Galanthus February 2008

[Martin Baxendale]

gently stroke along the anthers with the point of a small knife or forceps. If the pollen is running you should be able to see it on the foil,

With snowdrops, I find that the anthers don't open up along their length, so that you can't stroke the pollen off, but only open at the very end, so that pollen can only fall out of this 'hole' in the anther. The anthers also appear to have little pointy 'vibration triggers' on the end, which would encourage pollen fall when vibrated by a bee. These are the reasons I use tapping (as I've described in another thread) to free the pollen (tapping the flower gently over a receptacle to catch the pollen). I've tried cutting open the anthers with a scalpel, but the pollen is often not ripe. You only know it's ripe when it falls easily. As Anne says, bringing flowers into a warm room for a few hours helps to get the pollen flowing.

With narcissus, I do just brush the pollen off, usually with a soft small sable artist's paint brush, as Anne suggests.

[Martin Baxendale]

Nice pics Paddy. I love Sophie North; she's one of my favourite plicatus forms.

[Brian Ellis]

Nice to see pics of the clumps as well as the individual flowers Paddy.  I agree with Martin, Sophie North is a nice plicate.

[Paddy Tobin]

Martin & Brian,

I agree with you both completely. G. 'Sophie North' is a beautiful snowdrop.

We seek out snowdrops for many reasons, their beauty, distinctive features, present fashion and so on. I wished for G. 'Sophie North' for many years before a good friend gave me some bulbs. You will know that the bulb was named in memory of one of the unfortunate children who lost her life in the school in Dunblane, Scotland.  (Oh how many years ago is it now, Anthony?)

Personally, as a school teacher and a father of young children at that time I felt a tremendous sorrow for the children and their families in Dunblane. Also, in the small rural school where I work, where the front and back door were always left unlocked, indeed wide open when the weather was warm, as were all house doors locally, the parents were very upset by these events in Dunblane and asked that we close the doors during school time as a fear for the safety of their children had come upon them following events in Dunblane, something which had never crossed their minds previously.

As some snowdrops remind us of places others remind us of events and people. G. 'Sophie North' brings the children of Dunblane to my mind and I treasure it for that association. A sad association perhaps but a very precious one also.

Paddy

 

[mark smyth]

I didnt know you were such a collector. Always best to see large groups.

[Anthony Darby]

The Burns supper tonight was organised and run by the families involved, in the Centre built for the young folk of Dunblane. It was a very fitting tribute to their fortitude and organisation. So sad that Sophie and 15 of her friends and her teacher weren't there to enjoy it. The injured children are now in their final (6th) year at Dunblane High School.

[KentGardener]

The anthers also appear to have little pointy 'vibration triggers' on the end, which would encourage pollen fall when vibrated by a bee.

Would it be worth trying a tuning fork against the anthers to see if that shakes loads of pollen out?

John

[KentGardener]

I found a very curious snowdrop today, growing in a local churchyard.  Don't know what ot make of it.  It almost looks like a fake but, if so, it was not done by me.  It was growing on the edge of a clump of normal snowdrops in a quiet country location.  Any thoughts? 

Hi Alan

thanks for posting the pictures.  The fact that the leaves look like it is the same clone as the rest of the group, and all the others have normal flowers, I would guess it is just a flower that is starting to rot for some reason.  (could it have been piddled on my some animal?  Or had creosote dripped on it? )

Are you going to keep an eye on it next week - you may have discovered the worlds first Brown Flowered snowdrop (can't see it being a best seller though!!!)

cheers

John

[KentGardener]

thanks to Hagen and Paddy for the wonderful photos.

Hagen - great shaped flower, very nice.

Paddy - Good deep colour on the Wendys gold.  Sophie North is a nice looking drop (I must look out for that one).

Anthony - thank you for posting about your Burns night supper - I hope people managed to have a nice time.

regards

John

[Anthony Darby]

I went to Klondyke yesterday (a small chain of local garden centres - apparently when the first one opened in Stirling the owner's wife said "we have a little gold mine here" and so the name Klondyke was born), following Mark's suggestion, and bought 3 pots of Galanthus "nivalis" @ £1.49/pot. I will take pics later.

[mark smyth]

can I guess woronowii?

[Anthony Darby]

Nope, mostly elwesii.

[KentGardener]

Well, we are just back from a 2 hour trawl round 6 different garden centre / nurseries - and not a single snowdrop in sight! 

John

[Anthony Darby]

Here is one of the plants I bought as nivalis from the only garden centre I visited.

[Hans J]

Here is one for Paul T.

Yvonne Hay