Galanthus January 2012

[Paddy Tobin]

No Avon snowdrops have arrived here yet, Arthur.

Paddy

[kentish_lass]

Nor here Arthur.  Hope they don't arrive yet - I need to order more lattice pots
Jennie

[Mavers]

I visited Avon Bulbs last week to collect my order as it is only 15 miles from my home .

Alan Street showed me the snowdrop frames where all your lovely snowdrops will be selected from........they looked spectacular all in flower in the sunshine & very healthy.

Poor chap is quite anxious that the majority of his plants will be over by the time he's due to exhibit at the RHS London Halls.

[Maggi Young]

I visited Avon Bulbs last week to collect my order as it is only 15 miles from my home .

Alan Street showed me the snowdrop frames where all your lovely snowdrops will be selected from........they looked spectacular all in flower in the sunshine & very healthy.

Poor chap is quite anxious that the majority of his plants will be over by the time he's due to exhibit at the RHS London Halls.

I can sympathise with his fears in this season. Hope he has enough in good condition to make a fine display.  Such a stress factor!

[kentish_lass]

I visited Avon Bulbs last week to collect my order as it is only 15 miles from my home .

Alan Street showed me the snowdrop frames where all your lovely snowdrops will be selected from........they looked spectacular all in flower in the sunshine & very healthy.

Poor chap is quite anxious that the majority of his plants will be over by the time he's due to exhibit at the RHS London Halls.

I can sympathise with his fears in this season. Hope he has enough in good condition to make a fine display.  Such a stress factor!

I was wondering about that with all the snowdrops being so early.  It may just be a sea of green leaves    I was wondering if they may 'hold them back' somewhere cold or in shadier spots.  The show is still such a long way off.

I was thinking today (whilst prodding around looking for June Boardman) that it would be an idea to have an 'obituary' thread at the end of the season so we can all commiserate with each other and try to feel better about our seasonal losses?

Jennie

[Maggi Young]

So long as it's clear it is the bulbs that are the dear departed, and not the folks the plants were named for! Wouldn't be good to start unhappy rumours of someone's death   

[Carolyn Walker]

The three photos below are of a snowdrop given to a friend .....It blooms here at the end of November so I am thinking it is a G. elwesii.  The X looks much more distinct than other cultivars that I have seen.  Does anyone know what it is?  Carolyn

... the photos she sent me (and I posted here) were taken Feb. 28, 2004.  I asked her to take some now.  Carolyn

Now I am getting thoroughly confused.  No snowdrop in the one locale flowers from the end of November to the 28th February in the UK.  The only way this could possibly happen is if there were a spell of very cold weather during almost all the intervening period.

By the way, "Walker Canada" is a G. plicatus, judging from its photograph.   

So sorry, I am confused too.  She sent the photos with text that said the snowdrop started blooming around Thanksgiving (the end of November).  When johnw asked about the leaves I emailed the owner to ask the date of the photos to get an idea of how much of winter the leaves in the photo had gone through.  That's when Feb 28 came up and is why I asked the owner to take photos now.  Will report back if everyone isn't tired of this subject.  I am enjoying my status as the (possible) originator of 'Walker Canada' though.

[steve owen]

I was thinking today that it would be an idea to have an 'obituary' thread at the end of the season so we can all commiserate with each other and try to feel better about our seasonal losses?

Jennie
[/quote]

Somehow I don't think people will be rushing to front up publicly over their failures.

[kentish_lass]

I was thinking today that it would be an idea to have an 'obituary' thread at the end of the season so we can all commiserate with each other and try to feel better about our seasonal losses?

Jennie

Somehow I don't think people will be rushing to front up publicly over their failures.
[/quote]

I don't see why as it is usually down to forces beyond our control - but I see what you mean Steve.

[chasw]

Well if its any consolation I am prepared to be the first,this years loss seems to be Green Woodpecker from Lallie Cox originally,so if anyone out there has a spare ..........................

[Webster008]

No losses this year .....................................................................................

I must add however that I have only been collecting snowdrops for 4 years. At present I have about 15 different varieties, which has to be considerably less than most of you.

I thought I had lost Wendy's Gold, but it showed itself about two weeks ago.

[kentish_lass]

Well if its any consolation I am prepared to be the first,this years loss seems to be Green Woodpecker from Lallie Cox originally,so if anyone out there has a spare ..........................

Oh dear Chas that sounds like a rare one to lose - I have not even heard of it before.  How did it meet its maker?

I am attaching a few photos of the bed I made in the woodlands last year and a small one I am working on at present.

1.  Planning the bed last year and removing ivy and weeds
2.  The same bed today - only a few snowdrops flowering at present.
3.  A small bed I am working on at present

In the new bed I have one definite loss and a few 'maybes'.  The one I have definitely lost is Three Ships which was not in a lattice pot but luckily I bought a second one at RHS show last year and is currently flowering in a pot.  Many not showing but I will not panic just yet as we are quite behind in my garden.

[Maggi Young]

SRGC members and forumists as a whole are very open about both their success and failures. It's one of the reasons why we can learn so much here. 

[RichardW]

I found the dry husk of what used to be a lovely Washfield Colesbourne today  am sure one of the green spiky things I have in the same bed will appear again in rude health, January is too stressful.

[chasw]

Not sure what has happened Jennie,we do get pheasants and squirrels in the garden,I have had a rootle around where it should be,and no sign of a bulb anywhere

Having problems with the someting eating through the flower stems at the moment,quite a few flower heads laying on the soil