KentGardener's Galanthus Blog 2012

[Brian Ellis]

5 - 'Percy Picton' peeping through

 

[Tim Ingram]

John - those are brilliant pictures of gardeners at their best! The yellow snowdrop poking out of the snow is great fun. David was Chairman of the Kent HPS when I was Treasurer and I remember many enjoyable Committee meetings sitting at the table you show covered in cards. Two very fine gardeners!

[Webster008]

Keep it up John.

Really enjoy reading your "blog" even if not all the pictures are of snowdrops

[kentish_lass]

John - so glad you took photos at David and Ankes despite the lack of snowdrops.  It was fun to see what you got up to and was pleased to see you all had a good chat and slide show afterwards - it looks like your hosts are enjoying themselves too.  What a shame about the snow - I was looking forward to meeting Hagen & Uli and seeing the two gardens.  Glad you all persevered and made the best out of a bad situation - gardeners spirit !

Love the one of Percy Picton - its leaves look like sharks circling (if you have a vivid imagination and blurry eyesight like I have)    I would like to know how people find these new treasures in garden centres - that one is loverly.....

[Paddy Tobin]

5 - 'Percy Picton' peeping through

 

It's a new one, Brian, G. 'Peeping Percy Picton'. Bet that one would sell!

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

Poor Percy... he looks more pole-axed than peeping to me. Hope the snow goes soon for more comfortable 'drop viewing.

[KentGardener]

Maybe next year in brilliant sunshine to visit David and Anke.

Sadly the Way's are thinking of selling up and looking for somewhere with a smaller, more manageable, garden.

[Lina Hesseling]

John, I want to thank you for your great report of your visits, even as this year is not like last year, it is very nice for us (who can't go at all) to be witness of your adventures. 

One question I do have. Where do you get these great black labels you use for your snowdrops? Because of the colour they are not as prominent as the white ones. And maybe the birds don't pick them too.

Lina.

[KentGardener]

Hi everyone.

Many thanks for the positive comments on the Blog - it is a real shame that there are not a lot of drop pics!      But the words and pictures still take ages to do so it is really nice to hear that it has been worth posting.

Lina - I've sent you a message with all the boring details about my labels.

[KentGardener]

Monday 6th February

We awoke still uncertain of what we would be doing today.  We had found out on returning home the previous evening that both of the gardens we had lined up to visit on Monday in Essex needed to cancel due to bad weather.

The day started with a hearty breakfast of boiled eggs, cheeses, fruits, breads and biscuits - and Uli also requested that we cook porridge for Hagen to experience....  

I made a few more phone calls and it was confirmed that we could visit Kew Gardens and have a look behind the scenes at the Alpine areas.

1 - Porridge
2 - a look at my garden while we finalised what we would do today
3 - Hagen comes from a very small town in East Germany so traveling on the train to London was an exciting part of the day.
4 - Seeing the 'Pink Floyd' album cover added to the enjoyment of the day for my guests.
5 - Experiencing the London tube network.
6 - Arrived at Kew station
7 - Our first glimpse of Kew Gardens
8 - We arrived to find there was an 'Orchid Spectacular' going on with a riot of colour!
9 - One of the dozens of 'towers of orchids' that were in place.
10 - Me under another tower of Orchids.

More to follow....

[KentGardener]

We met up with friends and headed off to the 'restricted areas'  

1 - The first alpine beds we saw.  These are on some very clever wheels so that you can easily move a complete section to the left or right.
2 - Brick built raised beds - outdoors with a covered roof.
3 - Having a good explore to see what might be flowering
4 - Group shot with two of our kind gatekeepers to these special areas.
5 - Indoors - slightly more protection.
6 - Cyclamen in the same greenhouse.
7 - Concrete troughs of Dionysia
8 - Hardy Cacti
9 - Whiteheadia
10 - Androcymbium greuterocymbium - the scent on this was amazing - a kind of butterscotch chocolate

and more to follow - there may even be some snowdrops!  

[Tony Willis]

John

lovely to see the orchids,we are down to see them in two weeks,hope they still look as good.

[KentGardener]

Our visit to Kew Gardens continues.  I feel a bit of a fraud writing a Galanthus blog with so few snowdrops this year - next year I hope to do better!   

1 - Hagen looking at plants in the restricted area.
2 - Fritillaria raddeana
3 - Fritillaria eduardii
4 - Iris tuberosa
5 - Narcissus papyraceus var polyanthos
6 - Iris nicolai
7 - Iris Michael Tippett
8 - We stopped for picnic break. Hagen produced these cans from his bag that he told me was beer.  I was rather surprised when I found out what it actually was!
9 - Gherkin in a can - the convenient snack for when you just have to enjoy a pickle on the go...... (I declined Hagen's very kind offer and stuck with my hoola hoops)

I promise there will be some snowdrops in my last post from Kew....   

[KentGardener]

The final few from Kew.

1 - Alpine House
2 - Galanthus nivalis
3 - Cyclamen
4 - Snowie Drops
5 - rizehensis
6 - photo taking
7 - ikariae
8 - wollemi - a ready made Christmas tree with it's own ball balls?
9 - Our final view before heading home.

There is just one last trip planned for this year - to the RHS halls on Tuesday - hopefully there will be more Galanthus to see than during my last few trips.  Please come and say hello if you are there and see me. 

[kentish_lass]

Just had a late night peek on the forum and found these amazing photos.  Stunning pictures and a great blow by blow account of your day.  I have not been to Kew for many years and it was great to get a virtual tour.  I know it takes a lot of work to pick out suitable photos from hundreds and hundreds of shots, then resize them and add the wording - great job John - I really enjoyed it and will be going back many times to read the blog again.....and again.

That gherkin in a can is far out & I think I would have declined too    What a bummer when you was expecting a beer!