Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: uvularia on February 23, 2014, 11:21:23 PM
-
A couple of interesting G. elwesii I found today in a hedge on a Thames walk today. The G. elwesii var. monostrictus type is a whopper. Outer segments were 38 mm. But the most interesting thing apart from its size was the strength of the fabulous scent. Just two heads filled the car. Rushed home to compare with S. Arnott and the new one was twice a strong!
Ever since I was reading about scented snowdrops, I have been sniffing a lot. There are definitely a lot that don't smell at all outside. Does anyone know of any large flowered elwesii that have 'knock you down fabulous scent'?
-
Don't know about an elwesii but Marks Tall has a brilliant scent
Your second photo looks like a green tipped Galadriel
-
The outer segments were a longer and skinnier than Galadriel. Inner segment markings are roughly the same.
Is Mark's Tall anything to do with you? I need to smell one!
-
It is. We can arrange that for later in the year
-
Scent is an under-rated and under-classified aspect of snowdrops. It would be great if we could identify those with the strongest scent or those with an unusual scent. There is 'Babraham Scented' (which I have never sniffed myself) that looks completely unremarkable so scent is its only claim to fame. And some of us who went to Shaftesbury were blessed with the otherwise unidentified 'Arthur's Germolene', as recounted elsewhere.
-
Not an elwesii but Peardrop is very scented.
I've got Babraham scented but never had it indoors, will pick a few flowers today.
Edit: Can confirm it is VERY scented.
-
Scent is a wonderful attribute to have in a snowdrop.
Maybe a list of known strongly scented ones could be drawn up on this thread?
I am heading out to do some sniffing!
S. Arnott
Brabraham Scented
Mark's Tall
Arthur's Germolene
Peardrop
Tete's Hedge (Working name for the giant Elwesii my wife spotted)
Is Ginn's imperati strongly scented?
-
Can now add
S. Arnott
Brabraham Scented
Mark's Tall
Arthur's Germolene
Peardrop
Tete's Hedge
Dame Margot Fonteyn
Is Ginn's imperati strongly scented?
-
I cannot vouch for the strength of scent of 'Arthur's Germolene' - Arthur himself needed multiple attempts before he could smell anything. It was more the unusual nature of the scent that was commented on.
-
Yes Ginn's has a good scent.
Would agree about germolene, it was just odd rather than strong....
-
Many are scented but the strength must be down to the individual nose
-
'Fenstead End' smells of cat pee !
-
The difficulty with scent, as Mark says, arises because of the way fragrance may be diferentely interpreted by an individual nose. Sounds like a joke but it is a serious "problem" and one which has prevented me from attempting articles on flower scent in the past. :-X
One person's delicious scent is another's stink - and that is before the nuances of strength, flavour etc are taken into consideration - however- I am a great advocate of sniffing- so good luck Paul on your quest - just check the blooms for bees first!
Ginn's imperti has a yummy fragrance - to my nose.
Seeing Emma's last post - perhaps I should also advise caution with a gentle preliminary sniff- not only to avoid the danger of buzzing insects but also the risk of a hooter full of noxious niff!
-
I have a plan to make a Primrose Warburg snowdrop area after seeing the list on J Grimshaw's slide show at Shaftesbury.
A scented area also might be a good idea, particularly in the raised part of the walled garden which will save a lot of bending/kneeling....
If anyone has some strong/good scented drops to swap let me know, I will have spares of ginns, Peardrop, Babraham scented & S Arnott this year.
-
As I bring them inside to take photographs, most are scented. Few aren't.
-
Is the sun shining when you can smell the snowdrops?
Here on the Pacific coast, we don't see the sun very often in the winter
and the snowdrops stay closed.
-
They were very smelly this morning but it was warm & sunny, all open and looking like white propellers by mid morning.
I did pass around the Babraham flowers on my walks today and most agreed they were honey scented but also quite musky compared to sweeter S Arnott.
-
As I bring them inside to take photographs, most are scented. Few aren't.
It was the strongly scented aspect I was interested in i.e. detectable scent outside.
From the garden worthy aspect, a scented plant in garden needs to detectable on the breeze I feel.
Good winter scented shrubs like Sarcococca confusa, Chimonanthus praecox, Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn', Lonicera x purpusii
all waft round the garden and S. Arnott also does given a big enough drift.
-
Is the sun shining when you can smell the snowdrops?
Your best hope is to pick the flowers and take them indoors. Failing that you need an unusually warm and still day. You can sometimes catch the scent from a large drift although it can be fairly subtle. I'm not blessed with S. Arnott in my garden but I have never ever come across scent from any quantity of snowdrops with the strength of a single bush of Sarcococca confusa except when the snowdrops are indoors (e.g. at the RHS London Show in February).