Galanthus - December 2015

[Blonde Ingrid]

It is all action now, this morning 'Castlegar' has flowered. It really is a delightful variety.

It did not show last year and so much relieved to see it again 

[Maggi Young]

'Castlegar'  is certainly one of the finest Irish drops., I'm sure. Paddy Tobin has always spoken highly of it.  I don't grow any of these Irish  galanthus so I can only go by the photos I've seen. I don't think I've ever seen it  in real life.

[Tim Ingram]

Must look to see whether 'Castlegar' is flowering here; it's not planted in a very prominent position and this reminds me that it would be worth moving as we lift and replant snowdrops before Christmas. This is a patch of an unnamed but good early form of elwesii which came years ago from Kath Dryden as caucasicus 'Early Form', so holds especial appeal. These have increased vegetatively with just a very few seedlings but including a rather nice larger form in front of the epimedium.

[johnstephen29]

Hi Maggi would you like some Irish drops? I have managed to get hold of a single bulb of Kildare, if I can get it to increase you can have some.

[Maggi Young]

Oh, John, how very kind of you - but you stick with  bulking up your 'drops to make a good display for your own place.   Really nice of you to offer. 

[Alan_b]

Tim, is that the same one I had from you as G. ‘caucasicus late form ex Kath Dryden’ or is there an 'early form' and a 'late form'.  My 'late form' is only a few weeks off flowering so is actually quite early in the overall scheme of things.  If they are the same then your 'larger form' seedling at the back must grow to a metre high.

[johnstephen29]

No problem at all Maggi, 

[Tim Ingram]

No Alan this is much smaller and earlier than that really strong growing plant that you had from me last year. The latter is still pretty early but a few weeks behind this group (and has huge bulbs as you say!). We don't grow very many really early forms but they certainly grow on you when you get good patches of them like this and I remember a great collection in David and Anke Way's previous garden at Hunton, south of Maidstone. Kath must have had only a few elwesii's, hence describing these two as 'early' and 'late', even though both are really early!

[uvularia]

I have just finished my latest Galanthus List for 2016! No mean task... I am sure more will be added at some point..It is bigger than last year with few Caprea Series listed. There will be more Caprea in February.
Some lines are obviously in short supply..but I am working on it!
My aim is to make the very best of the Caprea Series like Aldo Nefat & Siskin more available. I have chipped a lot so they should gradually become available.
None of the bulbs offered are chips yet.

 Edit by maggi  10/12/15  List now removed at Paul's request as it is now out of date!

[Alan_b]

Thanks for clarifying, Tim.  I had wondered why Kath Dryden described such an early form as 'Late' but it makes sense in the context of this other earlier one.  The vast majority of early elwesiis are 'hiemalis group' with a single mark on the apical half of the inner petals.  Exceptions to this type are rare so your seedling is worth looking after.

[Hagen Engelmann]

ALDO NEFAT, as I knew it

[Alan_b]

My aim is to make the very best of the Caprea Series like Aldo Nefat & Siskin more available.

I feel this must be down to some lapse in memory on my part but I have no idea what the Caprea Series is.  Can you elucidate?

[Maggi Young]

From the Edulis  list I deduce that the Caprea series  originate from seed in the past from  Slovenia and Croatia.

[Alan_b]

Seed or bulbs, presumably, depending on whatever restrictions were in force at the time the collections were made. 

[Maggi Young]

Actually, I think Paul Barney has an agreement with a nursery in Croatia - which is, of course, in the EU.