Galanthus November 2015

[Brian Ellis]

Richard (snowdropcollector), I'm surprised that you have Naomi Slade still in flower; mine went over a few weeks ago.

My first flower has gone over but a new one has replaced it, a good repeat flowerer!

[Blonde Ingrid]

Santa Claus has arrived a tad early!

[Alan_b]

... a good repeat flowerer!

A snowdrop (or any other cultivar for that matter) that manages to repeat flower when most of its fellows don't is particularly good value.  I can count several more leaves than a single bulb should have produced on my 'Naomii Slade' but I only got the one flower this year.  We need to track down a survivor of the mythical Galanthus "Rachelae" of which E.A. Bowles wrote:

When robust it sends up two or three blossoms from a strong bulb, and they are larger than those of any other early autumnal form, but for all that leafless

Quote courtesy of Paddy Tobin.

[Maggi Young]

Santa Claus has arrived a tad early!

That is early - it'll cost a fortune to feed the reindeer till Christmas......

[David Nicholson]

That is early - it'll cost a fortune to feed the reindeer till Christmas......

You could always kill one a week, put Santa to the same fate and follow him up with all the retailers who think that the World does really want Christmas trees, Carols and twinkly lights in the first week in November.

Yours,

Scrooge in Devon.

[mark smyth]

A lovely present arrived in the post today along with a birthday card.

Two reginae-olgae that will stand out in my collection. One is finished but the other is all green. It's not dark green as in Green Mile but apple green with no white. I'll get it the rhs colour chart tomorrow to get an accurate colour.

[mark smyth]

Who sells 'Autumn Snow'? Which is better 'Autumn Snow' or 'Foursome'

[Brian Ellis]

Who sells 'Autumn Snow'? Which is better 'Autumn Snow' or 'Foursome'

Without a doubt 'Autumn Snow' is a much better flower, 'Foursome' is the equivalent of Melvyn's 'Tessera'.

[mark smyth]

OK. Now to find 'Autumn Snow'

[mark smyth]

An unexpected birthday present arrived in the post yesterday with a selection of Galanthus reginae-olgae inside. I've been doing some moaning about not being able to see the difference in most of the new reginae-olgaes. Most are over or badly damaged in the post.  One is an unnamed all green one which the eye can see but the camera cant see. Its apple white.

Here are a couple of photos to try and show off the green. I'll try and get better photos when the fog goes

and a green tipped peshmenii from the Mid Anglia bulb sale

[annew]

That peshmenii is delicious!

[annew]

Galanthus reginae-olgae Tessera is a big disappointment with no flowers showing 4 petals. G r-o Sylvie, on the other hand, is quite willing to oblige!
I just noticed that all the Tessera flowers have different (or no) markings.

[annew]

More G. reginae-olgaes: (note - Anmarie Kee should have green tips, I think chipping it disposed of these) Anyone know why Alexandra was named?

[mark smyth]

I was asking on the facebook snowdrop page what makes one named reginae-olgae stand out from another. Flowering time in one garden may be different in another. I now have a wee collection so might be able to comment on size and flowering times next year.

[Blonde Ingrid]

I had not concentrated on G. r-o previously until Brian Ellis advised me to get 'Autumn Snow'. I contacted Melvyn Jope and arranged to pick one up from the Cyclamen Show at Wisley.
Autumn Snow certainly lives up to its billing - it is stunning. Melvyn kindly brought along 'Eleni' and 'Lefki' and suggested I might also like these varieties. i was happy to relieve him of both!

The perfume was incredible, even my acquisition team remarked on it.

To my further delight, once the leaves emerged it was clear that the pots contained a number of offsets and possibly additional bulbs!

I will certainly be adding to my collection at the earliest! Thanks Melvyn!