Early January 2007

[Anthony Darby]

My pond is 3' deep and a few years ago I dumped a pot of Zantedeschia aethiopica in it. It has not flowered yet, but each year produces a lovely crop of leaves. As my pond has a pump and filter it never freezes over, so anything below the water line is fine. Normaly the arum lily's leaves die back to the water's surface, but this year they haven't. This pic was taken today.

[Maggi Young]

Nice deep pond you have there, Birthday Boy... why don't you encourage your mice to go "swimming"?

Given that colchicum are poisonous in pretty well all their parts, it's a wonder the mice CAN eat them, isn't it? I know of a dog that died after merely chomping on a  dropped colchium bulb that rolled down a bank and tempted poor mutt to retrieve it. Dog Owner happily took bulb thoughtfully brought back by beloved pet , never realising that that was to be the nasty end to the dog.

[mark smyth]

Is the king mouse the leader of all meeces?

Looks more like slug or sparrow damage to me. I know someone who made mice go for a swim. He kept birds and they mice were a curse. Every night a ruler was balanced on the edge of a bench with a tasty morsel on the end. Below the ruler was a bucket of water. Very cruel I know.

[Lesley Cox]

I didn't read Anthony's mice to be king mice, but noticed that apostrophe and thought there could have been a four letter word intended. My low mind probably.

[hadacekf]

Anthony,
Your Turkish endemic Colchicum minutum is very nice.

[hadacekf]

Frost (- 8° C.) and snow terminated early spring in my garden.
By the way A. amurensis is one of my hardest plants.

[ichristie]

Hi Franz, our Adonis is also in flower but no Eranthis showing yet, I do however have a super new snowdrop which I found at The Castle it is around 9 inches high with blue green leaf most likely a hybrid between G nivalis and G plicatus it has been showing flower since beginning of Jan.  Ian the Christie kind

[Anthony Darby]

Quite correct Lesley. I suspect the mice (definitely mice - droppings are a dead give away and the greenhouse was closed overnight; also other plants have been severely munched) have a sweet tooth and are eating the anthers? Colchicine is a mutagen used to prevent spindle formation in dividing plant cells forcing polyploidy (doubling of chromosome number - used to make a sterile hybrid fertile). I hope it doesn't work on mice. Tetraploid mice, if they were to be produced, would be twice the problem!

[Susan Band]

They would definitly be King mice then

[tonyg]

I leave my greenhouse open (doors and deliberate missing glass) at all times.  A local cat has found a nice place to snooze under one bench ... best anti-mouse device I know! 
I would guess that up t'north the gales might dismantle a greenhouse with as many panes out as I have but mine is sheltered from the worst winds.

[Maggi Young]

last time a 'king cat slept in our glasshouse he squashed a Daphne petraea grandiflora. If I'd got hold of him he'd have gone to eternal rest.

[snowdropman]

I do however have a super new snowdrop which I found at The Castle it is around 9 inches high with blue green leaf most likely a hybrid between G nivalis and G plicatus it has been showing flower since beginning of Jan.

Hi Ian - lovely snowdrop, really like its upright stance & the contrast with its leaves.

Whilst I have got your attention - a few days ago, on the Galanthus thread, we were discussing g. elwesii 'Fred's Giant' & the fact that there are several clones in circulation. I noticed that, on your website, you have 'Fred's Giant1' & 'Fred's Giant2' - would it be possible for you to detail, perhaps show pictures, of the differences between these two, particularly the inner segment marks?

Thanks very much.

[Maggi Young]

Whilst I have got your attention - a few days ago, on the Galanthus thread, we were discussing g. elwesii 'Fred's Giant' & the fact that there are several clones in circulation. I noticed that, on your website, you have 'Fred's Giant1' & 'Fred's Giant2' - would it be possible for you to detail, perhaps show pictures, of the differences between these two, particularly the inner segment marks?

Good question, Chris. I believe that Fred's Giant started out as a strain of large snowies, as opposed to just vegetative propagations from one clone, so I would expect there to be some variation around.
I wonder if Ian C. has them in flower yet in chilly Westmuir?

[Anthony Darby]

I keep my greenhouse frost-free so doors only open on still days.

[tonyg]

Maggi I too have had the cat sleep on a few plants  .. and do other unspeakable things too ... but I leave a tray with some old shade netting in it for him and he'll kip there happily and leave my plants alone