Recent Posts

71

Galanthus / Re: Galanthus January 2025

« Last post by Villu on January 28, 2025, 01:26:30 PM »

It is looking really promising already, Leena!
But I think it is better to have them small in our latitudes in this time!

72

Galanthus / Re: Galanthus January 2025

« Last post by Leena on January 28, 2025, 10:46:20 AM »

Lovely snowdrops everyone!

Winter is incredibly mild in Estonia this year. I don't remember having snowdrops so early.

Your snowdrops are looking good  , and so early. Winter has also here been mild, but here the earliest snowdrops are just poking through ground, and it will get cold again here before the real spring.  There is still some snow, but about half has now melted temporarily.
This is 'Bess' in a very early spot, but it seems to be an early snowdrop anyway.

´Golden Fleece´ is a snowdrop of superlatives: very beautiful, my earliest yellow one and extremely vigourous here. I started 2019 with one bulb and ended up with next to 40 this year.

'Golden Fleece' looks so beautiful! And how vigorous it is. I hope mine will also be vigorous in time.

73

Seeds Wanted / Re: Do you know how hellebores are pollinated?

« Last post by MarcR on January 28, 2025, 08:36:46 AM »

Pollen release from the anthers will not occur until the flower is fully open and usually mid to late morning as long as there is sufficient warmth. Bees will also be harvesting pollen, this is the challenge that I had as they will strip all pollen in a single visit to a flower. You can bag the flower that you want to collect pollen from to keep the bees at bay.
You can harvest pollen by using a small soft paint brush or by rubbing a plastic pen on a cloth to generate a charge on the pen end then harvest the pollen by placing the tip onto the anthers. Some doubles do not produce a lot of pollen, cant comment on the double Ellen line as they are not available here.
If you want to get genuine double seed google Seed and Bulb Treasures, they are based in Tasmania, Australia and sell a range of seeds including hellebores. The seed comes from controlled crosses and will give almost 100% doubles from seed.
Good luck with your efforts wolud like to see what you develop.

Modern hybrids have a complex gene pool developed over many generations of hand pollination.
You can be sure that a  double x double and an anemone x double will give predominantly doubles, a single x double may give a double but often anemone and singles. The % of full doubles and anemone forms is dictAted by the double used to make the cross.
When crossing singles with doubles it can take 2-3 generations to achieve a full double, back crossing of an anemone with the double will give the best chance of doubles. Some doubles can have low fertility as well as poor pollen production, this I put down to line breeding.
Colour is more difficult to predict, especially when the parent colours are very different. Spotting is said to be dominant but again it depends upon the parents used.
My suggestion is that you make both crosses and see what the outcome is, that is the excitement of creating your own crosses as you will end up with plants that are unique to you. Reverse crosses are also a way of understanding the dominant genes of the parents.
You should get up to 30 seeds per cross, if you have space than you can grow on all seedlings to flowering, this will give you the ultimate indication of which of the parents is the dominate parent, I have never had the space to do this. I select seedlings that show early vigour and only grow these on to flowering.
Be warned 'breeding' hellebores can become an addictive past time, it has taken me nearly 3+ decades to kick the habit. Good luck, I am sure that you will find the process both rewarding and frustrating.

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for posting your responses to Silvy,  I find them very informative.

74

Galanthus / Re: Galanthus January 2025

« Last post by MarcR on January 28, 2025, 08:21:47 AM »

Hi All,

I really like the yellow Galanthus; but, I can't find a U.S. source, and the cost of a Phyto makes buying from a UK supplier prohibitive. If anyone knows of a reliable Australian, or Canadian [or any other country with a low cost Phyto service] grower, who does export, I would be grateful.

75

Galanthus / Re: Galanthus January 2025

« Last post by Mariette on January 27, 2025, 09:17:19 PM »

Hi Jeff, ´Golden Fleece´doesn´t set much seed with me, but with its breeder, as he told me. Also, the seeds of it I tried didn´t germinate as well as others.

76

Galanthus / Re: Galanthus January 2025

« Last post by Jeffnz on January 27, 2025, 09:07:26 PM »

Hi I will soon be receiving seed from the NZ Trillium Group, I will contact you when it arrives to see if there is anyhting that might interest you.
Does your G. Golden Fleece usually set seed?
Regards
Jeff

77

Galanthus / Re: Galanthus January 2025

« Last post by Mariette on January 27, 2025, 07:02:22 PM »

At last the star of the day: G. trojanus. I´m extremely grateful  for that treasure  to a very generous forumist!

78

Galanthus / Re: Galanthus January 2025

« Last post by Mariette on January 27, 2025, 06:48:26 PM »

Villu, I hope the same for You!

Tim, congratulations on Your seedling! Is it G. plicatus or a hybrid?

Stefan, Your snowdrops are always well ahead of mine, but ielaba´s snowdrops are even earlier!

At least, we enjoyed the same sunshine and warmer temperatures today, and ´Mrs Macnamara´ opened some flowers.



Close-up



Now that the little group shown January 10 opens its flowers it becomes obvious that it must be a seedling.



´Golden Fleece´ is a snowdrop of superlatives: very beautiful, my earliest yellow one and extremely vigourous here. I started 2019 with one bulb and ended up with next to 40 this year.



Less prone to bulking in my garden, but I like it, too: G. alpinus.

79

Events / Re: Early Bulb Day 2025

« Last post by Maggi Young on January 27, 2025, 06:28:49 PM »

See also https://www.srgc.net/add-event-2025-sum.asp for 2025 SRGC Events

80

Events / Early Bulb Day 2025

« Last post by Maggi Young on January 27, 2025, 06:26:15 PM »

Early Bulb Display
Saturday 22 February 2025 (10am - 4pm)
Victoria Hall, Dunblane

This event will be a meeting with two talks, a non-competitive plant display, and plant nurseries selling a variety of plants in the Victoria Hall, Stirling Road, Dunblane FK15 9EX. 

SPEAKER
We are delighted to have John Grimshaw coming to talk with us. Many of you will know that John was the Director and Curator of the Yorkshire Arboretum from 2012 until autumn 2024. He has recently moved and been appointed Editor-in Chief of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This magazine has appeared continuously since 1787 and is the longest-running illustrated botanical journal. It combines botanical information and horticultural advice with fine botanical art. John is also working on Trees and Shrubs Online the digital encyclopaedia of woody plants, for the International Dendrology Society.

This event will take place as usual in the Victoria Halls, Stirling Road, Dunblane. The venue is immediately opposite the railway station, and car parking is available in local carparks, or on the dual carriageway just up the hill from the halls.

PROGRAMME

9am-10am Show hall open for staging of plants.

10am Show and Nursery sales open to members and visitors.

11am - Talk: "Small and Early" with John Grimshaw. 
John talks about growing and using the smaller early-flowering bulbs in a normal garden setting. He’ll cover snowdrops, crocuses, smaller daffodils and a host of other small plants that can make the garden come to life in the first few months of the year.

12.00 noon - Special General Meeting of Scottish Rock Garden Club 
Details of business are published in the Dryas Newsletter sent to members in January 2025.

12.15pm - Break for coffee, or lunch, and chat.
Please bring your own picnic. Teas, coffees and some cake should will be available for purchase.

2.00pm - Talk: "Large and Late" with John Grimshaw. 
In this talk we’ll hear about summer-flowering bulbs that can add a touch of drama to the garden. Again, these will be easily-grown plants, Eucomis to Lilium, Galtonia to Roscoea, ending with the colchicums in early autumn.

3pm-4pm - Plant buying, tea/coffee and chat.
Teas, coffees and some cake should still be available for purchase.

DISPLAY
Please bring as many pans of dwarf bulbs and early flowering alpine plants as possible.  Space will be available for cut flowers of plants which members do not want to disturb in the garden.  Please bring your own vases for cut flowers.  Plants will be grouped according to genera during staging between 9am and 10am.  The rule of one pan per class per member will be waived.  No points will be awarded.  Members may also stage small displays comprising several exhibits to show variation in species etc.  Every contribution increases the value of the display for others.

NURSERIES & PLANT SALES
Plants and bulbs can be purchased from a variety of nurseries who will be attending
   *** Details of nurseries to follow later*** see https://www.srgc.net/add-event-20250222-early-bulb.asp   

and of course the Members 50:50 Plant Stall, so please bring your spare plants and seedlings for sale for Bulb Group Funds.

ASSISTANCE PLEASE!
This event is run by the Bulb Group.  Please help us by bringing plants for the 50:50 Members Stall, volunteer to help behind the plant stall, serving teas/coffees, and general tidying.  Contact Sandy Leven on 01786 824064.