narrow Scots roads don't, for the most part, have that "corridor" feeling  

Devon's very much the same, impossible to see anything other than road and hedge. Not like Yorkshire of course where all the horizons are big

[Brian Ellis]

Some good impressions of the gardens, thanks for posting them Thomas.  Nice snowdrop theatre, they seem to be gaining popularity as a way of displaying snowdrops.  At least you don't have to prostrate yourself to smell the scent

[Thomas Seiler]

On Sunday after the Gala the garden of Jo and her husband was open for visitors of the Gala. I loved the woodland walk with snowdrops and the willow allée was great. And very welcome was the hot soup. Thank you so much, Jo!

[Thomas Seiler]

Some more impressions from Jo's garden. On the last picture there is a pot with Galanthus 'Mark's Tall', a present from Mark to Jo, growing much taller in the open ground, as I heard, at least in Northern Ireland.

[mark smyth]

It's about time I dyed the white hairs 

Mark's Tall grows to 30cm once settled