Galanthus - December 2015

[Rick Goodenough]

None of it here, Art - but  it looks like Rick has had some over the pond. 

Ha ha...yes good deduction from those sun bleached photos...it was60F here today and we are sure spoiled. It will hit and it will be cold when old man winter arrives.

[Blonde Ingrid]

Had a wonderful trip to RHS Wisley this morning to see Melvyn Jope, even the acquisition team came without the usual bribe!

Collected my positively last (no really)  drop of 2015 G.r-o Fotini.

Also Melvyn was able to provide an expert consult on the potential number of bulbs/offsets in the forest of shoots with G.r-o Autumn Snow and  G.r-o Lefki which I acquired from him a month or so back. They have been splendid!

Thanks for all the information Melvyn, it was fascinating.

[Blonde Ingrid]

Flowering today:

Nice 'n' Early
Bumble Green

Its all going on now!

[Maggi Young]

I don't remember  hearing before from so many galanthophiles of the number of  plants they have flowering at this time of year - and not all from so-called "early " plants, either.  Where will it all end?  ( Perhaps in tears in the middle of January! )

[johnstephen29]

Hi Maggi I have a alpinus bulb and a Gracilis bulb with the buds showing well above the leaves already, having said that a couple of peshmenii and a couple of Peter gatehouse are only just flowering, this is late for these two isn't it?

[Maggi Young]

I don't grow enough snowdrops to say, really, John.  It does seem to be a mixed up season though!

[johnstephen29]

Yes it is, it's 11 c down here in Lincolnshire, on the news earlier it was showing daffodils flowering, what on earth is going on its December for crying out loud.

[Alan_b]

Where will it all end?  ( Perhaps in tears in the middle of January! )

It is perfectly normal and natural for snowdrops to take advantage of warmer spells of weather to put on growth.  If the weather turns colder then they slow down or stop.  The UK's weather in November and December has been unusually warm so snowdrops and other early bulbs are flowering earlier than usual.  This will continue until such time as we have a prolonged cold spell 

[art600]

This pot of Galanthus 'Fieldgate Prelude' will not open in the dismal weather - where is the sun

Yesterday we had a glimpse of the sun

[art600]

Lost label - can anyone suggest a name please

[Alan_b]

Well Arthur, it seems to be an elwesii (possibly an elwesii hybrid) and it's flowering before Xmas and it has a full green mark on the inner petals (which excludes it from the Hiemalis Group).  If the flowering time is normal (and who can say this year) then there aren't many/any candidates amongst named cultivars.  It doesn't look like 'Peter Gatehouse' and it would be late for 'Peter Gatehouse' anyway.  I have a few seedlings along these lines but they are just seedlings without a name.  Some of our European brethren like Hagen Engelmann have a whole range of exciting early snowdrops that haven't really got out and about yet.  So without some more clues, knowing who you have been swapping with or what seeds you might have raised then I'm stumped. 

[art600]

Well Arthur, it seems to be an elwesii (possibly an elwesii hybrid) and it's flowering before Xmas and it has a full green mark on the inner petals (which excludes it from the Hiemalis Group).  If the flowering time is normal (and who can say this year) then there aren't many/any candidates amongst named cultivars.  It doesn't look like 'Peter Gatehouse' and it would be late for 'Peter Gatehouse' anyway.  I have a few seedlings along these lines but they are just seedlings without a name.  Some of our European brethren like Hagen Engelmann have a whole range of exciting early snowdrops that haven't really got out and about yet.  So without some more clues, knowing who you have been swapping with or what seeds you might have raised then I'm stumped.

Alan

I have nothing more to add - so I'm stumped too

[Natalia]

How amazing! Already some snowdrops are blooming!
We have at least three months before flowering Galanthus...

I planted in pots chips snowdrops.

[Alan_b]

I have nothing more to add - so I'm stumped too

Could it be 'Kyre Park', Arthur?  I've never seen this one in flower in person but it's an early 'drop and with broadly the right sort of mark.  There's a picture here: http://www.judyssnowdrops.co.uk/Plant_Profiles/Elwesii/kyre_park/kyre_park.htm

[art600]

How amazing! Already some snowdrops are blooming!
We have at least three months before flowering Galanthus...

I planted in pots chips snowdrops.

Natalia

Looking very good