Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: johnw on February 29, 2008, 02:17:07 AM
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How's your memory these days?
???
johnw
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Would this be Helen and Phillip Ballard's catalogue for snowdrops and hellebores, from the 1970s?
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Would this be Helen and Phillip Ballard's catalogue for snowdrops and hellebores, from the 1970s?
Yes! Too bad I hadn't ordered some Galanthus. The prices are quite surprising. I used to call Helen B. but the conversation never turned to Galanthus - a real pity. I think Philip was dead by the early 1980's and the G.'s were his domain. Am I mistaken or was she a snowie as well?
johnw
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I was visiting the Ballards until the late 70s and very early 80s but didn't see them after that as I moved further away from their house and nursery.
The snowdrops were originally Helen's and (in my mother's opinion at least) Helen was the better plantsperson and better snowdrop grower, but Phillip took over the marketing and selling of the snowdrops (my mother says Helen 'let' him take over the snowdrops).
He was also very proud of his home-made cider and perry. They had orchards, and an old horse-powered cider press in a cellar below the house - which he converted to machine power by linking it to an old motorbike with which he turned the press by riding the bike round and round! I recall a couple of visits that involved drinking copious quantities of murky farmhouse cider - and a pretty sore head the next day!
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Martin - Thanks for this information, she was an awesome plantswoman and 30 years later her hellebore hybrids still hold up against the best.
john