Galanthus January 2012

[KentGardener]

..would you want a kitten with three eyes or five legs?

The poor thing - I would find it a loving home.   

[Webster008]

Trying to post some pics for the first time today.

Nothing special, just a few pics I took last week.

1 Mrs Macnamara
2 Mrs Macnamara
3 Group of Gal Ikariae

[Maggi Young]

Trying to post some pics for the first time today.

Nothing special, just a few pics I took last week.

1 Mrs Macnamara
2 Mrs Macnamara
3 Group of Gal Ikariae

Rick, it is nice to see your pics.  Posting them is quite easy really, isn't it?    Everyone should give it a try!!

[Alan_b]

so what is the attraction of these deformed flowers?

Rather similar to the attraction of grasses, I would have thought.  In neither case do you get pretty-coloured flowers, but the effect can still be quite striking. 

[Martin Baxendale]

Sounds like I may be wasting my time trying to breed better classic snowdrops with perfect shape, substance and stance. 

[daveyp1970]

Sounds like I may be wasting my time trying to breed better classic snowdrops with perfect shape, substance and stance. 

Not at all Martin,i love the the  spikies but there's nothing like seeing a large perfect flower, Mrs Macnamara for example.

[johnw]

..would you want a kitten with three eyes or five legs?

The poor thing - I would find it a loving home.   

Dimitri hasn't thrown his three-eyed cat out the door just yet. 

johnw

[RichardW]

Sounds like I may be wasting my time trying to breed better classic snowdrops with perfect shape, substance and stance.  

I with you, really don't see the appeal of spikeys, I have a few odd ones but I still prefer a snowdrop to look like the classic single snowdrop shape, not that keen on doubles, only exception is Blewbury Tart which I do think is beautiful in it's own way.

[johnw]

Sounds like I may be wasting my time trying to breed better classic snowdrops with perfect shape, substance and stance. 

Martin  - Everyone wants big, lusty, healthy snowdrops that will increase into the drifts of our dreams.  It's only a few odd folks like some of us that want the spikeys.  Keep up the good work.

johnw

[Carolyn Walker]

I think the cooler and wetter climate here in coastal Nova Scotia is part of the problem (think Scotland - few patio nights here!), especially for those snowdrops that like a drier summer rest.

BTW I much prefer planting and trading bulbs dug whilst dormant.  Snowdrops in the green give me the creeps.  We are elated that Colesbourne has decided once again to start shipping excellent dormant bulbs to Canada.

johnw  

I hope you didn't think I would presume to give an experienced gardener advice on how to grow and trade snowdrops in a totally different climate--we can't sit on our patios in summer because it's too hot--I was just explaining what had worked for me for 20 years.  I thought you and Jennie might be interested in a photo of my snowdrops in pots in my overwintering area waiting for my customers this spring. 

I looked at the Colesbourne catalogue a while ago and it said no mail order.  Has something changed?  Can snowdrops be sent to Canada from the UK?

Carolyn

[Alan_b]

G. elwesii on November 20.  I have been planting hundreds of dried G. elwesii bulbs for a number of years and they bloom from November to March.

I meant to remark on this earlier but that is the same season as in England.  G. elwesii that flower in November are quite rare, December-flowering less so, and so on with the peak flowering month being February, then a sharp drop-off into March.  It's worth devoting a bit of TLC to the ones that flower early in order to bulk them up.

[emma T]

Id give the spikes and the 3 eyed , 5 legged cat a home.....provided the cat  doesn't poop on the snowdrop beds  

[mark smyth]

Webster I'd say your ikariae is woronowii. All ikariae I have seen have a mark that covers at least half of the inner

[mark smyth]

Sounds like I may be wasting my time trying to breed better classic snowdrops with perfect shape, substance and stance. 

Martin please make time to take and show us photos of what you are doing with your snowdrops

[johnw]

I hope you didn't think I would presume to give an experienced gardener advice on how to grow and trade snowdrops in a totally different climate--we can't sit on our patios in summer because it's too hot-I looked at the Colesbourne catalogue a while ago and it said no mail order.  Has something changed?  Can snowdrops be sent to Canada from the UK?Carolyn

Not at all Carolyn, very happy to have your input.  We can only give advice based on our own experience and hope it helps someone else in some way.  There are people just a few blocks away from me that grow plants I can't keep going.  Crocosmia 'Lucifer' is a case in point.  She can't grow C. paniculatum that persisted here for years and I can't grow Lucifer which is a weed for many here. Such is the bewildering world of gardening.  

Looks like our winter treatments are similar.

Colebourne only does one order to Canada and the few snowdrop nuts in the country pool our orders to meet the very sizeable minimum order. So it doesn't surprise me the site says no mail orders.  I guess they had shipments to the USA returned several years ago, hence the halt to shipping.

johnw - a little heat right now would be welcome, the thermometer is stuck at 16F and Cambridge is flat on the ground.