Snowdrops in February 2012

[Martin Baxendale]

Hi Martin the G plicatus Castle 14 is in a pond basket so brought it in to photograph it is very strong would not want to live with it all the time a very neat snowdrop only 10cm high just now suspect it will get taller, cheers Ian.

I'll have to keep an eye out for it coming on the market when it's been bulked up for sale. I select out strongly scented snowdrops from amongst my seedlings so I can breed for scent as well as flower quality because I think it's just as important. The range of subtly different (and sometimes not so subtly different) scents you can get is quite fascinating.

[kentish_lass]

Brian - Corrin is lovely and well worth the effort.  Am amazed it is standing up as all mine are flat to the ground.  Everything in the greenhouses, tunnel and potting shed are frozen solid.  I have put some potted snowdrops in the front porch where they will not freeze.  Even the ones sunk into deep bark are frozen.  Will just have to hope and pray.

Ian - lovely photos....I especially like Pyramid.  Are the outers really that long?  I love the long petalled ones.

Jennie

[Martin Baxendale]

Mark, what would you say the scent from your plicatus was like? It varies of course, not all are exactly the same.

[Carolyn Walker]

I was out photographing the first G. nivalis clump to open when I noticed that at least five of the flowers have four outer segments and most have four inner segments too.  A quick survey of my hundreds of other nivalis clumps revealed only the standard three.  Snowdrops has a division of nivalis for this A2c and says nivalis is inclined to do this but only lists two examples.  Does anyone know about or have experience with this?  I am of course going to separate the plants in question for observation in future years.

Thanks, Carolyn

[daveyp1970]

Hi Martin the G plicatus Castle 14 is in a pond basket so brought it in to photograph it is very strong would not want to live with it all the time a very neat snowdrop only 10cm high just now suspect it will get taller, cheers Ian.

I'll have to keep an eye out for it coming on the market when it's been bulked up for sale. I select out strongly scented snowdrops from amongst my seedlings so I can breed for scent as well as flower quality because I think it's just as important. The range of subtly different (and sometimes not so subtly different) scents you can get is quite fascinating.

Martin it's fantastic to hear somebody taking scent into the equation while breeding.

[steve owen]

A few  quick pics in today's sunshine...

[Maggi Young]

Hi Martin the G plicatus Castle 14 is in a pond basket so brought it in to photograph it is very strong would not want to live with it all the time a very neat snowdrop only 10cm high just now suspect it will get taller, cheers Ian.

I'll have to keep an eye out for it coming on the market when it's been bulked up for sale. I select out strongly scented snowdrops from amongst my seedlings so I can breed for scent as well as flower quality because I think it's just as important. The range of subtly different (and sometimes not so subtly different) scents you can get is quite fascinating.

Martin it's fantastic to hear somebody taking scent into the equation while breeding.

I agree.
Scent is very important to many of us as a real factor in our enjoyment of flowers.
When Malcolm McG. was editor of the Rock Garden he was always tryingto get me to write about scent in flowers... I always refused, because the appreciation and perception of fragrance is such a subjective thing.  And for most scents it is really hard to find suitable words to describe them!

....and still we have no fragrance button on the forum.... such a disappointment to me.....

[maggiepie]

....and still we have no fragrance button on the forum.... such a disappointment to me.....

Maggi, that might be a blessing, thinking of those ugly big things whose name escapes me that are supposed to smell like death warmed up.
Am sure you know the plant of which I speak.

[RichardW]

thinking of those ugly big things whose name escapes me that are supposed to smell like death warmed up.

contractors?  

I might be a little bitter after the last week or so.

think it was Steve who bought me a Rev Hailstone as a swap a few years ago, the scent from one flower having been in a warm car was amazing.

[mark smyth]

All my Washfield Warham/Finale are now above ground with their flowers visible between the leaves. This is at least 4 weeks early.

[mark smyth]

Probably should have shown this last month. A lovely elegant plicatus grown from seed. The photos don't show how elegant it is.

[Alan_b]

I noticed that at least five of the flowers have four outer segments and most have four inner segments too.

I think by and large this is something that can happen one year but not the next; so I generally ignore four-petalled nivalis when I find them.  But a minority of snowdrops will do this reproducibly.

[KentGardener]

That's scribbled in there too along with various other stuff I have learnt along the way.  

Perhaps we should have a new thread

Could do, Chris..... if you'd like to help by assembling  a note of the posts referring to such things?

I just checked and I only have the 'Bill Clarke'  and 'Harold Howard Wheeler' scribbled in.  I thought I had made more amendments that that.....  

[KentGardener]

I was out photographing the first G. nivalis clump to open when I noticed that at least five of the flowers have four outer segments and most have four inner segments too.

Hi Carolyn

About 6 years ago a friend and I went on the hunt for 4 petal flowers on a private estate in Hampshire.  I think we found about 5 different ones all with 4 petals that we took into our gardens.  Sadly none ever did it again in future years - though one did have 3.5 petals last year.

Hopefully the fact that you have 4 in a slump could mean that it is a stable form and definitely worth keeping separate to study in future years.

Over here there are some reputably stable 4 petal forms sometimes sold.

[kentish_lass]

Probably should have shown this last month. A lovely elegant plicatus grown from seed. The photos don't show how elegant it is.

I like that Mark - very substantial looking flower and nice upright chunky foliage
Jennie