Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: johnw on February 19, 2008, 03:17:58 AM
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Tonight I learned with sadness that Rosemary Burnham of British Columbia passed away a few days ago. Thanks to her keen eye her green elwesii in an abandoned garden 45 years ago this plant was rescued.
The last issue of the AGCBC Bulletin (Winter 2008) featured a brief article by Pam Frost on the history of this snowdrop's discovery and the cover had a charming photo of it as well.
I first got this snowdrop in the late 1980's and slowly (!) bulked it up. It never was very difficult to grow here. I sent it far and wide to a few nurseries in the Scotland and England - Foxgrove in 1997 after meeting Louise at the Feb RHS and a memorable buying spree (!) - and to quite a number of keen plantsmen throughout the UK, the USA and Germany who I knew would pass it around. Some found it difficult to get going and it was necessary to send seconds. Strange I thought until last weekend when I discovered only 2 bulbs remained in my pots! Again the dreaded NBF I presume which appeared here just a few years ago.
Just before the snopwdrop book came out I read an article by John Grimshaw proposing the name Francesca (actually it was Francisca) Darts after the "discoverer". I immediately wrote to John and told of a possible error. I then phoned Rosemary and she confirmed that it was indeed she who had spotted the green Galanthus. Happily John must have registered the Galanthus as Rosemary Burnham. A few corrections of the RB account may be made in the second edition of the book.
If it is permissable (your thoughts please) I could scan the article in the AGCBC and send it to you. If this is kosher let me know the preferred size.
john w
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John,
It would be very interesting to read the article. I have no doubt that the forum members would be delighted to have further background information both on this excellent snowdrop and on the lady herself.
Looking forward to it.
Paddy
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I am in agreement. It is nice to think that her snowdrop, which is quite special, has reached more fame in the last month due to the internet. I for one will endeavour to purchase a bulb in due course. When a plant has a well documented history it raises it much higher in my estimation.
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Sad indeed to learn of the passing of this plantswoman. We are indebted to you, john, for letting us know.
I think it would be good to have the article for the Forum...I presume the AGCBC would not object?
The Forum system limits any upload to less than 300kb so that gives you a guide..... it is up to you whether you provide the scan as pages as jpg or even pdf if that is available to you.
Thank you!
M
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Rob
give that 'search' facility, I mentioned before, a try.
From memory, I know that at least 4 different pictures of this wonderful snowdrop have been posted on SRGC in the last 2 months.
Here's one I posted from Colesbourne:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1260.0;attach=40826;image (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1260.0;attach=40826;image)
regards
John
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The consensus seem to be to go ahead with attaching the 'Rosemary Burnham' article.
Attached is the cover of the AGCBC Winter 2008 Journal along with the article. Let's see how it goes, I may have to re-scan the article, it looks fairly small before reduction.
A snowdrop has broken through ground close to the house. Amazing what low temperatures they can take even when emerged.
It is a glorious spring day here at +9C (-11c predicted for this Friday night!) and brilliant warm sunshine, this after a wild night of nearly 100mm of rain and winds of 100km/hr.
johnw
[attach=1]
[attach=2]
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Thanks John
a great article - great to know the history of such a nice plant (I am sure Maggi will do any adjusting needed to the scans).
(I am once again saddened to read of the theft of plants from peoples gardens!)
best wishes
John
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John (kentgardener) - it would be interesting to know if Don Armstrong did indeed name this one. I hope he did as it was he who gave me the bulb and asked me to get it around to people. Don was very generous and had a remarkable collection of plants and Galanthus, many of the latter he received from another notable west coast plantswoman, Thelma Chapman before she died. Moral of the story, get those rarities about to friends.
I presumed John Grimshaw had registered it, as mentioned before, it almost became Francesca Darts. How could we find out from the RHS? Perhaps I'll send them a query.
I relayed the article to John.
johnw
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John Grimshaw has it labled as Rosemary Burnham ,i saw it at Colesborne House a couple of weeks ago .Its at the top of my wanted list.Its seems very happy at Colesborne ,John Grimshaw is taking good care of it.
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I'm afraid if I try and read the article I would be off school for the rest of the week with a crick in the neck. :-\
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it was he who gave me the bulb and asked me to get it around to people
As my nan always told me "the best way to keep a plant is to give it away"
John
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i would be willing to give one a good home ;D
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Anthony, fear not, I have "tweaked" the article, enlarged it a little and rotated it, and the cover, so now you may read with impunity! Slightly blurred, but not too much!
John, many thanks for this!
m
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Your an angel Maggi. I was toying with the idea of turning my screen on its side, but something has gone sadly wrong with my computer - the display flashes when I switch it on and then remains black. I have to try restart several times before I get a permanent picture. Need to take it the the doc. :(
That picture really does do it credit. It really is a beautiful snowdrop.
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Well I received a prompt reply back from the RHS on the registration of 'Rosemary Burnham'. So the AGCBC is in error. I wonder if it should be formally registered to secure the name. I suppose a taxonomist somewhere is already scouring dusty journals to snatch the name away.
johnw
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your enquiry to the Royal Horticultural Society's Members’ Advisory Service.
The name 'Rosemary Burnham' has not yet been registered with the KAVB (the Royal General Bulbgrower's Association), which is the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for Galanthus (incidentally neither have 'Francesca', 'Francisca' or 'Francesca Darts').
The 2001 Galanthus monograph by Matt Bishop, Aaron David, and John Grimshaw, gives the name as G. elwesii 'Rosemary Burnham' (syn. 'Francesca') and provides quite a detailed account of its discovery and introduction. It states that "It was originally found by Rosemary Burnham (pers. comms. to J. Flintoff 1998, to John Grimshaw 2001) in the ruin of an old garden at Burneby, British Columbia, in the early 1960's, so the prospects for its longevity in cultivation are encouraging". This seems to clear up any confusion about the correct name of the plant, unless someone discovers a prior published description somewhere else that gives a different name.
I hope this helps. If not, please do contact us again.
Yours sincerely,
Neil Lancaster
Botanist, Wisley
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.... it also appears in the RHS publication "daffodils , snowdrops and tulips Yearbook 2006-2007" with a glowing report of this special flower. So hopefully no one would consider taking the name for any other galanthus!
Thanks very much for posting the reply John.
John
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John Grimshaw tells me he is snow-dropped under! However he says the 'Rosemary Burnham' name as validily published is secure.
My fear was the taxidermists might cite Francesca Darts as the vaild, first-mentioned name.
Good news. Case closed. Taxonomists need not reply.
johnw
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My fear was the taxidermists might cite Francesca Darts as the vaild, first-mentioned name.
Good news. Case closed. Taxonomists need not reply.
johnw
Tell 'em to get stuffed if they try anything John. ;)
A year ago John (aka Kent Gardener) was on a waiting list of three years for a bulb. How long now John? Is it worth putting my name down, or should I train wee James up? :)
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"Tell 'em to stuff it"
As a Danish rhodo friend says:
If you're unsure, collect a leaf in the wild, hold it over the barbecue for 20 minutes and send it to a taxonomist - they'll put a name on it.
johnw
z6
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A year ago John (aka Kent Gardener) was on a waiting list of three years for a bulb. How long now John? Is it worth putting my name down, or should I train wee James up? :)
Hi Anthony
hopefully my name is still on that list. I did try really hard to get one this year from lots of different growers - emails and letters were flying all over the place. I got very excited at being promised one and then really disapointed when they got confused and gave it to someone else. :'( :-\
If the original estimate from Colesbourne is correct, I should only have two more years to wait :) Though I have heard that is a particularly difficult one to twin scale - (quite often meaning that a mature bulb has been chopped up, to end in complete failure) so I may have to wait a little longer than 2 years.
Seeing pictures on SRGC of some of the wonderful virescent elwesii forms that have been found by Alan_B and growers in Holland and Germany, I am hopeful that these may be easier to propagate - meaning that Rosemary Burnham is just the first (and probably still the best) in a reasonable selection of such forms.
regards
John
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Rats. Just checked one of the last two 'Rosemary Burnham' left here and found a bulb with a sluggish emerging shoot was rotten.
I had hoped to send out another wave to folks in the UK. I will have to make some desperate phone calls.
johnw
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Any recommendations on a potting mix for Galanthus?
johnw
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I just use my standard Sunshine Mix #4 - it's the one with bits of sticks.
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John,
Not what you asked but in line with your question: I do not and would not grow galanthus in pots. However, this is a general practice with all bulbs for me as I find I am not consistent enough in my care to commit the bulbs to pot culture.
Is there some particular and pressing reason why you could not grow the galanthus in the open ground?
Paddy
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I just use my standard Sunshine Mix #4 - it's the one with bits of sticks.
Not heard of that one. Is it loam based or peat based?
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Is there some particular and pressing reason why you could not grow the galanthus in the open ground?
Paddy
Paddy - It in a very small garden with too many other plants it is simply to easy for the cultivars to get mixed up and infiltrated by seedlings. Labels have a habit disappearance as well. Also it is much easier to get at the bulbs for dividing and passing along to others. It certainly is a hassle growing them in pots and to date losses have been minimal aside from 'Rosemary Burnham's almost complete disappearance.
Thanks to Diane for the Sunshine #4 recommendation, I'll check it out.
johnw
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I dead head every year.
Twinscaling may be making Rosemary a weak plant