Hello, so glad I've found you all :)

[Ding Dong]

Also meant to say, there is a good article on yellow snowdrops in this weeks Country Life magazine! It's by Mark Griffiths

[kentish_lass]

Me again...
Jacqueline...Avon Bulbs has Primrose Warburg and Spindlestone Surprise at a great price.  I find Spindlestone Surprise multiplies much faster.
Jennie

[KentGardener]

Avon Bulbs has an online catalogue now and their bulbs are of superior quality and will be delivered in the green this Feb-March.

Avon can also take your order to the RHS halls to be collected by hand.   

[daveyp1970]

Quite a few on Avons list are all ready sold out 

[Brian Ellis]

Quite a few on Avons list are all ready sold out 

Such is life!

A very warm welcome from me too Jacqueline, enjoy the season and have a wow of a time at the CGS Snowdrop Day.

[daveyp1970]

Brian are you going to the harveys snowdrop day?

[Alan_b]

Painswick Rococo Garden is also not too far a distance.

That is an interesting garden because it is stocked with the snowdrop formerly (and still popularly) known as 'atkinsii' but renamed 'James Backhouse'.  This has a strong tendency to produce 'wrong' snowdrops with extra petals, sometimes in the wrong place.  It's therefore am excellent place to hone your skills at spotting abnormal snowdrops, as well as having a beautiful massed snowdrop display. 

[Ian Y]

I also extend my welcome Jacqueline, as you have discovered it is a friendly place you have found.

I hope that we can extend your boundaries beyond Galanthus especially to other bulbs that will give you flowers when the drops have passed.

As a tease to all drop fiends I attach a couple of pictures from last year as they are not up yet here in Aberdeen.

[Brian Ellis]

Brian are you going to the harveys snowdrop day?

All being well   Look forward to seeing you there Davey?

[Brian Ellis]

As a tease to all drop fiends I attach a couple of pictures from last year as they are not up yet here in Aberdeen.

Not out but pushing their way through here Ian, nice to see something complementing the snowdrops, as Charles Caleb Colton wrote 'Imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery'   

[Ian Y]

Not out but pushing their way through here Ian, nice to see something complementing the snowdrops, as Charles Caleb Colton wrote 'Imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery'   

How I agree Brian, is it not the case that high among the most sought after Galanthus are those with the inner and outer petals of equal size that imitate the Leucojeums

[Brian Ellis]

How I agree Brian, is it not the case that high among the most sought after Galanthus are those with the inner and outer petals of equal size that imitate the Leucojeums

Not only that Ian, but yellow or green on the outers too 

[JacquelineJ]

Thank you all for the warm welcome.

Ian, I'm sure you'll be able to prise me away from Galanthus as soon as the season is over.  It seems so short and there is so much to do trying to pack in as many Shows and Gardens displays as possible, reading snowdrop lists and chatting to people to gain the knowledge 
I do also like tiny, brightly coloured Cyclamen but don't own anything out of the ordinary yet. I love Hellebores too.

Roses are my summer passion hence I won't be able to attend The RHS February Show 
I will be at David Austin rose pruning!!  They have worked out a great scheme, we pay for the pruning course and after the class room session, we're let loose on their roses to hone our skills.  So we pay them to do their pruning, quite business savvy 
After planting around 25 roses in my walled garden, I think I'll get a lot out of how to train the roses to fan out on my walls, I also have Standard and bushes both modern and old roses.

I will however try to get to CGS if I'm accepted as a member and also a member of the Snowdrop Group in time for their event.

Ding Dong, I've found Avon Bulbs and understand it has a very good reputation.  I have created a small list that I will be ordering very soon.

Will I be able to buy Snowdrops from the Chelsea Physic Garden?

[snowdropcollector]

Welcome to the forum Jacqueline, always good to have new members  . The more members the more we can learn and discuss.
As said, Avon Bulbs sells great quality of snowdrops. It is worth to order snowdrops with them.
Also from Glenchantry, (Wol and Sue Staines), they sell very good quality also !!

[Mavers]

Hello Jacqueline welcome aboard!

I hope you enjoy the ride as this forum speeds up for the 2013 snowdrop season 

You will soon start to realise what a snowdrop should cost. Like Jenny I have bought off ebay & had some lovely snowdrops at a good price, however many auctions go way over what the bulb should sell for.

I have found it is a waiting game for the most sought after snowdrops & this keeps the juices flowing from one year to the next.

If I had had the finances & bought or bid for all the rarest snowdrops my heart desired when I first started this wonderful hobby without first gaining experience & learning their likes & dislikes I would have likely lost a fortune. Even now some snowdrops just will not grow for me & others romp away.

Send SAE for Angela Winfield's snowdrop list. http://www.snapecottagegarden.co.uk/snowdrops_for_sale.htm.

Her snowdrops are grown in the garden so are used to the rough & tumble of being in the garden.

Avon Bulbs & fellow forumist Ian Christie are excellent sources too.

Mike