Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: mark smyth on December 07, 2008, 11:04:07 PM
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I first showed this almost three years ago and thought it should be shown again for all the new forum members
This is the top twenty snowdrops polled by The Plantsman
1. 'S. Arnott'
=2. elwesii 'Comet'
=2. 'Magnet'
4. plicatus 'Three Ships'
=5. 'Atkinsii'
=5. 'Bertram Anderson'
=5. plicatus 'Wendy's Gold'
=8. 'John Gray'
=8. 'Mrs McNamara
=10. plicatus 'Augustus'
=10. 'Bill Bishop'
=12. gracilis
=12. plicatus 'Trym'
=14. ikariae
=14. 'Cicely Hall'
=14. nivalis 'Lady Elphinstone'
=17. elwesii
=17. 'Galatea'
=17. plicatus 'Gerard Parker'
=17. 'Hippolyta'
just outside the top 20 are
=17. 'Mighty Atom'
=17. nivalis
=17. nivalis Sandersii Group
=17. rizehensis
=17. 'Spindlestone Surprise'
=17. nivalis 'Viridapice'
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I would suggest that as most people will not know the names of more than a few snowdrops, the list just reflects that?
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No, this was a poll of those attending the Galanthus Gala in 2005 who were asked to send in a list of their favourite snowdrops
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I am very surprised that Diggory and Godfrey Owen don't make an appearance. I guess the list would be a little different each year.
John
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Yeah but how many people grow Godfrey Owen and have enough to admire it in a clump?
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I grow about 45 galanthus now but I only have 10 mentioned in the top-20 list (which by the way consists only 19 names :D).not even an autumn galanthus in it too.strange list.
do you agree with this list?
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Yeah but how many people grow Godfrey Owen and have enough to admire it in a clump?
I rest my case. ;)
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I've just sent my Top 10 list off to the CGS Snowdrop Group. They don't really reflect the list at all. In no particular order I listed:
Galanthus 'Lapwing'
G.plicatus 'Diggory'
G.nivalis 'Elfin'
G.'Wasp'
G.'Seagull'
G. reginae-olgae 'Tilebarn Jamie'
G. plicatus 'Wendy's Gold'
G.'Modern Art'
G.elwesii 'Godfrey Owen'
G.elwesii 'David Shackleton'
and I had to add "Whichever is in flower today!" which in this case would probably be Galanthus elwesii 'Sickle' which is in bud and ready to open.
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How many votes did it take to come in last place on the list ("=17")? I imagine it was only one or two, judging by the number of equal placements.
My favourite snowdrop tends to be the one I have been admiring around the time I am asked. So just at the moment it would be G. elwesii Peter Gatehouse. I like the way you can see a hint of the green on the inner petals even when the flowers are closed.
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Yeah but how many people grow Godfrey Owen and have enough to admire it in a clump?
Hi Mark
I have a feeling that Godfrey Owen won't take long - it certainly seems to bulk up quickly compared to some snowdrops. Mine seems to have gone from a single bulb up to about 8 or 9 growing points (not all flowering size) in two years. I am of the opinion that it definately has that Elwesii vigor.
Regards
John
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How many votes did it take to come in last place on the list ("=17")? I imagine it was only one or two, judging by the number of equal placements.
.....either that, or a list of 25 snowdrops which you had to rate 1 - 20?
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No it was an entry form with lines to write the favourites
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Thanks to John for reminding us of this list.
It would be interesting to see how the list would change if it was done every 5 or 10 years
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I've just sent my Top 10 list off to the CGS Snowdrop Group. They don't really reflect the list at all. In no particular order I listed:
Galanthus 'Lapwing'
G.plicatus 'Diggory'
G.nivalis 'Elfin'
G.'Wasp'
G.'Seagull'
G. reginae-olgae 'Tilebarn Jamie'
G. plicatus 'Wendy's Gold'
G.'Modern Art'
G.elwesii 'Godfrey Owen'
G.elwesii 'David Shackleton'
and I had to add "Whichever is in flower today!" which in this case would probably be Galanthus elwesii 'Sickle' which is in bud and ready to open.
Hi Brian
Very interesting to read again what your personal 2008 top 10 was - can I ask how it stands today? Is there much difference?
cheers
John
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Brian
Can Iask what the cgs snowdrop group is, thanks Pat.
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OK - it's got me to thinking - any people willing to say their own top ten for this year?
I am going to wander round the garden now before the heavens open (again!) to see if I can quickly jot mine for Spring 2010 down.....
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It would be interesting to compare the favourites list with a best performers list. Based on what we saw last year in the UK S. Arnott, Straffan and Galatea would surely make the top of the latter list. Maybe in 10 or 20 years some of the favoruites will prove that they have the vigour to match these old troopers.
I'd have to put Anglesey Abbey on any favourite list.
Another 2" of rain predicted and howling winds tonight. G. nivalis almost out.
johnw
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Pat the CGS is the Cottage Garden Society, if you belong to that you can also join their Snowdrop Group which has a couple of newsletters a year and organizes a Members Day, this year it was a talk by Cliff Curtis on "Ketton 50 years on" and then visits to two gardens. Before the talk there were also sales of snowdrops from, amongst others, Joe Sharman's Monksilver Nursery. I'm sure I have said all this before so apologize to regulars!
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Thanks Brian
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Hi Brian
Very interesting to read again what your personal 2008 top 10 was - can I ask how it stands today? Is there much difference?
cheers
John
Mmm yes I was interested to see what my top 10 was two years ago, it hasn't changed much despite exposure to far more varieties! I'd definitely keep 'Lapwing' as, every time I see it I think to myself how distinct it is and what a joy it is to see it again. I'd include 'Three Ships' - for early flowering, my pot just outside the back door has finally gone over this week. 'Diggory' has to put in more effort to stay on the list, it is a good snowdrop when growing well...if 'Pat Mason' lives up to her promise, she may replace him. Here is one new to me that has to go on the list 'Homersfield' from only twenty minutes away, a super, floriferous plant, should have taken a photo shouldn't I, thanks Mike, I'll replace 'Elfin' with that one. 'Seagull' has to stay, to my mind one of the best of the Mighty Atom group. Oh dear this is starting to get difficult, I'm going to replace something with gracilis 'Nancy Lindsay' aka 'Sutton Courtenay' I think it has nudged out 'Tilebarn Jamie', it is easy and floriferous, a robust early flowerer. 'Wendy's Gold' is still a good yellow to have, easy and reliable. I wouldn't be without 'Modern Art' either or 'Godfrey Owen' and 'David Shackleton'.
I'm glad I'm not on Desert Island Plants! Having given it a little thought there is not much change...but if it was my top twenty I would be adding more that would be harder to obtain and expensive. 'Swanton' would be up there, but where oh where would I get 'Chadwick's Cream' for example and having seen the orange tinted Anglesey Abbey snowdrop I'd better bow out now ;D
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Brian
Well done this is what us novices need, information, come on guys keep it coming, brilliant!. Pat.
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OK - I've explored my little patch and here is my, quickly written down, list:
This is my list of things that I have really enjoyed in the garden this year – I can’t say that they are ‘easily available’ – but I think half the fun is searching out new things and making lots of wonderful and interesting new friends in the process.
My snowdrop top 10 for 2010 (in no particular order and written quickly on a cold rainy Sunday afternoon).
X-Files – one of the early ones for me and still had a single flower hanging on last week.
Ding Dong – shows its inner bits on even a cold day – and has been entertaining me for weeks (the slut!)
Godfrey Owen – distinct and a good doer increasing well.
Wendy’s Gold - if happy she seems to increase well.
Pear Drop – large and lovely scent.
Richard Ayres – one of the flowers you can spot from 40ft away (when in a clump)
Trymlet – may have ‘late season virus’ but such a nice flower. Worth a place if you have the space?…..
Madeleine – a nice yellow and a really good increaser in my garden – but not in all gardens I hear.
Three Ships – a welcome flower during the Christmas holiday.
R. O. ssp vernalis – a good doer here.
Time for Sunday dinner.
Sorry - I struggled with typing that confused list......Some others that could be in my top ten.....
Trumps - lovely marks and a good doer increasing well.
Pat Mason – a little slow – but big shapely green tipped flowers of good substance that have caught my eye when wandering in my minute estate for the last couple of snowdrop seasons.
South Hayes – beautiful – lost my first purchase but from this source seems to be increasing.
Wendy's Gold – a classic and if it likes your earth a good doer.
Trumps – still a rarity but seems a good doer if settled and happy.
Fuzz – I don’t have it but as a lover of ‘the spikey’ types I have fallen in fell in love with it at the RHS hall last month.
Trimmer - showing a good large flower among the many many ‘Trym offspring.
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Here you are Brian,Homersfield
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Trumps – still a rarity but seems a good doer if settled and happy.
I knew there was at least one that I had forgotten ... but I did try to keep it to ten ;)
Thanks Chas, it's a good one isn't it...and this is a case in point Pat, it looks ordinary (?) but you have to see it in the flesh to appreciate it.
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Thanks John
I and quite a few others are learning a lot from this. Pat
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I and quite a few others are learning a lot from this. Pat
Indeed. A lot is leant from what people post.
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Thanks John for popping out in the awful weather to refresh your list of favourites. Novices like me need the info only good growers like yourself can provide and it is appreciated. Cheers Pat. Sorry if I am a pain in the arse.
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awful weather?! Brilliant day here today with 10c and 50% cloud. Warm in the sun but chilly in the shade
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Joining in with a list of favourites but with a slightly different approach. I am listing those snowdrops which have done very well in my garden, ones which have bulked up very well so that I now have big clumps of them, some in the hundreds.
Straffan
S. Arnott
Atkinsii
Ophelia
Desdemona
Magnet
Elwesii monostictus
Warham
Anglesey Abbey
John Gray
Brenda Troyle
Hill Poe
One could go on and on but these have all proven easy in the garden, are relatively cheap to purchase and are reliable and give a good display. None of the most up to date cultivars listed but then I haven't grown these long enough to assess as much as those in the list above.
Paddy
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Joining in with a list of favourites but with a slightly different approach. I am listing those snowdrops which have done very well in my garden, ones which have bulked up very well so that I now have big clumps of them, some in the hundreds.
Straffan
S. Arnott
Atkinsii
Ophelia
Desdemona
Thanks Paddy 4 out of those 5 I am growing, the odd one out being Desdemonda. Pat.
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Pat,
You caught my list when I was half way through typing it and pressed the "post" button by accident.
The Greatorex doubles - Desdemona and Ophelia are two - have grown and grown in my appreciation over the past few years as, when in a good clump, they give a great display in the garden, great show of white, great bulk in the planting etc. G71 is another double which could be added.
Hill Poe doesn't give the same big display in the garden as it is of smaller stature but it is so neat and dainty - and of Irish origins - that I had to include it in my list.
Paddy
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Paddy
Its too early for me to make a list of 10 but these 5 have done really well for me in the short space of time I have been growing, most of them are fairly old cultivars that have stood the test of time so they will be old hat to you guys, in no particular order
Bill Bishop
Brenda Troyle
S Arnott
Magnet
Lyzzick
I also have a soft spot for Sibbertoft White, only just aqquired but a real delicate little thing but I doubt it will show the vigour of the previous ones. Does anyboby know the origins of the Sibbertoft plants, I would be interested to know. Thanks All Pat.
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Sibbertoft was the garden of Lady Beatrix Stanley, and those plants came originally from there. It is in Northamptonshire, I think. Back in 2006 one Peter Howard, who had recently become the gardener there came into the old Forum to ask if anyone had any old info about the plantings etc, but he o nly posted that one time and did not get much reponse , publically, at least, from the Drop Fiends :-\
http://www.srgc.org.uk/discus/messages/1078/42618.html
Lady Beatrix' grandson now has a house with a snowdrop garden himself....
http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/gardenfinder/garden.aspx?id=5589
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Primrose Warburg collected a lot of material from Sibbertoft Manor after the death of Lady Beatrix Stanley & planted the bulbs in an area of her garden at South Hayes, Yarnell's Hill near Oxford; the area was referred to as Sibbertoft Bank & I believe that PW was responsible for assigning names to some of the Sibbertoft material.
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Paddy
Its too early for me to make a list of 10 but these 5 have done really well for me in the short space of time I have been growing, most of them are fairly old cultivars that have stood the test of time so they will be old hat to you guys, in no particular order
Bill Bishop
Brenda Troyle
S Arnott
Magnet
Lyzzick
I also have a soft spot for Sibbertoft White, only just aqquired but a real delicate little thing but I doubt it will show the vigour of the previous ones. Does anyboby know the origins of the Sibbertoft plants, I would be interested to know. Thanks All Pat.
Pat,
I haven't grown 'Lyzzick' though I have seen it discussed and described here on the forum. However, the others you list have certainly proved themselves in gardens and are most unlikely to let you down.
Paddy
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Maggi yet again I'm amazed by the info your store in yer heed
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My top ten:
1) G. nivalis Green Light (I found this one so it has to be top of my list).
2) G. elwesii Rosemary Burnham (beautiful but difficult to keep virescent elwesii. I have found some similar drops myself but they too are enjoying mixed fortunes so far).
3) G. woronowii Elizabeth Harrison (THE desirable, totally unobtainable yellow drop of the moment).
4) G. Alwyn (beautifly symmetric flore pleno with stong elwesii parentage).
5) G. plicatus E.A. Bowles (famously expensive but beautiful poculiform plicatus)
6) G. nivalis sharlockii 'Belle de Walloni' (sharlockii and similar are vastly under-rated through having been known for so long. This one has lovely green marking on the outers).
7) G. South Hayes (unusual striped marks on the outers).
8 ) G. nivalis x plicatus Tommy Thomson (sorry, I just made that name up, but I'm thinking of a smallish very vigorous unnamed snowdrop I grow in my garden that sometimes produces extra petals, fused ovaries or two flowers on a single scape so a bit like a son of Mrs Thomson).
9) G. nivalis walrus (weird but wonderful).
10) G. elwesii Peter Gatehouse (beautiful November-flowering elwesii with good green marks on the inners).
I only own 5 of my top 10, but we all need something to aspire to.
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I haven't grown 'Lyzzick' though I have seen it discussed and described here on the forum.
For anyone that is interested - a bulb of 'Lyzzick' is being sold on ebay now.
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I haven't grown 'Lyzzick' though I have seen it discussed and described here on the forum.
For anyone that is interested - a bulb of 'Lyzzick' is being sold on ebay now.
You should know me better, Chris. No Bid!
Paddy
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Primrose Warburg collected a lot of material from Sibbertoft Manor after the death of Lady Beatrix Stanley & planted the bulbs in an area of her garden at South Hayes, Yarnell's Hill near Oxford; the area was referred to as Sibbertoft Bank & I believe that PW was responsible for assigning names to some of the Sibbertoft material.
Hello, Malcolm, a warm welcome to you.... thanks for this information 8)
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Welcome Malcolm. :)
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I haven't grown 'Lyzzick' though I have seen it discussed and described here on the forum.
For anyone that is interested - a bulb of 'Lyzzick' is being sold on ebay now.
It "s not mine this time. ;)
Eric
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My top ten:
1) G. nivalis Green Light (I found this one so it has to be top of my list).
2) G. elwesii Rosemary Burnham (beautiful but difficult to keep virescent elwesii. I have found some similar drops myself but they too are enjoying mixed fortunes so far).
3) G. woronowii Elizabeth Harrison (THE desirable, totally unobtainable yellow drop of the moment).
4) G. Alwyn (beautifly symmetric flore pleno with stong elwesii parentage).
5) G. plicatus E.A. Bowles (famously expensive but beautiful poculiform plicatus)
6) G. nivalis sharlockii 'Belle de Walloni' (sharlockii and similar are vastly under-rated through having been known for so long. This one has lovely green marking on the outers).
7) G. South Hayes (unusual striped marks on the outers).
8 ) G. nivalis x plicatus Tommy Thomson (sorry, I just made that name up, but I'm thinking of a smallish very vigorous unnamed snowdrop I grow in my garden that sometimes produces extra petals, fused ovaries or two flowers on a single scape so a bit like a son of Mrs Thomson).
9) G. nivalis walrus (weird but wonderful).
10) G. elwesii Peter Gatehouse (beautiful November-flowering elwesii with good green marks on the inners).
I only own 5 of my top 10, but we all need something to aspire to.
Alan, if I were to take your line - a little bit of a wish list as well as a list of favourites you grow - I would have 'Elizabeth Harrison' at the very top of my list. It is the outstanding snowdrop I have seen this season. I'm completely smitten by it.
And, just to show what kind of people use this forum: after my comments on G. 'Lyzzick' above - that I didn't grow it and wasn't going to be bidding on e-bay - I had two very kind, generous offers of bulbs. True gardening cameraderie is alive and well and living on the SRGC forum.
Paddy
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Alan, if I were to take your line - a little bit of a wish list as well as a list of favourites you grow - I would have 'Elizabeth Harrison' at the very top of my list. It is the outstanding snowdrop I have seen this season. I'm completely smitten by it....
Paddy
I know I was being a bit fanciful but I thought in the original top twenty at the beginning of this thread, the merit element seemed to get convolved with ease of availability. What you ended up was more like the twenty best-known snowdrops than the twenty best snowdrops.
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Yes, it isn't clear whether it is a poll of the twenty best, twenty favourite of the twenty most grown and if we weren't a big fanciful we would never look for something different.
Paddy
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My Top Ten in no particular order are
Bucks Green Tip
Bertram Anderson
Trym
Wendy"s gold
Diggory
Sandersii Grp
Marjory Brown
David Shackleton
Sophie North
Wasp ( although I have still to obtain this one)
Eric
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Blond Inge [for having yellow inners and a green ovary]
Galanthus peshmanii [for being reliable in the autumn]
Galatea [for being bold, reliable and clumping up]
Greenish [for being virescent, alive and late]
Hill Poe [to represent all the doubles – regular and substantial]
John Gray [was my first ‘special’ and clumps up well]
South Hayes [for being the only one my Mother can see ‘isn’t just another white one’]
Wendy’s Gold [the best and most robust yellow I have]
Walrus [for being unique!]
Wasp [for elegance of form]
Chad
ps. that was neatly tabulated in draft!
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Blond Inge [for having yellow inners and a green ovary]
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Funny, I dislike Blond(e) Inge for just the same reason.
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but when she is grown well and is a good sized group, I say, she looks great
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I've yet to see her looking anything other than plain and mousey.
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South Hayes [for being the only one my Mother can see ‘isn’t just another white one’]
;D Precisely the collection I have been trying to get together - ones that my mum (or a lot of other people for that matter ::)) can actually see the difference. ;D
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I've yet to see her looking anything other than plain and mousey.
I have had mine for two years and yet to see any sign of yellow and a very poor grower too.
Wished I would have kept the Lyzzick I exchanged for them.
Eric
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Re 'Blonde Inge': I had felt very disappointed with this snowdrop for the past few years; was asked by a friend for some bulbs earlier this year and passed them on with the reservation that it was hardly worth having. However, I feel it has progressed well in the garden and I like it again. Previously, I had thought the inner segments were poorly coloured, not particularly different, but this year I feel they are quite nice.
Paddy
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My favourites - I am a 'drifts' person so:
Atkinsii
Nivalis
N Flora Pleno
When I have seen any other drops in the 100,000 then I will revise my list ;D
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My favourites - I am a 'drifts' person so:
Atkinsii
Nivalis
N Flora Pleno
When I have seen any other drops in the 100,000 then I will revise my list ;D
Atkinsii in that number !!!!!!!
Eric
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Atkinsii in that number !!!!!!!
There must be at least that many in the wood at Painswick Roccoco Garden 8) 8) 8)
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Blonde Inge [thanks for the spelling Alan],
'Plain and mousey'.
Mmmm.
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Blond Inge
'Plain and mousey'.
Mmmm.
Not at all mousey and a good doer :)
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Chad,
That photograph shows it at its best, well illustrated! And, at that it is a nice snowdrop.
Paddy
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Blond Inge [for having yellow inners and a green ovary]
it`s an unusual yellow drop with only a few sisters. I like it over all.
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I like her also :D
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Another newbie with this dreadful affliction…
I’ve been enjoying your photos, descriptions and top 10 lists. If you were asked to draw up a top 5 or top 10 of gardens to visit what would be on it?
Down in Sussex, in the hinterland at least, snowdrops are thin on the ground. Over the last couple of years, I’ve only got around 5 or 6 gardens. The favourites were
- Colesbourne Park for its swathes of snowdrops, romantic setting and an interesting selection of rarer drops , if rather tiddly clumps.
- Beeches (?) at the latest CGS Snowdrop Day – very restful garden with large number of specialist drops
Regards, Malcolm.
Sussex, High Weald.
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My sympathies to you on your 'drop affliction, Malcom.....or should we just call it Dropsey? You'll likely find this place soothing and ennervating in equal measure and you are most welcome to join us.
I am personally liable to exclaim "Good Grief" quite frequently, so please do not take it amiss ::) ;)
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WElcome to the forum, Malcolm.
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should we just call it Dropsey?
;D ;D ::) ;D ;D
Welcome to the forum Malcolm.
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Another newbie with this dreadful affliction…
I’ve been enjoying your photos, descriptions and top 10 lists. If you were asked to draw up a top 5 or top 10 of gardens to visit what would be on it?
Down in Sussex, in the hinterland at least, snowdrops are thin on the ground. Over the last couple of years, I’ve only got around 5 or 6 gardens. The favourites were
- Colesbourne Park for its swathes of snowdrops, romantic setting and an interesting selection of rarer drops , if rather tiddly clumps.
- Beeches (?) at the latest CGS Snowdrop Day – very restful garden with large number of specialist drops
Regards, Malcolm.
Sussex, High Weald.
I see you're still waiting for a response to your question about good snowdrop gardens, Malcolm. Since I'm miles away in Aberdeen, I'm not in a great position to help yoiu.... but the Snnowdrop festival websites must be a good starting place every year... and the gardens which were open this year, for instance, will still be listed so you can make a note for next season.
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I see you're still waiting for a response to your question about good snowdrop gardens, Malcolm. Since I'm miles away in Aberdeen, I'm not in a great position to help yoiu.... but the Snnowdrop festival websites must be a good starting place every year... and the gardens which were open this year, for instance, will still be listed so you can make a note for next season.
I've been contemplating Cambo Estates tour/lunch. I do have west coast connections, so Scottish gardens are not out of the question.
Thanks, Malcolm.
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Some of the best snowdrop gardens I have visited have been small suburban gardens that open one day a year for charity. A seasoned snowdrop collector will have many rare and unusual varieties and, if you're lucky, the time to talk to you about them. Unfortunately I have never visited Sussex at snowdrop time but a good place to look for open gardens is the garden finder at http://www.ngs.org.uk/ .
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I've been contemplating Cambo Estates tour/lunch. I do have west coast connections, so Scottish gardens are not out of the question.
Thanks, Malcolm.
I went to Cambo two years ago and had a lovely day. It has a big collection, lovely wood with drifts, the most charming tea room and good plant sales at reasonable prices. You can even get to the beach through the wood and my (admittedly limited) experience of the East Neuk is that the sun is always shining 8) 8)
There are other places in the area to see drifts of snowdrops and a good place to visit while you are up there is the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens. They do free guided snowdrop walks around their collection all through the season. If you have time you can visit one of the big houses in the Borders or Howick Hall in Northumberland on the way up or down.
We could do with an English version of the Visitscotland Snowdrop Festival to gather all the snowdrop garden information into one place.
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We could do with an English version of the Visitscotland Snowdrop Festival to gather all the snowdrop garden information into one place.
Ooops! I never imagined for a moment that there was NOT an English version :P
In that case the National Gardens Scheme listings is likely the next best starting place, as Alan auggests.
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Back from Old Trafford and feeling suitably spaced-out for an entry to the Top Ten stakes. In no special order
1. Flore pleno in quantity in woodland, eg at Waterperry Gardens
2. St Annes
3. Bill Bishop
4. Margaret Biddulph
5. Savills Gold (partly because my no.1 challenge is to try to grow a good healthy clump)
6. Esther Merton
7. Marlie Raphael
8. woronowii Cider with Rosie
9. Reverend Hailstone (the best early I grow with a wonderful scent)
10. Alan's Treat.
It turned out to be quite a tough task.
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6. Esther Merton
7. Marlie Raphael
Never heard of them. Do you have photos?
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I only have no. 1 :o
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I don't even have no. 1 as described; just a few unhappy clumps in some of the less-hospitable parts of my garden. If Steve has the time I would be very interested to hear about the particular merits of snowdrops 2 to 10 in his list.
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No. 1 is a bit of a weed in my garden in the sense it pops up everywhere and usually where it's not supposed to! :-\
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;D ;D ;D
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I don't even have no. 1 as described; just a few unhappy clumps in some of the less-hospitable parts of my garden. If Steve has the time I would be very interested to hear about the particular merits of snowdrops 2 to 10 in his list.
Hi Alan and others
Sorry to be slow to respond.
I'll try to do so briefly;
St Annes is listed and pictured at P.268 in the Book. Its attraction for me is as a tight knit clump with distinctive narrow leaves and flowers like small pearl drops.
Bill Bishop listed and pictured at p.229. The winning combination for me is a large bell-shaped flower borne close to the ground on quite a small plant, and one that readily clumps up.
Margaret Biddulph must be one of the best virescents, originating I believe from Simon Biddulph at Rodmarton (here and generally I am happy to be put right if in error). I found I didn't have a pic of my own and I hope Mark will forgive me if I include for ease of reference one of the excellent pics from his website.
Savill Gold is listed and pictured at p.94 of the Book. I include it because my challenge is to grow this reluctant grower into something healthy and impressive. If anyone can post a pic of such a clump I would be greatly encouraged!
Esther Merton is for me the most perfect double I have seen - better and daintier than Ailwyn. Pic included. Too early for me to say how easy it is to grow.
Marlie Raphael is at p.185 of the Book, but is a mystery lady. An elwesii with distinctive glaucous leaves, it appears that there is some variability around the inner markings; some are as the pic in the Book, others have an upper mark and two lower marks. The soft lime-green markings of inners and outers are common across the variants.
Woronowii Cider with Rosie is another I don't have my own pic for; I include a nice one from Judy's Snowdrops website and hope that doesn't offend. The combination of bright green leaves and the delicate lime-green markings is a winning one.
Rev Hailstone is one of my very earliest; with a wonderful scent; very vigorous. I believe it may be Michael Broadhurst's plant ex-Anglesey Abbey.
Finally Alan's Treat. From Alan Street at Avon Bulbs; green tips to both outers and inners, vigorous, a super plant to grow. My piuc comes from the German website Galanthus-online.de to whom thanks of course.
I MUST take more photos next year.....
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Only 1 attached pic appeared with the post. Back in a mo....
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Here are the missing pics....
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Steve,
A wonderful selection of snowdrops and I can understand how you have listed them as your favourites.
Paddy
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and here are the remainder....
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Thank you Steve, CIDER WITH ROSIE looks very impressive.
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Thanks, Steve, that looks like a wonderful selection of snowdrops. Many of them had 'passed under my radar', presumably because they are so rare you never get to see them.
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I do like 'Alan's Treat'. 8)