Snowdrops in February 2012

[Lesley Cox]

Some of you in this thread and in others too, talk of the necessity of snow cover for winter protection of some bulbs and talk about how there are losses if the snow cover is inadequate or doesn't last long enough. This just isn't a factor in gardening in NZ, even the coldest places rarely have snow lying for more than say a week and usually it's a thin cover, say to 6 or 7cms at most. I wondered therefore, if you don't have enough snow, do you use other items as protection? For instance, to retain moisture in summer - after a good watering or rain - or to protect young shoots from the cold we DO have, we would use cut bracken or much better, fresh or semi-rotted peastraw a wonderful mulch which gradually over a few months just becomes part of the soil itself. Piled on to a depth of even 30cms or more, it is loose so not smothering and protects against just about anything. Something like this would do instead of snow I should think. The buds of whatever come through when they're ready and have a crumbly, weed free surrounding. Yes, we have to buy it but it's just about worth its weight in gold. Bracken costs nothing and there's plenty near me but it tends to blow around if there's a strong wind. Ground freezing to depth you describe John, isn't a concept we ever have to face.

Availability of peastraw, the spent vines from commercial pea growing, depends of course on being reasonably near to a commercial grower of peas. The further away from the source, the more expensive it is but I'm thing that in Iowa for instance, soybean vines could be an alternative?

[David Quinton]

I've called it White Hayes for my own method of identification. A nice flower.
David

David  - If I were bounding past your White Hayes I might think a nice Cicely Hall.  It will be interesting to see if it has more vigour than South Hayes "itself".

johnw

I know what you mean, John. It's probably while it appeals to me so much especially as my Cicely Hall was blind this year. Hopefully it will be vigorous.

[johnw]

my Cicely Hall was blind this year.

David - What is the cause of this?  I routinely have a few that are blind.  I thought perhaps dry at some stage as the scape extends...

johnw

[David Quinton]

my Cicely Hall was blind this year.

David - What is the cause of this?  I routinely have a few that are blind.  I thought perhaps dry at some stage as the scape extends...

johnw

John, I think that dryness is the cause. We had a dry Spring last year and I fear that I neglected the watering.

[steve owen]

Arthur I obtained Woodpeckers from Margaret Owen's garden last year,it is one of Lallie Cox's finds

Chas
You kindly obtained one for me and it's coloration is as your pic. Incidentally I understand that this plant may also bear the original name "Sandersii ex-Cox"; "Woodpeckers" being Margaret's subsequent naming.

[Paddy Tobin]

A little help, please.

While walking the garden with a friend my eye was caught by a snowdrop with a yellow ovary - where no yellow ovary should be, so to speak. It was beside a clump of G. ikariae.

Any thoughts, suggestions?

Paddy

That's exciting, Paddy. The leaves look like they could be ikariae. The flower shape isn't typical ikariae but does have a hint of ikariae-ness about is, and the mark looks like it could be ikariae crossed with something else. I'm guessing the only yellows you have are sandersii and Primrose Warburg, and it'd be very unusual for those to cross with ikariae, though not impossible. I'd certainly keep an eye on it to see if it stays yellow. Could you post some more pics later as the flower ages and the leaves develop?

Martin,

Many thanks for the comments. I posted in haste late this afternoon as we were going out. Re yellow snowdrops: I grow Sandersii, Primrose Warburg, Wendy's Gold, Ray Cobb and Spindlestone Surprise and this latter is closest to the plant shown in the post.

The foliage strikes me as very like G. ikariae. Close to this bulb I have two clumps of bulbs labelled as G. ikariae but one is quite  noticeably bigger in all parts that the other, the leaves are bigger, longer and a little paler while the flowers are also obviously bigger also.

I'll put a label beside it and watch for it next year. In the meantime, I'll post a photograph as the plant develops.

Paddy

[chasw]

Thanks Steve

[Martin Baxendale]

Paddy, the old brain was being a bit slow when I commented - of course you have Wendy's Gold too, and I think you've posted photos of Spindlestone Surprise as well. I think  the brightness of the yellow ovary was making me think of sandersii and P.W./S.S. rather than the less bright Wendy as possible genetic contributors. Looking forward to more pics.

[KentGardener]

Welcome to the forum Don B,

From a galanthophile suffering 'cold turkey' withdrawal symptoms in Madeira.

I hope there are still some snowdrop flowers left in my garden when I get back to the UK!

Thanks for the picturres everyone.  No time to comment on my favourites as a levada walk is beckoning.

john

[David King]

A few pictures of Flocon de Neige in the garden yesterday.

[Lina Hesseling]

David, lovely pictures of a very nice snowdrop!

It is great you show it to us from every angel.

Thank you,
Lina.

[David King]

Thank you Lina.  Was taken under rather windy conditions and my neighbours cat decided to sit on my back as I took them low on the ground!

Here is G Martha MacLaren.

[Diane Clement]

A few from me, they all enjoyed the sunshine yesterday (17C   )

G nivalis just starting - yes, it's always as late as this due to a shady garden.  Just noticed all the Eranthis seedlings 
Washfield Warham
Cedric's Prolific
Hippolyta
S Arnott
James Backhouse
ditto doing what it does

[Diane Clement]

And a few from the greenhouse
Trymlet
Robin Hood (what a whopper)
Anne of Geierstein (a big girl)
St Annes (another big girl)

[Diane Clement]

 And the last is Daphne's Scissors, bought as such but sometimes doubted