Galanthus January 2012

[Alan_b]

I had such a good day today; I went to see a superb collection of snowdrops and although I was sworn to secrecy about exactly what I saw there, I am allowed to make an exception over a snowdrop called "Green Hornet".  This was a snowdrop I found myself in 2005.  It is a cousin to "Green Light" in that I found it in very much the same location, it has the same basic features of being a nivalis-like snowdrop but with bright green leaves and green marks near the tip of the outers.  But it has a longer ovary, particularly as the flower matures, and a happy tendency to produce two scapes, the flower on the second scape emerging without the protection of a pedicel.

This grew well in my garden and in 2008 I donated a significant percentage of my small stock to Anglesey Abbey.  Unfortunately it was planted close to the bulbs that came down with stag. in 2008, my attempts to rescue it came too late and it succumbed after the following season so I no longer had any in my garden.  When I last saw it at Anglesey Abbey they appeared to have a solitary bulb and thus I feared it was in terminal decline.

So, imagine my joy to find that the collector I was visiting had been helping Anglesey Abbey by twin-scaling some of their stock, had traded for some others and had two pots of "Green Hornet" in flower.  She very kindly promised me a bulb or two at the end of the season but my main pleasure was in finding it had survived and appeared to be thriving.  Once again the dictum: "If you want to keep a plant, give it away" is proven to be true.   

[KentGardener]

Nice pictures Torsten - I do have a soft spot for ones with green on the outers.

Brian - the fence looks fine - my dad could keep patching that up for years more! 'Amy Doncaster' is looking lovely - maybe put a hanging basket cage over her for protection while the work is being done?

John - 'Rosemary Burnham' - beautiful.  I think mine might be no more..... :-(

Alan - lovely story.  I was always taught to give away plants that you want to keep too.

A picture from yesterday showing Alan's 'Green Light' growing here.

[Alan_b]

Good old "Green Light".  In February 2009 I created 3 pots of Green Light shown at the bottom of the photograph.  John received the bulb from one of the two smaller pots in 2010, another forumist had the other small pot in 2009 (both were swapped for other snowdrops) and I kept the large one.  It was translocated to John in February 2010 and, despite all the trauma of being moved around in the green, it has increased to produce 5 flowers in 2012.

[Hagen Engelmann]

JohnW, Alan, JohnF you bring spring feeling in our gloomy world.
Here we have no light and sun, so our drops don`t like to open.

[Alan_b]

But still beuatiful, Hagen, and the English name of snowdrops best applies when the flowers are closed.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I was quite surprised to see this on G. elwesii "Yvonne Hay" on January 22 nd !! 

Temperature rose to 10°C !

[KentGardener]

Just for you Hagen.

'Anglesey Abbey' in yesterdays nice weather.

[Hagen Engelmann]

Danke John

[annew]

Brian, I think an electric fence and dobermans are in order..

[Paddy Tobin]

For Hagen,

G. 'Anglesey Abbey' yesterday.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

And, for John W. Still surviving: G. 'Rosemary Burnham'

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

And for Victor Meldrew, G. 'Grumpy'

Paddy

[Jo]

It certainly is an early season Luc, we haven't got hoverflies here yet but I did have a queen buff tail bumble bee on the same day as your fly, working G. 'Atkinsii' in a sunny border.

[RichardW]

x valentinei Compton Court

how does this differ from "ordinary" x valnetinei?

[Armin]

I was quite surprised to see this on G. elwesii "Yvonne Hay" on January 22 nd !! 

Temperature rose to 10°C !

Luc,
are you absolutely sure it is not a nacissus fly?