Yellowish G. elwesii in Canada

[Diane Whitehead]

I've just frozen my fingers photographing some yellowish elwesii
in an old garden.  All are unnamed seedlings. 

[mark smyth]

Diane I would have liked larger photos. I havent seen a yellow/yellowish elwesii

[Martin Baxendale]

I've just frozen my fingers photographing some yellowish elwesii
in an old garden.  All are unnamed seedlings. 

Those look very exciting, Diane. Looks like you've photographed different clumps with varying degrees of yellowness to the markings and ovaries, am I right? Not easy to see the intensity of the markings on all the clumps, but some at least look as good as if not better than 'Carolyn Elwes' and possibly more vigorous. That's an amazing find. Some of the clumps really do look like they have good yellow colouring but also seem very sturdy and vigorous with good fat flowers. Congratulations!

[Martin Baxendale]

Diane, would it be possible for you to get some more photos when the flowers are wider open and the marks showing better on all the clumps? As Mark says, posting the pics bigger would also help so we can get a better look at them. Some close-ups would be lovely too. Sorry to be so demanding, but they do look like a very special discovery.

[Diane Whitehead]

Yes, each picture is of a different clump, and they are not close to each
other.

There were probably more, but my feet and fingers were too cold to keep
on looking for more.  The sun came out for a few minutes, but not long
enough to open the flowers.  If the sun ever comes out, I will drive over
and take some more photos.

[Martin Baxendale]

Sorry again, Diane, to sound so demanding, asking for more photos, but it would be great to see the various clumps with the flowers more open and perhaps some close-ups. When you go back, could you perhaps pick a flower from each clump and take them home to open up indoors in water, so you can take some close-ups of them wide open? Might save you freezing to death waiting for them to open outside. 

[Martin Baxendale]

I would also suggest marking the clumps that you think are the best while they're in flower. It's so easy to forget which are which once flowering is over. I assume you'll be asking if you can have some bulbs from the best (yellowest) clumps, so make sure you can identify the best ones later. If there's one thing I've learned about snowdrops over the years, it's don't rely purely on memory.   

[Diane Whitehead]

A friend was photographing at the same time, though I don't think we
photographed the same clumps.  (The garden is several acres, and the
photo shows only one small area of it.)

Here are some of her photos.

Mark has turned the sideways ones right-side-up, so I'll delete them here.
They are on page two.
 

[johnw]

Diane - I just dragged one of your posted wrong way photos to the desktop where it became an icon. Then dragged the icon to iPhoto and it automatically righted it in Events. Don't ask me how.

Another great find those yellows. Keep sleuthing.

johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

She's sent me another.  Let's hope it's upright.

[KentGardener]

Diane - I am chuckling away here at your comments while trying to turn the pictures.   

That last picture is wonderful - if it is really that yellow in real life it is a wonderful find indeed.  When I saw 'Carolyn Elwes' in the flesh (the flower!) I wasn't overly impressed - don't get me wrong - I would still like to grow it - but that last picture looks so much better than my memory of C. E.

When you bow to Martin's demands (he does sound excited  ) make sure you wear some extra thick wooly socks and take a flask of hot drink!

Regards

John

p.s.  all the photos and clumps are great and look good plants - but that last one!  hmmmmmmmm.   

[Diane Whitehead]

It would seem helpful to have some known yellows to put in the same
photo with a yellowish snowdrop - similar to dropping a coin beside
something to show comparative size. Maybe a lemon, a grapefruit and
a banana.

A New Zealander suggested a way a group of us hellebore-growers could
describe flower colours so that everyone would know what we meant - a
cheap international version of the RHS colour chart.  She suggested using
Faber-Castell coloured pencils which are sold worldwide.

I would have to colour a good-sized piece of paper to stand beside the
snowdrop, and the intensity of colour would depend upon how hard I
pressed on the pencil.

One of those paint samples with a range of yellows would be perfect.  Easy
to use, and just the right size.  I doubt that there are international brands
of paint though.  Maybe I could mail you each one of the paint samples we
have here.

[Alan_b]

Nobody else has commented but, yellow or not, that is an amazingly large swathe of elwesii (if they are all elwesii).  I cannot think of anywhere in England where there are so many en-masse.  I say England because I have never ventured into the rest of the UK or Ireland at snowdrop time.  Please correct me if I an wrong (and I will try to visit the site if somebody can tell me of one).

[Diane Whitehead]

There are thousands, and yes, they are all elwesii which are the
commonest snowdrops grown here.

[Alan_b]

There are thousands, and yes, they are all elwesii which are the
commonest snowdrops grown here.

They would seem to grow much better in your part of B.C. than they do in the UK.  Well either that, or they were originally imported in much larger numbers.  Do you think they multiply mostly by seed or by division?  And what grows in the summer where your elwesii are growing now?