big large Enormous Huge Giant 2017

[Tim Harberd]

   'big', 'large', 'Huge', 'Enormous' and 'Giant' are words which are fairly liberally scattered across Snowdrop catalogues…. Probably because using those words sells plants! But what do they actually mean?

   May be the words big and large are a fair description of flowers which have outer petals between 35 & 40mm long. This year I fancy concentrating on the Huge, Enormous and Giant ones!

   Raising the bar to a petal length of 40mm means some of mine might no longer qualify! Perhaps its time to buy some new drops!!… But which ones? Very few have been recorded as 40mm plus in both 2015 & 2016.

   Last year some drops were measured a week after first opening, and some were measured just before they fell over! That makes direct comparisons difficult. This year I suggest collecting either or both sets of measurements. If someone doesn’t specify that its a First Week measurement, then I think its fair to assume its a Terminal Measurement. So long as at least some cultivars are measured at both times then direct comparisons will be possible.

Cultivar Name………….. First Week Measurements……….. Terminal Measurements

Mrs Macnamara             8Jan  H30cm P33mm                     28Jan H41cm P40mm
PHD 33643                   29Jan H16cm P34mm                     21Feb H26cm P46mm
Bertram Anderson        1stFeb H17cm P35mm                    21Feb H19cm P45mm
Glenorma                     15Jan H15cm P38mm                      5Feb H27cm P52mm       

H is soil level to the top of the highest flower, in cm
P is the petal length (not including ovary), in mm

As with previous years.. I’ll edit this first post list in the light of subsequent posts.. I’ll also post last year’s compendium straight after this post, for reference.

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

For the record:
                                      .....2015.....                       ....2016....

Mrs Macnamara         H 27cm  P 35mm                    H 38cm  P 35mm
Naughton                   H?         P 35mm
Woodtown                 H?          P 36mm
Kildare                       H?          P 37mm
Bertram Anderson    H20cm     P 38mm                  H 22cm   P 36mm
Walker Canada                                                         H?          P38 mm
PHD 33643               H 22cm   P 39mm                   H 24cm  P 38mm
Gerard Parker           H?           P 39mm?
Grüne Weihnacht                                                    H 30cm    P 39mm
Two Eyes                                                                H 37cm?  P 39mm
Long Wasp                                                              H?            P39mm
Gemini ex PC              H?          P 36mm                 H 30cm    P 40mm
Peardrop                   H18cm?  P 40mm
Kencot Kali               H?            P 40mm
Excelsis                     H?          P 40mm
Penelope Ann           H?           P 40mm
Rev Hailstone                                                         H 34cm  P 40mm
John Tomlinson         H?          P 40mm
Louise Ann Bromley   H?         P 40mm
Fieldgate Superb       H?         P 41mm?
GC2                                                                       H?           P41mm
Hercule                                                                  H?           P41mm
Sibbertoft Manor                                                    H?           P42mm
Chantry Green Twins  H?         P 42mm
Glenorma                  H19cm    P 43mm                  H 30cm  P 45mm
Fred's Giant                                                            H 25cm   P 45mm     
Gravity                                                                   H?           P 45mm
Friar Tuck                   H?         P 45mm?
G.p.byz selectJN 'SL1'?  H?    P 45mm                     H?           P 44mm
Margaret Owen          H?          P 46mm
Comet (AW)                                                              H?          P 47mm

 

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

   Glenorma has broken cover… a little later than last year. Some nice regular buds and a massive one. The regular buds are protected, as you would expect, by two green ribs of spathe, and the membrane in-between. The massive bud is surrounded by six ribs and an incomplete membrane. This leaves the developing petals exposed, to the soil as it pushes through, and exposed to marauding molluscs!
   One of the buds was similarly affected last year.  SO: At the end of this season I will probably remove the top inch of soil and replace it with washed sand. Last year’s big bud turned into a twin flower. Perhaps six ribs indicates triplets!

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

   Glenorma has been open for a week now.. so I’ve just popped out to measure the biggest flower. Height 15cm, Petal 38mm. I’m confident that it will exceed 40mm before long! The clump does show quite a spread of flower sizes.

   The six ribbed spathe did yield triplets, all slightly deformed and soil ‘skid marks’ on a couple of petals. The stem appears to be a fused ribbon of three stems. On the whole, not something I’d consider to be a desirable feature. But since the clump has gone from one flower, to five flowers, to seventeen flowers (three seasons) I won’t complain too much.

Tim DH

[Matt T]

It seems that 'Glenorma' makes a good impact in the garden. Big flowers and plenty of them. Interesting that the fasciation of flower stems occurred previously and again this year.

[Tim Harberd]

Here’s a surprise!
(I haven’t previously taken any interest in the terminal size of flowers.)
I took measurements of Mrs Macnamara on Jan 8th… That being a week after first openning.
Petal length 33mm Height 30cm.
I didn’t take a photo the day, so I attach one from Jan 7th (the flower under observation is top left) and Jan 14th
I wasn’t surprised at the flower being undersized this year, because the clump was crowded last year and I had thinned it out in the summer. (The last two year’s I’ve recorded 35mm at one week old.)

Today I re-measured the flower at what must be close to its terminal size.
Petal length 40mm Height 41cm
I don’t actually like ‘’wasp’’ ish flowers, and I certainly wouldn’t consider cutting this one for a vase. But, in terms of size, Mrs M makes the cut!

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

Today PHD 33643 completed its first week in flower… Petal 34mm Height 16cm. The clump has got a bit crowded and its been a cold week, so I’m not surprised by the smaller size this year. I’m confident that, given a few nice days, it will grow a bit & clear 40mm. Not sure I’d ever describe this cultivar as tall tho’ (I have seen it advertised as such.) Thirty two flowers on this clump. (History: 1,4,15,32 I’ll split it in the summer.)

Update on Glenorma… now 46mm… and not starting to look tired yet.

Tim DH

[Maggi Young]

Little dainty 'drops can be charming but when it comes to  instant impact,  chunky flowers hit the spot for me. Just look how  pretty that clump pf PHD is -perfect, robust  plants. Lovely.
 

[Leena]

when it comes to  instant impact,  chunky flowers hit the spot for me. Just look how  pretty that clump pf PHD is -perfect, robust  plants. Lovely.

I agree totally, big is better. PHD 33643 must go to my wishlist, as it seems to be not so early, which is good for me.

[Tim Harberd]

Here are initial measurements for Bertram Anderson.. P35mm H17cm. I think its a week since first opening, but can't be sure because I was on Jury Service last week. These figures are bigger than those for PHD, a reversal of previous years. That may be because BA is actually more than a week old, or because its from a less crowded clump. (These two cultivars were planted at the same time.)

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

Not a nice day for taking photographs, but I think Glenorma is nearing the end… Petal 52mm Height 27cm. That’s the longest petal I’ve ever recorded. Shame I don't care for the shape so late on!!

Tim DH

[Mariette]

Little dainty 'drops can be charming but when it comes to  instant impact,  chunky flowers hit the spot for me.

In my garden, I need both - the smaller ones in the front of the borders. But I´m also grateful for those which give an impact from a distance. Thanks to Tim for assembling these!

[Tim Harberd]

Bertram Anderson looks like its coming to an end. The petals appear a little more pointed and translucent. Petal Length 42mm, Height 19cms. Oddly, PHD, which was out before BA, still looks fresh.. (Perhaps Bertram got a bit dry?)

Tim DH

[Tim Harberd]

PHD has started to go ‘Waspish’....... Height 26cm, Petal Length 46mm

Whilst inspecting, I notice that one of the other Bertram Anderson flowers hadn’t collapsed, and it exceeds the size given last week, so I’ve updated the list (to 45mm).. Actually this flower looks like it might go a bit further…

Tim DH

[Hagen Engelmann]

this is a pure nivalis, called GRIT'S GROSSES