Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: KentGardener on March 01, 2009, 07:43:37 AM
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I got some nice pollen from Phil Cornish's collection today. Anyone want to see photos? ;D
Yes please Martin. Without 'the driver' I didn't get to Phil's this year so would love to see some photos.
Regards
John
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I got some nice pollen from Phil Cornish's collection today. Anyone want to see photos? ;D
Yes please Martin. Without 'the driver' I didn't get to Phil's this year so would love to see some photos.
Regards
John
Just to make it clear, I think most of us would prefer photos of the collection rather than photos of the pollen.
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I got some nice pollen from Phil Cornish's collection today. Anyone want to see photos? ;D
Yes please Martin. Without 'the driver' I didn't get to Phil's this year so would love to see some photos.
Regards
John
Just to make it clear, I think most of us would prefer photos of the collection rather than photos of the pollen.
That'll teach me not to joke around so much! My little jest has backfired on me. :-[ I was of course talking about the pollen. Now I feel bad that I didn't have time (it was a very brief visit as I was rushed and Phil had to be somewhere) to take the camera with me. Mind you, like my snowdrops, Phil's were quickly going over in this amazing spell of warm weather so there wouldn't have been much to photograph anyway - as indeed there isn't in my garden now. But, my conscience now pricked, I'll out tae the garden today armed not just wi' a pollen brush with also wi' a camera to see if anything interesting is still snappable.
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John,
"A dark corner" sounds just about right; in much the same way as one would ask if someone can sing "Far Away",
Paddy
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Hi Rob
When you use the word "allways" in your posts. Can I ask how long your plants have always displayed these characteristics. I just worry about this information being written here 'forever more on the world wide web' - as I know that some plants take a few years to settle down to their proper behaviour.
I wonder, have you have been growing these plants for more than 2 years?
Hope this isn't too nosey of me. :) :-[
Many thanks
John
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John I'm lost with your photos from Robin Halls. Are you saying the middle photo is Ruby Baker or Cicely Hall?
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John I'm lost with your photos from Robin Halls. Are you saying the middle photo is Ruby Baker or Cicely Hall?
He states it is 'Ruby Baker'. I also agree with John, 2 years isn't long enough to grow a plant all ways; only some ways. ::)
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John I'm lost with your photos from Robin Halls. Are you saying the middle photo is Ruby Baker or Cicely Hall?
As I read John's post, he's saying that the middle pic is Ruby Baker, the last pic is lutescens, and he has a pic of Cicely Hall but hasn't located it so can't post it yet.
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well john i say 'allways' when talking about forge double as the monograph states this! forge double never produces mature phase flowers, allways immature phase, or in the words of the monograph 'mature phase flowers have never been seen'
as for straffan its 'allways' a good doer, becuase it allways produces at least one scape, but usualy 2, a hardy allround good snowdrop.
all pictures i show are of plants i have been growing for at least 2 seasons, alot of my stuff that i obtain 'in the green' is too poor to take photos of, i wait until they are settled with me, then take photos.
no pont in showing something thats not been growing with me is there?
does that explain it for you john?
Yes.
Thanks Rob.
John
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a green flowered G. nivalis I found in our garden two years ago. One flower then, nine now...
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Robin that is a stunner 8)
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Gosh. :o
Robin that is stunning.
(and from 1 flower to 9 flowers in two years - hopefully that means it will be a strong growing one 8))
Cheers
John
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Robin,
Brilliant flower.
Paddy
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A fantastic green snowdrop Robin to make everyone green with envy. 8) Have you thought of registering it and giving it a name? Green and vigorous! Gosh! Much better than my 'Greenish' which has produced only leaves this year.
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a green flowered G. nivalis I found in our garden two years ago. One flower then, nine now...
Robin - That one is phenomenol! And better still it is a nivalis. Congratulations. If you had money in the stock market I think you may very well make up your losses with this one. Maybe you should call it Green Backs ;)
We saw Rosemary Burnham and Mary Biddulph in John Grimshaw's garden growing almost side by side. Mary was very intense green compared to Rosemary, yet in a garden the day before we saw almost the reverse. Rosemary was very pale at Helen Dillon's in Dublin. Neither compare with your dark beauty.
There is actually a snowdrop against the house here showing colour.
johnw
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a green flowered G. nivalis I found in our garden two years ago. One flower then, nine now...
Amazing, Robin! Absolutely superb. Do you know how to chip bulbs yourself to get even faster increase? If not, I and others on the forum can advise you.
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That's a real beauty, and vigorous too - well spotted (you could hardly miss it could you!).
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Exquisite!!
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Absolutely beautiful. I particularly like the fact that it looks like a "negative" of a typical green-tipped snowdrop with white tips on the otherwise green outers. I recommend you split the clump and move some of it to a safe distance away just as a precaution against disease or other disaster. And if, in the process you should end up with a spare one you would like to swap then send me a personal message (but I might well find myself in competition with the rest of the forum).
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I would willingly pay for Colin Mason to chip/twinscale for a share in the proceeds ;) ;D ;)
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Hi Rob
When you use the word "allways" in your posts. Can I ask how long your plants have always displayed these characteristics. I just worry about this information being written here 'forever more on the world wide web' - as I know that some plants take a few years to settle down to their proper behaviour.
I wonder, have you have been growing these plants for more than 2 years?
Hope this isn't too nosey of me. :) :-[
Many thanks
John
well john i say 'allways' when talking about forge double as the monograph states this! forge double never produces mature phase flowers, allways immature phase, or in the words of the monograph 'mature phase flowers have never been seen'
as for straffan its 'allways' a good doer, becuase it allways produces at least one scape, but usualy 2, a hardy allround good snowdrop.
all pictures i show are of plants i have been growing for at least 2 seasons, alot of my stuff that i obtain 'in the green' is too poor to take photos of, i wait until they are settled with me, then take photos.
no pont in showing something thats not been growing with me is there?
does that explain it for you john? ;)
rob
All ways means everywhich way, whereas always means every time. There is no such word as 'allways'.
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I put Green Mile on my wish list!
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Oops! Didn't see the name :-[, but I guess it'll be on my wish list too? :)
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Hi Robin, like everyone else your snowdrop is sensational and i know you have the skills to chip this yourself but many people would advise you if you need help, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Robin - this is a superb green snowdrop and I was very surprised when I saw it the first time on the AGS Onlineshow -( and even more when I saw it was not first rated snowdrop ::))
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that really is stunning! what a lovely find.
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The End of February was phenomenal. GREEN MILE, what a fine green snowdrop. Time goes on. The continental season is on the way. Here you can see WARM LIGHT. It`s good enough that you will find it every year out of all cultivares.
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Thats a lovely cream flushed snowdrop. Did you find it? Are the inners cream also?
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Mark, we can wait and look later. For you only. The creamy light will go to white ( a week later)
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Hagen,
The snowdrop on the right seems to have a particularly large ovary. Nice snowdrop. Paddy
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Hi all,
Thanks for your admiring words. It allmost feels as if I created the plant myself and not just spotted it on a rainy sunday afternoon two years ago in a drift of regular white nivalis.
My only intention was to show you a picture of this rather unusual (I thought) coloured Galanthus. I certainly did not intend to give these quiet little plants the fright of their lives by threatening them with horrible words as twinscaling, chipping, narcissus flies and other monsters :).
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Hi all,
Thanks for your admiring words. It allmost feels as if I created the plant myself and not just spotted it on a rainy sunday afternoon two years ago in a drift of regular white nivalis.
My only intention was to show you a picture of this rather unusual (I thought) coloured Galanthus. I certainly did not intend to give these quiet little plants the fright of their lives by threatening them with horrible words as twinscaling, chipping, narcissus flies and other monsters :).
In that case, Robin, you had better plant it somewhere very private and quiet or the little flowers may be terrified by some Galanthophile! :o
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To all the people who sent me personal messages regarding 'Green Mile':
I will try to answer them all tomorrow evening after school.
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I can offer help with homework if that is any good.
Actually, if you were a student in my school, I would excuse you homework altogether.
Paddy
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I certainly did not intend to give these quiet little plants the fright of their lives by threatening them with horrible words as twinscaling, chipping, narcissus flies and other monsters :).
You can be sure that the only way to keep these bulbs going is to scare them literally with a knife in the right hands. The Narcissus fly will read the headlines in it's newspaper This summer.
Stuff and nonsense, plants have survived for hundreds of years by doing what they want, and Robin's 'drops could do just that. If they are fit and healthy they will increase and thrive, as millions of snowdrops have done before, without human intervention...... all this talk of twinscaling is fuelled by the Galanthophiles who are so desperate to have these rarities multiplied for distribution ..... a fever replicated in some circles in respect of other unusual plants....... grow your Green Mile yourself, Robin, and , in a few years, if it proves to be of sound constitution and habit, then think about multiplying it for the ravenous hordes. I think of tales I have heard of plants given for propagation which come back with virus, or do not come back at all...... not everything in the world of plants is fair or fine..... be suspicious, and proceed with caution! That's my advice!
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You can be sure that the only way to keep these bulbs going is to scare them literally with a knife in the right hands. The Narcissus fly will read the headlines in it's newspaper This summer.
Sorry, Mark, but Ian already said that he knows Robin has the skill to chip one or two of the bulbs himself if he wants to, and Robin seems from his posts in other threads to be a knowledgeable young plantsman, plus people have offered advice if it's needed, so I'm not sure that your emphasis of "in the right hands" re chipping is entirely appropriate. I know everyone would like to see this wonderful snowdrop available for more people to grow, but I get the feeling that Robin can be trusted with the care and increase of the bulbs.
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Quite so Martin. I wonder how long it took Galanthus alpinus bortkewitschianus to bulk up, after all, it now covers ~6 hextares (60,000m2)? It has done so by vegetative means naturally as the flowers of this triploid (3n = 36) are infertile.
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Quite so Martin. I wonder how long it took Galanthus alpinus bortkewitschianus to bulk up, after all, it now covers ~6 hextares (60,000m2)? It has done so by vegetative means naturally as the flowers of this triploid (3n = 36) are infertile.
While it’s true that triploids do not typically set viable seed when pollinated by diploid pollen, many triploids will set abundant viable seed when pollinated by suitable tetraploid pollen.
Are there such things as tetraploid snowdrops?
Also, if bortkewitschianus is a triploid clone (rather than a sexually reproducing population), then I don’t think it should have a botanical name, it should have a clonal name. On the other hand, if bortkewitschianus is of hybrid origin (many triploids seem to be), then the name bortkewitschianus becomes available (confusingly) for all plants of similar parentage (but not necessarily similar appearance).
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Quite so Martin. I wonder how long it took Galanthus alpinus bortkewitschianus to bulk up, after all, it now covers ~6 hextares (60,000m2)? It has done so by vegetative means naturally as the flowers of this triploid (3n = 36) are infertile.
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Also, if bortkewitschianus is a triploid clone (rather than a sexually reproducing population), then I don’t think it should have a botanical name, it should have a clonal name....
According to The Book; " Galanthus alpinus var. bortkewitschianus is known from only one restricted locality ... where it is said to form a single vegatatively propagating population covering five to six hectares. Artjushenko reports that it is sterile...".
The only factor I can see that distinguishes bortkewitschianus from the mass of G. alpinus apart from the fact that it happens to be a sterile clone is that the bulb scales are described as yellowish whereas in other G. alpinus they are described as whitish. So I'm with Jim, in that I don't see the reason why bortkewitschianus is var. bortkewitschianus and not just bortkewitschianus
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I certainly did not intend to give these quiet little plants the fright of their lives by threatening them with horrible words as twinscaling, chipping, narcissus flies and other monsters :).
You can be sure that the only way to keep these bulbs going is to scare them literally with a knife in the right hands. The Narcissus fly will read the headlines in it's newspaper This summer.
Mark seems to have attracted a chorus of criticism for this remark; I'm left wondering what he means. By the time you come to chip or twin scale a bulb the narcissus fly would have done its deed so I presume in such cases one cuts open a bulb to find a narcissus fly larva in the middle but perhaps giving you the option of salvaging the bulb before it is completely eaten. Is this a common occurrence amongst those who do twin scaling???
In general, I suppose the act of twin-scaling forces you to remove the bulb elsewhere so at least you spread the risk away from having a single clump. But I am not convinced that the mathematics of twin-scaling always beats natural division. If Robin has gone from one flower two years ago to nine flowers this year that would seem to imply a rapid increase by natural division.
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According to The Book; " Galanthus alpinus var. bortkewitschianus is known from only one restricted locality ... where it is said to form a single vegatatively propagating population covering five to six hectares. Artjushenko reports that it is sterile...".
The only factor I can see that distinguishes bortkewitschianus from the mass of G. alpinus apart from the fact that it happens to be a sterile clone is that the bulb scales are described as yellowish whereas in other G. alpinus they are described as whitish. So I'm with Jim, in that I don't see the reason why bortkewitschianus is var. bortkewitschianus and not just bortkewitschianus
So should it not be Galanthus alpinus forma bortkewitschianus (or if you want to give it a clonal name Galanthus alpinus 'Bortkewitschianus')? ::)
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According to The Book; " Galanthus alpinus var. bortkewitschianus is known from only one restricted locality ... where it is said to form a single vegatatively propagating population covering five to six hectares. Artjushenko reports that it is sterile...".
The only factor I can see that distinguishes bortkewitschianus from the mass of G. alpinus apart from the fact that it happens to be a sterile clone is that the bulb scales are described as yellowish whereas in other G. alpinus they are described as whitish. So I'm with Jim, in that I don't see the reason why bortkewitschianus is var. bortkewitschianus and not just bortkewitschianus
So should it not be Galanthus alpinus forma bortkewitschianus (or if you want to give it a clonal name Galanthus alpinus 'Bortkewitschianus')? ::)
To my mind it is halfway to becoming a new species. The next step will be polyploidy of all 36 chromosomes to become a fertile hexaploid. This could be induced using colchicine, but sometime somewhere it will happen naturally. I wonder how long bortkewitschianus has been in existance? It would take a long time to bulk up to 6 hectares, unless they reproduce like trifids? :o
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Alan, I wasn't intending to criticise Mark or cause offence and I wasn't saying that chipping shouldn't be tried at all. I was just reminding people that Ian had said he knew Robin had the ability to chip the snowdrop himself; and that forumists continuing to press Robin to send bulbs away for chipping, such as Mark advocating and emphasising chipping "in the right hands" (with 'right' underlined for emphasis) could be interpreted as casting doubt on Robin's ability to look after and increase his own bulbs. That may or may not have been what Mark meant, but I thought it was open to that interpretation. Perhaps Mark could clarify what he meant. But as I understand it, Robin and his family are experienced and knowledgeable plantspeople with the ability to care for 'Green Mile' and with equally knowledgeable and experienced connections who can advise them if need be, so I don't think anyone needs to worry about the snowdrop being lost.
I don't think Mark was talking about chipping as a remedy after narcissus fly infestation. I'm sure he meant using chipping to increase stocks, thereby increasing the odds of bulbs surviving in the event of a narcissus fly attack - plus more bulbs to play with equals more clumps spread around the garden which, as Alan rightly states, is a good insurance against loss from pests and disease. I've found it's possible to rescue a fly-infested bulb by cleaning and chipping, provided some basal plate remains. I haven't tried chipping where the basal plate has been eaten or rotted away. However, trials are showing that basal plate material is not essential for some bulbil formation (as bulbils can form on severed bulb tops and on the sides of leaf scales) so in future I will try chipping to save damaged bulbs even if no basal plate is left.
I certainly would not advise chipping all the bulbs of 'Green Mile' in case it proves resistant to chipping, no bublis form and the plant is lost. It's unlikely, but some snowdrops do resist chipping and twin scaling and chipping all the bulbs could be risky. However, chipping just one or two bulbs would be a worthwhile experiment, would help increase the stocks and would give a useful comparison between speed of naural increase versus speed of increase from chipping.
If chipping is successful and fast then it can help provide Robin with more stock for himself and for swopping with other growers if he wants to do that. I'm sure he would get some excellent swops for such a good snowdrop. Alternatively, he may want to bulk it up himself for some kind of commercial release. Those are, of course, his decisions to make.
'Green Mile' does seem to be a strong natural increaser, although perhaps Robin could check to see if it's producing twin scapes from each bulb - if so, then the good increase in flower power in just two years may be partly down to the bulbs maturing and starting to double up flower production, and in that case there may not be as many bulbs there as the number of flowers suggests. Either way, it will hopefully be a strong natural increaser, but a little judicious chipping as well can't hurt - it may (especially if it's a strong triploid, which many green-outer snowdrops are) turn out to respond very well indeed to chipping, producing big, flowering size bulbs very fast; which would be useful to know.
More generally, I know some forumists have been concerned that Robin may have been swamped with requests and advice re. 'Green Mile', and his last post does seem to confirm that. The high level of interest is of course understandable given the superb plant he's discovered, but I would like to hope that people can continue to feel free to post photos of highly desirable and very short-supply plants and bulbs without feeling that they will automatically be deluged with requests which it can be embarrassing to have to refuse. I'm sure everyone will agree with that, as otherwise people may feel reluctant to post such pictures, but I guess the problem is that no-one thinks their request or piece of well-meaning advice will become part of a flood. I didn't. I just hope Robin doesn't feel too overwhelmed by our interest.
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Martin, I agree wholeheartedly. I hope Robin can cope with the deluge of interest his snowdrops have excited.
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I hope Robin can cope with the deluge of interest his snowdrops have excited.
Seconded.
johnw
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Here is nice plump one we admired at Colesbourne - 'Pat Mason'.
johnw
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Winter has gone in Germany and the first snowdrops appear.
Between some "standard" forms I found these:
- Double headed elwesii
- yellowish elwesii (wasn't there last year!)
- deformed nivalis
- reginae-olgae ssp vernalis with 3 bits and a green striped form (out since November!)
In the February thread there was a discussion about Galanthus alpinus and bortkewitschianus.
I didn't find any photos so here are some. Cant see any
difference so I have to check the bulbs when dormant in summer.
Next is Galanthus carbadensis.
Is Galanthus nivalis ssp imperati a valid name? Or is it forma/var imperati.
In every case the leaves don't look like the standard nivalis plants.
Finally Galanthus Wasp
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Nice to see pics of alpinus and cabardensis Thomas. They are two species on my hit list. I love the way you have managed to flower them with their leaves still quite small. 8) What's the secret?
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I love the way you have managed to flower them with their leaves still quite small. 8) What's the secret?
No secret, they have been frozen until last week. Don't know if they do it the same way after a warm winter.
Perhaps I can tell you next year.
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Yes she is certainly attractive John 8)
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Threes heads seen in England last month
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It looks virused.
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It looks virused.
The flower stem on the right does look a bit virused, Mark, and the leaf on the left looks like it might have virus or stagonosphora. I'm starting to think virtually all snowdrops carry viruses unless they're brand new seedlings, and even then I'm not sure. So many can look okay at the start of the season and then start to look virused as the weather warms up and virus activity picks up. My 'Sophie North' looked fine earlier, but now they look virusy. :-[
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In the February thread there was a discussion about Galanthus alpinus and bortkewitschianus.
I didn't find any photos so here are some. Cant see any
difference so I have to check the bulbs when dormant in summer.
Proceed with caution. I have a pot of Galanthus alpinus bortkewitschianus which I intended to inspect and re-pot in the summer but left this until the end of August. What I found was that the bulbs had already formed extensive roots. Rather than disturb these roots, I abandoned my plans. But it may be that this species breaks its dormancy earlier than other snowdrops.
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It looks virused.
The flower stem on the right does look a bit virused, Mark, and the leaf on the left looks like it might have virus or stagonosphora. I'm starting to think virtually all snowdrops carry viruses unless they're brand new seedlings, and even then I'm not sure. So many can look okay at the start of the season and then start to look virused as the weather warms up and virus activity picks up. My 'Sophie North' looked fine earlier, but now they look virusy. :-[
Many of you may remember my concerns last year about virus in my own garden! I ended up moving at least 2 dozen of my Galanthus to my parent's garden during spring 2008.
Many of you may also know that my favourite saying is "Every day is a school day!" .....and I hope that every year I gain a little more experience.
Something said to me recently by an SRGC member has stuck in my mind - and possibly eased some of my previous fears is.....
'Late Season Virus Symptons'
I have only had LSVS mentioned to me, for the first time, a few weeks ago. It really has made me think that if things look crap at the beginning of the season then they are most probably sick - but if, after a happy growing period; post flowering or being dug up or setting seed or rubbish weather or any other strain on their normal cycle; then it could just be some 'resident viral symptoms that may possibly exist in many snowdrops'?......
If nothing else - this could have given us something to argue about now that the photographs of flowering snowdrops are coming to their end for Spring 2009.
With my best wishes
John ;D ;)
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As far as I'm aware, John, all plant viruses become more active during warmer weather and less active during cold weather, so the symptoms of any virus-infected plant that makes leaves during winter, like snowdrops, may not show symptoms early on when the weather is cold, but produce symptoms when the weather warms up. And it is later in the season that you tend to see the worst viral symptoms appearing on snowdrops (often ones that earlier seemed quite healthy). I think that's why the whole virus busines scan be so confusing. Plants can be sold early in the year when the seller sees no virus, then later the buyer spots it.
Symptoms that are due purely to poor growing conditions, stress, lack of nutrients, etc with no virus involvement should appear early on and improve as the weather warms up and growing conditions improve, e.g. warmer root temperatures, more sunlight for photosynthesis etc.
Yesterday I also moved my clump of Ron Mackenzie's "virus-free" Augustus because, although it always lools clean to start with, at this time of year it starts to show leaf stripes.
The answer in the long run I would think is to raise lots of new snowdrops from seed and select for virus resistance, gradually building resistance into future generations so that the bulbs can live with the viruses and still perform well.
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Bulbs root from July!
16th July '06
2nd August '03
23rd August '06
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A good example of why some bulbs really resent being dry packed and sold in bags in September!
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Bulbs root from July!
16th July '06
2nd August '03
23rd August '06
Hi Mark
Unfortunately I wasn't a member of SRGC in 2003 - I hope you don't mind but could I ask what each of these pictures are of please?
Many thanks
John
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You want me to remember 6 years ago! I can hardy remember what I did last month. The photos show Narcissus, Galanthus and Narcissus.
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I'm not to know who Robin is and if he can or cant chip or twinscale.
That's exactly why I was trying to point out that Ian Christie had already posted to say that he knew Robin had the skill to chip his own snowdrops. I assumed you'd missed it. I'd also seen some of Robin's posts elsewhere on the forum and I talked to another forum member who confirmed what I felt, that Robin and his family were experienced gardeners who would not neccessarily need to get someone else to propagate the snowdrops for them, especially if specialist advice was available to them through the forum. So I was trying to let people know the situation, that there was no need to keep pushing the question of third party chipping and that those amazing snowdrops were in safe hands and would not disappear through ignorance or neglect. I was just trying to clarify things.
The situations you mention where snowdrops were "taken" for chipping were of course bulbs being taken with the agreement of the owners, who presumably did not want to do the chipping themselves. No-one just came along and said those are being taken away to be chipped whether you like it or not.
I don't think I was throwing any shit in your direction, just trying to inject some facts into the discussion in the hope of calming things down a bit, because I did feel that Robin was coming under a lot of pressure. They are his snowdrops after all and no-one can tell him what to do with them, only advise, preferably based on the facts of the situation.
Now can we all kiss and make up?
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Here's some flowering yesterday:
Galanthus nivalis 'Streifen-Weh';
G. n. 'Federkleid';
G. n. 'Anglesey Abbey';
G. gracilis;
G. plicatus 'Warham' doing something strange
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Anthony,
Being a bit to the south, G. 'Anglesey Abbey' and G. gracilis are completely finished here. There are just a few stray flowers left on G. 'Warham' while G. 'Federkleid' and G. 'Sreifen-Weh' are certainly well past their best.
Of course, this means that we can look forward to postings from forumists on the continent whose gardens are only now reappearing from the snow and beginning to thaw again. The season will continue for another while, at least on the forum.
Paddy
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It looks virused.
Keen eye Mark. I never even noticed. One has to wonder about virus; it is said that Nerines have latent virus that can be activated by over application of nitrogen and put back to rest by slacking off the nitrogen. I wonder if the same might be said for Galanthus i.e. cultural conditions etc. Has anyone seen virus back-off or is it the road to death.
No back seat please Mark or we'll send Maggi off on Ryanair to Antrim. Your advice is wise re: getting new material propagated asap. How many new rhodos have I seen destroyed by weevils the moment a name was contemplated or the thought arose that it was a keeper - those weevil eyes bulge the moment a label goes on.
johnw
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Hi all,
I already received more requests for a spare bulb of G. 'Green Mile' than I actually have. I am going to try to increase the stock in the next two years so that I can provide everyone a bulb who wants one...
Robin
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Hi all,
I already received more requests for a spare bulb of G. 'Green Mile' than I actually have. I am going to try to increase the stock in the next two years so that I can provide everyone a bulb who wants one...
Robin
Robin I think that's no small undertaking, because I suspect many more people who would like a 'Green Mile' did not ask or do not read this forum.
Do you know of Joe Sharman? He is a nurseryman who specialises in snowdrops (but who sells a much wider range of plants) and organises the UK Galanthus Gala. About 25 years ago his mother found Wendy's Gold, the yellow Galanthus plicatus. Joe built up his stock of this, was invited to snowdrop events where he swapped Wendy's Gold for other snowdrops so built up a collection of rare snowdrops which he now offers for sale. I wonder if you will be doing something similar in 25 years time?
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You may have noticed the label in the pot in front of the gracilis? Well, my first Galanthus platyphyllus opened today. When the snow goes and it opens fully I'll post a pic.
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Here's some flowering yesterday:
G. n. 'Federkleid';
This is the second time in as many weeks that I have seen a photograph of 'FederKleid' - I am really liking the shape of that 'Spring Dress'. Definitely one to be added to my Galanthus search list.
Cheers
John
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Proceed with caution. I have a pot of Galanthus alpinus bortkewitschianus which I intended to inspect and re-pot in the summer but left this until the end of August. What I found was that the bulbs had already formed extensive roots. Rather than disturb these roots, I abandoned my plans. But it may be that this species breaks its dormancy earlier than other snowdrops.
Thanks for the tip, Alan. I already made my experiences when I wanted to replant
Galanthus in July and found them well rooted. Will try to check bortkewitschianus
in June and tell you what I found.
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Pity I missed the gathering in Oirlich, as it is not far away from Cologne, but so is it. By the time I hear of such gatherings, they are always over. Germans are not good at getting the news about. We really need to network better.
I have a question for you experts. The attached Galanthus popped-up in my garden some years ago and I've never seen another quite like it. It looks to be a huge G. nivalis, but blooms about 10-14 days before and is over twice the size. Maybe a tetraploid? The upper flower is a typical nivalis in my garden for comparison. Any ideas?
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Galanthophiles, is this unusually large for G.elwesii or any chance it is subsp.minor? ( 6cm from petal tip to petal tip )
Cheers
Hristo
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Flowering now
Augustus 3a
Virescens 1a
Blewbury Tart 2a
Amy Jade 1a
Merlin a
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Jamie,
that you never miss any of the events in the future I send you this link
http://www.gartenlinksammlung.de/reise1.htm
Sorry forumist only in German
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My first genuine Galanthus platyphyllus (some I bought last year turned out to be woronowii) is pictured here.
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Top Anthony, I have never seen a flower of this plant before. Now I see a pic at least. Thanks for sharing
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Back from the GARTENBOTANISCHE VEREINIGUNG here are a few galanthus pics.
SOUTH HAYES
CASTLE STRAIN
BIG BOY
LAPWING
COWHOUSE GREEN
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So that's where the Big Boys hang out? I've never seen a pic of 'Cowhouse Green'. I've heard it is tricky to grow. Not a patch on the German green ones or 'Green Mile' though.
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Goodness, Hagen, what a surprise seeing my snowdrops here in the internet ... but the pics you took of them are really beautiful ... :)
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Anthony,
I got 'Cowhouse Green' 5 years ago, and it is still just one bulb. But it looks good and healthy and produces 2 scapes this year.
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Solid green snowdrop with no white at all, in Dublin. But where can I find one?
johnw
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.....But where can I find one?
johnw
Very nice! Where can I find one too. ;) ;D ::)
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I've never seen a pic of 'Cowhouse Green'.
Have you been falling asleep while browsing the forum again Anthony? ;D
Page 33 of Galanthus February 2009 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3035.msg77141#msg77141)
Page 36 of Galanthus Events 2009 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2604.msg76656#msg76656)
John
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Schön, daß Du nun hier dabei bist Thomas!!!
I wanted to preserve your anonymity on the Internet, so I haven`t told your name and your gardens name. But now it`s much easier. And you came to us with personal name and avatar. I`m curious for your coming comments and pics ( a few words in German, only for me, would be fine ;))
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Pretty Close
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I've never seen a pic of 'Cowhouse Green'.
Have you been falling asleep while browsing the forum again Anthony? ;D
Page 33 of Galanthus February 2009 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=3035.msg77141#msg77141)
Page 36 of Galanthus Events 2009 (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2604.msg76656#msg76656)
John
Oops. Must be getting old. :-[
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My first genuine Galanthus platyphyllus (some I bought last year turned out to be woronowii) is pictured here.
I eventually returned the "platyphyllus" I bought at RHS Wisley for a refund, on the basis that it was too early flowering and had a notch on the inner petals. But it would seem somebody is distributing a snowdrop under the name "platyphyllus" that is either wrongly-named or highly atypical compared to what Anthony has and what is described in The Book.
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I've never seen a pic of 'Cowhouse Green'.
Anthony,
I know that there are a couple of pictures already on the forum but here's a picture of my Cowhouse Green. It is more subtle than Green Mile but still a lovely flower.
David
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Another Wow! Johan, that is so green! Is it something you have found?
Regards
John
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A warm welcome to Thomas Seiler - excellent to have the company on another German Gardener and Galanthophile.
We hope you will enjoy the Forum, Thomas and share some details of your garden and favourite plants with us here.
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Thank you for the welcome, Maggi. Hagen's pictures initiated that - maybe - I will not just read here but get involved a little bit. Danke, Hagen. :)
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Thomas, Ich freue mich auf Ihre Beteiligung :D
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Re the Console -snowdrop appeal : info@console.ie
http://www.console.ie/index.aspx
"Console Snowdrop Appeal 2009
The Console ‘Snowdrop Campaign’ will be launched by Minister John Moloney TD, Minster of Mental Health on Wednesday the 18th of February 2008 in the Dublin Institute of Technology, Aungier Street, Dublin 2 at 10.am.
Speakers will also include the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Eibhlin Bryne and Ed Byrne, Comedian & Broadcaster.
The Student’s of the Dublin Institute of Technology have chosen Console as their ‘Charity of the Year’ and will sell ‘Snowdrops’ to the student body throughout the Campaign.
Major retailers, Dunnes Stores, Marks and Spencers, Veritas and over 300 Chemist’s will be supporting Console’s Snowdrop Campaign by selling ‘Snowdrop’ Pins in all their retail outlets in Ireland from launch day until the end of April 2009.
The major campaign, where the public will be encouraged to support the important cause by purchasing a snowdrop pin as a Symbol of Hope at a cost of €3. All proceeds will go to Console to develop Professional Counselling, Support and Helpline Services to those Bereaved through Suicide. "
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My first genuine Galanthus platyphyllus (some I bought last year turned out to be woronowii) is pictured here.
I eventually returned the "platyphyllus" I bought at RHS Wisley for a refund, on the basis that it was too early flowering and had a notch on the inner petals. But it would seem somebody is distributing a snowdrop under the name "platyphyllus" that is either wrongly-named or highly atypical compared to what Anthony has and what is described in The Book.
At least one nursery is selling Galanthus woronowii as platyphyllus as that was a name that was used for the plant, but, as the book says, the names were all muddled. You just have to look at all the synonyms. Even well known sellers in the not too distant past had woronowii as ikariae latifolius. I have no idea of the locational data of mine, save that it is from Tallin Botanic Garden, and they have grown it for 50 years.
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A couple of photos from the garden this afternoon, whilst many are now going over I still have Trym to come and Diggory (which I thought had gone the way of all things) has decided to put in an appearance! Anyway here is Art Nouveau with very pale markings, Sentinel with quite nice marks (thanks David) and Lady Elphinstone showing her true colours.
Over the last month long-suffering David has driven over 1000 miles to see "Those little white things." ::) Just to show that it is contagious here is a shot showing him looking for variants. ;D
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Note to self: find way to send large bunch of yellow daffodils to David... that man has suffered enough.
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Tee Hee 8)
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Tee Hee 8)
Brian! Really, it is no laughing matter, :-X you admit yourself he is long-suffering... why, that chap is a saint in human form ;D.....you'd never get Ian driving that distance..... probably not even for erythroniums!
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Over the last month long-suffering David has driven over 1000 miles to see "Those little white things." ::) Just to show that it is contagious here is a shot showing him looking for variants. ;D
your David does a good job of getting the best photographs too. Here is the proof. 8)
[attachthumb=1]
...you'd never get Ian driving that distance
Depends which Ian we are talking about - I think I had my Ian drive over 800 miles in one weekend once for snowdrops! ;D ::) But then again he was once an enlisted 'driver vehicle specialist' so enjoyed sitting behind the wheel (The only land vehicle he was not licensed to drive was a hovercraft :o)!
John x
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Your Ian the Driver was another good egg in the snowdrop stakes, John, though of course he had a jungle to retreat to!! -- Ian -the BD -is not so kindly disposed to driving these days.
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Re driving: Mary and I went to Northern Ireland to visit Bob Gordon, Margaret Glynn and June Dougherty and view their snowdrops. It was approximately a 360+ round trip. I had severe backache for the following week. You should appreciate and treasure your drivers.
By the way, I mentioned this back condition to my family doctor; he asked me to stand up and see how close to touching my toes I could manage; I got pretty close and he said, "soft-tissue damage, Paddy" What do you expect sitting for that length in a car. You should have more sense."
Paddy
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Appreciated and treasured Paddy. Otherwise I would not have seen any snowdrops other than the few in the garden ;)
He liked the daffs, Maggi, hope you liked the orchids he sent ;D
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Hi folks,
Eileen in hospital hence recent silence whilst I try to master the washing machine instruction book.
A couple of nice pics.
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Pretty Close
Johan - Another wonderful green drop. I wish I had kept my eyes open when I visited Belgium several times. It seems to be a haven for green drops.
johnw
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Hi All, I post a picture of an odd double G. nivalis found in a woodland when we were with Gerard and Petra Oud, the flowers stand upwards and it is quite small what do you think, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Hope she's soon back home again Steve.
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Hey guys, have you noticed that the MARCH 2009 thread is now on its fourth page? ::)
Edit by M: Well more pages than that now after I sorted the posts from February that could be moved here. Had to leaves some for continuity but I think everything here is clear enough :-X
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Hi All, I post a picture of an odd double G. nivalis found in a woodland when we were with Gerard and Petra Oud, the flowers stand upwards and it is quite small what do you think, cheers Ian the Christie kind
I think that is fairly normal for an immature double (or at least there are plenty round here like it). I think as the flower matures it will tend to drop down to the normal pendulant posture and as the bulb matures the flower will become larger and more normal. Of course, I could be wrong.
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Hope she's soon back home again Steve.
Our good wishes to Eileen too, Steve.... and not just becasue of your difficulties with the washing machine :-X
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He liked the daffs, Maggi, hope you liked the orchids he sent ;D
I most certainly did, a fine selection , warmly received! Thanks 8)
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I found this G. rizehensis in my garden today ... 5 outers, 4 inners and a stamen like a tongue ... well, this might not be stable, but I never saw a snowdrop like this. Sorry, my fingers are sharp but not the flower ... >:(
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Hi folks,
Eileen in hospital hence recent silence whilst I try to master the washing machine instruction book.
A couple of nice pics.
Steve, I remember you told me that "Mothering Sunday" was one you named yourself and it's certainly a fine picture of a snowdrop. Does anyone else have this one or is it confined to your collection?
I hope Eileen makes a swift recovery and you can amaze her with your mastery of the washing machine when she gets home!
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Hi folks,
Eileen in hospital hence recent silence whilst I try to master the washing machine instruction book.
A couple of nice pics.
Pass my best wishes to Eileen. A good Scottish name. ;D
I like 'Mothering Sunday' - she have a very fine moustache - definitely on my ever-lengthening list. ;D My 'Baxendale's Late' is nowhere near flowering.
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I add my best wishes to Eileen, but be careful Steve, once she knows you can work the washing machine...you'll have your snowdrop visiting time clipped ;D
Mothering Sunday is a very nice snowdrop indeed, have you a picture of a clump?
For all those who need to know to rush home and get the post....
Half my North Green order arrived this morning ???
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I add my best wishes to Eileen, but be careful Steve, once she knows you can work the washing machine...you'll have your snowdrop visiting time clipped ;D
Mother's Day is a very nice snowdrop indeed, have you a picture of a clump?
For all those who need to know to rush home and get the post....
Half my North Green order arrived this morning ???
Brian, quick, edit your post before Steve sees it. He told me he deplores how the "Mothering Sunday" of old has become "Mothers Day" of late. So he deliberately named his snowdrop "Mothering Sunday".
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whoops what a mistake-a-to make a. Many apologies Steve, I was in a rush as I wanted to get the snowdrops planted. Mea culpa...again.
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I missed seeing that one for sale. It would certainly cheer my mum up as she was beaten to the bungalow she had bid for and has now taken her oversized house off the market. As her previous house was called 'The Linns' she is planning to plant some Galanthus 'The Linns' near Patterdale in the Lake District and scatter my Dad's ashes there.
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Some late flowering galanthus:
1) Galanthus 'Bertram anderson'
2) Galanthus nivalis 'viridapice'
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Wim,
Your introductory comment "late-flowering" brought a smile to my face. Here, both 'Bertram Anderson' and 'Viridipice' are long finished flowering. It is good to have our season extended by photographs from your season.
Paddy
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I like your Viridipice Wim. I grow at least 3 distinct forms of viridipice and yours is quite different again. I think there is a lot of variation within that name.
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Jo,
I think there are many variations within most named snowdrops!
This is fine until people start applying different names to all these variations.
Paddy
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I agree, very nice. A sort of refined version. 8)
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I got that form of Viridapice from potterton's
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Steve, I remember you told me that "Mothering Sunday" was one you named yourself and it's certainly a fine picture of a snowdrop. Does anyone else have this one or is it confined to your collection?
I hope Eileen makes a swift recovery and you can amaze her with your mastery of the washing machine when she gets home!
Alan
Thanks to you and Maggi and others for the good wishes for Eileen. Recovering from pneumonia will take some time, but she's on the mend.
Mothering Sunday was the result of one of my annual crawls on hands and knees around the Avon Bulbs orchard. Alan Street has it, plus my daughters and a snowdrop friend. Hopefully it will clump up so that I can send it round a bit and so ensure its survival.
Meanwhile some more pics of plants flowering currently.
Ecusson d'or
Green Arrow
Irish Green
wor.Cider with Rosie
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Jings. Some interesting ones there. I like that woronowii 'Cider with Rosie', and 'Green Arrow' is nice too. 8)
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Here is Galanthus elwesii X plicatus 'Hans Guck in die Luft'.
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Anthony
Nicely contrasting colours on the inners.
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Yes. The other flower, alas, aborted.
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Steve - I don't think I have ever seen 3 Ecusson d'or flowers in the same place at the same time! 8)
Cheers
John
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I thought I was having multiple vision due to having a couple of beers last night? ;) I ordered one from Monksilver but I guess they were oversubscribed?
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Galanthus koenenianus - found by Manfred Koenen is flowering
Gerd
edit by M from Gerd's further comment: Galanthus koenenianus is the only snowdrop with a distinctly furrowed abaxial leaf surface.
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Gerd, I have found that species rather difficult to come by. I think it will be a long time before anyone has enough to have any spare? What is the significance of the second pic?
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Galanthus koenenianus is the only snowdrop with a distinctly furrowed abaxial leaf surface.
Gerd
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I hope these are Spiky enough for Alan ;D
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Steve - I don't think I have ever seen 3 Ecusson d'or flowers in the same place at the same time! 8)
Cheers
John
John
Lat year it was a first-time smallish single bulb, so I was well chuffed when these three nice flowers appeared. I shall be even more chuffed if it keeps up that rate of increase.
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March is our time for galanthus. Now we have high season.
PRAHA only a midget
unnamed white
POESIE DER PROVINZ has very dark apical markings
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OOh - Praha is a beauty!
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Anne, yes PRAHA is a little gem. Here are some bigger ones, G. plicatus:
GREEN HAYES from Avon
unnamed, but nice to see
GEISTERSCHWINGEN with puckered outer tepales
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Gosh, 'GEISTERSCHWINGEN' is big and blousey. Looks like she might be in need of a bustenhalter! :-\
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AAhh?? Anthony, it`s only a snowdrop ;D ;D ;D
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Hagen, as your drops come out, here in Aberdeen they are much the same .....let us hope there is not much bad weather to come.
The "big and white" of your post 140, the un-named one, is very pretty.
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Maggi we don`t need more rain.
Here is a new G elwesii
MADAME M. came from a real good nursery here in Brandenburg
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Here is a rather un-snowdrop-like snowdrop (one flower of two alike) that I came across growing 'wild' near where I live; it was on the edge of a clump of normal Galanthus plicatus. It has a short pedicel and short outers so it was facing sideways rather than hanging down. As you can see, the outers also had green stripes. I will try to go back next year and see if it is still there. If anyone thinks it particularly beautiful I will try and seek permission to take a bulb; I find it more of a curiosity than a beauty but it would certainly look different in a display of snowdrops.
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Some lovely snowdrops Hagen, I particularly like Praha and Geisterschwingen. You say Praha is a midget, how tall is it please?
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12-15cm??? Brian, I have some smaller too.
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Back on topic (!), for anyone who can read Swedish, snowdrops in the UK make the headlines in the Upsala News. Here's the link http://www2.unt.se/avd/1,1826,MC=52-AV_ID=876177,00.html
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If anyone thinks it particularly beautiful I will try and seek permission to take a bulb; I find it more of a curiosity than a beauty but it would certainly look different in a display of snowdrops.
Hi Alan
I rather like it.
What I aim for in my collection are plants that are different enough form each other, so that I can tell what they are without the need to read the label or reach for 'the book' to check on the finer details.
If it turns out to be stable in future years then I, for one, would give it garden room.
John
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Wow Hagan - Madam M = lovely. 8)
I rather like GEISTERSCHWINGEN also. ;D
Thank you for extending my enjoyment of the snowdrop season.
Kind regards
John
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12-15cm??? Brian, I have some smaller too.
Small but perfectly formed, Hagen.
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Hagen
I am sorry you had to have such a lot of snow, but we are now benefitting from seeing some wonderful snowdrops in an extended season.
Madam M and Praha are particularly good :)
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Some lovely snowdrops, Hagen. For anyone who doesn't know, 'Praha' is Czech (and Slovak) for Prague. I assume it was found somewhere in or near Prague, Hagen?
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Very nice snowdrops Hagen, that poesie der provinz looks a lot the same like mine Altheia very dark green mark with sometimes a little yellow stripe above it.
I have been snowdrophunting again this morning and found several nice nivalis, some Diggorylook and some with extra long petals, some lemon ones and midgets.
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Hagen, Alan and Gerard,
Some lovely snowdrops, Many thanks. Paddy
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Interesting finds Hagen. 8)
My Galanthus krasnovii is not open yet, but as it is a snow melt species I thought I'd take a pic of it in today's snow.
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Gerard, what a lovely snowdrop wood - what species are there - is it a mixture?
Looking at the moss at the bottom of the trees, is it a very wet site?
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It is not that very wet but there are so many trees that it remains a bit dampy. The snowdrops are all nivalis and are growing there for over 50 years, and i do find every year different forms.
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Well! Today started with wonderful weather so I decided to tackle 'that extended raised bed' I have been meaning to do since Winter 2007. ::) I have needed somewhere to plant some of my Galanthus that are still in pots - but I am trying to avoid using my large right hand bed that was the home of virused plants during early 2007
So here is how far I got with my new raised bed (before the hail stones called an end to the day! :-\)
John
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Hailstones are a definite dis-incentive to gardening, that's for sure. :'(
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John,
A drenching with 'Armillitox' might be worth trying to clean up the bed. It is very similar to 'Jeyes Fluid', smells the same and has similar disinfecting properties. It is recommended for the treatment of bootlace fungus and the like.
Paddy
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Hi Paddy
thanks for the suggestion - but I am a real fan of worms - and I would worry that chemicals could harm them. I shall continue with moving things around from here to there for a few years and hope the virus will lose it's tenuous hold.
Best wishes
John
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Snowdrops in my meadow.
Galanthus-elwesii + gracilis
Galanthus-gracilis
Galanthus-nivalis-green veining
Galanthus-nivalis-Viridapici
Galanthus-plicatus
Galanthus-self seedlings
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Hi all,
here is PRAHA again. You can see his height. I`m sure, it`s a Bohemia snowdrop, but to me it came from West Europe. May be it was a Czech discovery, because of his name. I like these midgets.
Franz, your meadow is full of specials. I will visit you, but when? Spring or Autumn?? ;)
Here is a G. elwesii, that I observe the third year. It looks fine and has puckered outer tepales. Only for my trial I named it KERBHOLZKELLE. Is there anyone, who means it too, that this drop looks good ???
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'KERBHOLZKELLE' looks fantastic Hagen. Very distinctive, and as John says, it could easily be spotted in a crowd, so it passes all the tests for a good snowdrop.
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Thank you Anthony, I`m not alone ;)
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Definitely not alone, Hagen. This is certainly a distinctive snowdrop. I would think not beautiful but distinctive!
Franz, please, please, more photographs of your meadow. I have enjoyed them so much in the past and look forward to seeing many more. It seems, from the photographs, that the grass is very poor at this time of year, nearly dead by the looks of it.
Paddy
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Hallo Hagen ,
na - Du mußt ja schon so einiges auf dem Kerbholz haben ...... ::)
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Hans, ergab sich zu Form und Struktur der äT so günstig, ansonsten stimmt`s trotzdem ;D
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Hailstones are a definite dis-incentive to gardening, that's for sure. :'(
Unless they're Reverend Hailstones. ;D ;D ;D
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Hagen, your 'Kerbholzkelle' looks great. I am watching a puckered G. elwesii for some years in my garden, but I think, yours is better.
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Hagen I add my admiration of 'Kerbholzkelle' I do like the snowdrops that are well puckered.
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Here's a nice tiny plicatus cross seedling that I found in a seed bed this evening. It's truly tiny with slightly plicate leaves and a really small flower with slightly puckered outers. I like the tall scape holding the little flower well above the leaves.
The second pic shows my thumbnail alongside for size comparison. Not great pics because the light was bad.
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Definitely not alone, Hagen. This is certainly a distinctive snowdrop. I would think not beautiful but distinctive!
Paddy
Maybe not beautiful, but attractive nonetheless? 8)
Those large petals could be used as measuring spoons? ;)
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Hailstones are a definite dis-incentive to gardening, that's for sure. :'(
Unless they're Reverend Hailstones. ;D ;D ;D
The Reverend himself at Covertside last month, somehow he looks more like a nun.
johnw
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AUGUSTUS every season a fine puckered galanthus. It`s unique and beautiful distinctive ;D
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Martin your nice tiny plicatus cross seedling would look sweet in a clump.
The Snowdrop Company order has arrived this morning.
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A few more end-of-season pics:
A slightly better one of the tiny plicatus-cross seedling. For scale, it's in a 3 inch (7.5 cm)pot and is about 5 inches tall (13 cm).
A very large and tall ikariae seedling. Nearly 12 inches tall (30 cm).
Sophie North with leaves looking a bit virusy.
Mighty Atom
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A pot of Icicle.
Elwesii Tuesday's Child.
Elwesii David Shackleton, which has taken years to settle down here.
A large woronowii.
A pot of a mad seedling with very curly leaves. It has blood from the Mighty Atom group, which often have turned-over leaf tips, but this had taken that to an extreme. It was one bulb last year, so a strong increaser.
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Martin - elwesii Tuesday's Child has quite the Kaiser Wilhelm moustache.
johnw
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Hi to all some great pictures and I think we will have snowdrops flowering till April it has been Baltic today with more snow showers. I post a picture of the smallest Galanthus plicatus we have it is only 4 inches high and the name is Little Emma ( our granddaughter) she (the snowdrop) was awarded a P.C at Dunblane show. cheers ian the Christie kind.
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Martin, I enjoy your pics. MIGHTY ATOM looks very green. This color could not be real??!
Ian, midget`s are nice too. You have a fine example. ;)
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the winter is finally over
regards, Wolfgang
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Martin, I enjoy your pics. MIGHTY ATOM looks very green. This color could not be real??!
I didn't notice whether the colour of my 'Mighty Atom' was that green?
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The mark on 'Mighty Atom' can be quite variable in its depth of green and its solidity depending on growing conditions. These were freshly potted into a rich mix and are growing well, plus they've been liquid fed a lot, all to help encourage some seed set after cross-pollination, so the marks are looking especially solid and dark this year.
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Can anyone tell me what the 'drop with the three leaves is in Wolfgang's photo, above...?
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Can anyone tell me what the 'drop with the three leaves is in Wolfgang's photo, above...?
Looks like elwesii, Maggi. Strong-growing, big elwesii will often produce three leaves and so too, to a lesser extent, will strong specimens of some other species. I think it may be a sign of polyploidy.
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Thank you, Martin.
There are some more nameless 'drops in the Galanthus for ID thread if you're feeling so inclined....... ???
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Thank you, Martin.
There are some more nameless 'drops in the Galanthus for ID thread if you're feeling so inclined....... ???
Saw them earlier. I was just on my way over there. We could walk together.
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Martin your nice tiny plicatus cross seedling would look sweet in a clump.
I'll be chipping it. I like the way the tips of the leaves are held out like little hands, as if it's saying "hey, look at me!"
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I'll look forward to seeing the clump in a couple of years then Martin ;D
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Martin - I rather like your 'curly leaved seedling'. It would pass my 'stand out from the crowd' entry system to my garden. Makes me think of Medusa the Gorgon.
Wolfgang - your bulb bed is starting to look great - mine is started to look tired and past its best.
Thanks for the pictures everyone.
Regards
John
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I'm trying to get names to my shots from Covertside. This is the first mystery. The name at the time must have been obvious to me but I am at a loss now. Anyone?
johnw
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Yet another simply labelled 'MacKenzie'. Am I missing a first name below ground?
johnw
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Lastly from Covertside....Freddie who?
johnw
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Hi John
the first pics (7939 and 7940) are 'Bloomer' - I recognise the flower as being bloomer too as I have a small one here. 8)
The second one I thought may be 'Pat Mackenzie' - but the inner mark is wrong - so I don't know that one. ???
The last one I have no idea - but the only word I can think of with that combination of letters is 'castleton' ???
Regards
John
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Hi John
the first pics (7939 and 7940) are 'Bloomer' - I recognise the flower as being bloomer too as I have a small one here. 8)
The second one I thought may be 'Pat Mackenzie' - but the inner mark is wrong - so I don't know that one. ???
The last one I have no idea - but the only word I can think of with that combination of letters is 'castleton' ???
Regards
John
I was going to say 'Bloomer' from the label John W., but you beat me to it John, you early bird. I can see why you like worms. ;D As a teacher you learn to read upside down and words with bits missing and extra bits. Sometimes it can be frustrating? Sometimes a great laugh ("What do human hairs develop from?" "A hair frolic hole".) Alas, spelling is not penalised in Biology. All we have to do is read it out aloud. Perhaps Baldrick's spelling of Christmas would fail, but only just!? ::)
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Definitely Bloomer John,
I wonder if the second is Fiona Mackenzie - but I cannot be certain, it's certainly green-tipped with a heavy sinus mark...speaking of which Mark will probably know, where is he when you want him?
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I first thought that it may be Fiona Mackenzie but it doesn't look like the one I grow under that name. As I recall, the green outer markings are more pronounced than those in the photograph. Perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me? I will check this evening when I get home.
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The one labelled "Mackenzie" in the photos is an elwesii, judging by the leaf, and 'Fiona Mackenzie' is a green-tipped nivalis. There's no sign of anything preceding "Mackenzie" on the label, just blank label, so maybe it's just an un-named green-tipped elwesii given to him by Ron Mackenzie.
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Sorry, brain not working well today. My point being that the "Mackenzie" on the label may simply signify the donor, rather than being a snowdrop name.
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This topic does show pics of extreme snowdrops, from very small to very big. For the last category are the following pics of nivalis Maximus which is still in culture here in Holland. This snowdrop does easily 35 cm, i do have found also one with green stripes on the outer petals and 35 cm tall.
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Hi Gerard and all, I post another picture of the odd double which I showed earlier, it is beside an ordinary double and G Dionysis, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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This topic does show pics of extreme snowdrops, from very small to very big. For the last category are the following pics of nivalis Maximus which is still in culture here in Holland. This snowdrop does easily 35 cm, i do have found also one with green stripes on the outer petals and 35 cm tall.
Gerard, is nivalis 'Maximus' sold in Holland, and does it look like pure nivalis, not a hybrid (with no plication on any of the leaves)? If it is pure nivalis and commercially available, I wouldn't mind getting some to try breeding with in case it's a polyploid. Do you know who sells it, if anyone does?
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I do, for a very Dutch price 2 euro each and its definitely a pure nivalis.
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Gerard,
what do you feed your snowdrops?
i also grow Maximus but mine are not 35 cm long,20 at the most.
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I received three mailed deliveries of snowdrop orders in the last five days. Two orders were well packaged save for the doubling over of the larger drops to get them into the packaging. This has resulted in some of the leaves (and flower stems) being cut through. The bulbs are very soft in both of these parcels, I feel more care should be taken to maintain a healthy leaf structure to give the bulbs a fighting chance to regain their full strength after flowering. The third parcel was perfectly sized for the contents (and did contain the largest plants) with no drop suffering any mishap, the bulbs were all firm too and seemed to have been fed steroids by the size and condition of the plants. As some of these bulbs cost £20 to £40 each I find it a very poor show and will not be ordering again from these two sources. My question is, is it normal to find the larger snowdrops folded over like this?
Thanks
John
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Sadly John it is often the case that they are folded over like that and the structure of the leaf damaged - if not the scape. I have also received £25 snowdrops where the bulb is very poor, buying snowdrops from some of these sources can be a bit of a lottery despite the prices. :(
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John,
In my experience some suppliers do tend to fold over the leaves and flower stems to get them to fit into the boxes they have available. This year none of my bulbs had folded over leaves but some were definitely suffering dehydration after being out of the ground for some time. Clearly they are unlikely to recover this year and are likely to enter dormancy a lot earlier and therefore run the risk of being smaller bulbs next year as they miss out on the few extra weeks of photosynthesizing. Some suppliers are definitely more careful with packing than others and do seem to take pride in the way in which the plants are packed.
I have to say that for something that costs, as you say, £20 to £40 pounds you would expect a little more care in packing. Would you accept other purchases to be as poorly packed I wonder? Ultimately it is down to us, as consumers, to vote with our wallets, or purses if we feel let down by certain sources. It does seem to be a perennial problem (no pun intended).
Make sure that you give the plants a good feed and water well as soon as you can. Whilst that won't mend the broken leaves it may well help the bulb for next year. It may also be worth removing the spent flower so that all of the available energy goes back into the bulb and not into seed production.
Cheers,
David
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A couple of years back I had £50 of snowdrops sent in a jiffy bag. I was not impressed.
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A couple of years back I had £50 of snowdrops sent in a jiffy bag. I was not impressed.
:o :-\ >:(
That is terrible!
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A couple of years back I had £50 of snowdrops sent in a jiffy bag. I was not impressed.
:o :-\ >:(
That is terrible!
It's not all that bad, I mean, depending on what variety you buy now, you may only get one snowdrop in a jiffy bag for £50! ;D At least it was plural.
Sorry Anne, but I just couldn't resist and I don't mean to belittle the experience. I guess that you don't use that supplier any more?
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I only ordered one and didn't get it.
Here's some out in today's sunshine:
Galanthus krasnovii;
G. plicatus 'Bill Clark';
G. plicatus 'Ailidh';
G. lagodechianus;
'Tubby Merlin' - note the slug-eaten flower;
G. nivalis 'Blewbury Tart';
a tiny yellow nivalis;
Galanthus platyphyllus opening a wee bit more.
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.....you may only get one snowdrop in a jiffy bag for £50! ;D
That would be £50 PLUS POSTAGE!..... ::)
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I do, for a very Dutch price 2 euro each and its definitely a pure nivalis.
Gerard, why did I never notice your website symbol before? I didn't know you were selling named snowdrops. Just had a look at your list. I'm interested in buying some nivalis 'Maximus'. When do you send out dormant bulbs, what's your preferred payment method and how much is postage?
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My snowdrops from Avon Bulbs were probably the best packed this year - large box so no bent leaves, and the roots in bags with soil or compost rather than moss (which can easily dry out in the post, leaving the roots dry, especially if delayed in the mail). Have to say I'm still a big fan of buying snowdrops moist-packed during dormancy, when the bulbs are firm and full-sized and ready to grow and flower the following season, rather than bare-rooted in growth with all the risks of dry roots, flaccid bulbs etc that can entail.
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Anthony,
The tiny yellow nivalis is a real dote, lovely.
Paddy
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Dear all, very interesting topic about posted snowdrops, I have seny out quite a few this year and tend to dip the bulbs in a solution of Delsene then put some damp moss around the bulb. Everyone depands on the post office delivering as soon as possible and sure it is not easy to get boxes to fit every snowdrop, most of you I am sure want to see the flower even if it is going over when the bulbs arrive. We all want the best value healthy bulbs also and with so many different ones some are lifted earlier than others, this is not an excuse but please give the nurseries a chance, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Actually Ian, there is no excuse. It is not as if they wake up one morning and decide to sell a few snowdrops. They will learn when people stop buying or name and shame. I have received snowdrops packed in rigid cardboard tubes which are ideal for the job. I know the care you take in packing plants which arrive in perfect condition. It's not rocket science!
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You can buy rigid cardboard tubes at the bigger Post Offices. I used one earlier this week to send some snowdrops to another forum member (swaps). It was easy to pack the snowdrops inside and I am told they arrived safely. In fact last year, when I was sending snowdrops through the post for the first time, there was a thread on this topic.
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I save all all our cardboard tubes from kitchen rolls. I also wanted to save toilet roll tubes but was prevented from so doing by a much higher authority!
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apart from large orders I use rigid posting tubes, not that expensive to buy from online packaging suppliers, so there really is no excuse for sending delicate expensive plants in something that can't protect them, for someone selling bulbs it's not expensive, buying & posting a tube 1st class = less £4, is not a lot to pay for P&P considering the value of what might be inside.
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please give the nurseries a chance, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
Of the three snowdrop orders delivered here this year by mail none were especially badly packed, just some better than others. Usually moss around the roots is okay if plenty is used, well moistened and quickly dispatched. But in the past I have had bulbs arrive in dried-out moss which means dry roots. I suppose it depends who's packing, how careful they are, and how long packages take in the post.
It just seems to me that growers can avoid all the problems complained about here by supplying dormant (but not dried out) snowdrop bulbs in Summer, which are virtually guaranteed to do well the next season. One snowdrop-selling nurseryman told me years ago, when I asked why he didn't do dormant snowdrops in Summer, "It gives us something interesting to help bulk out our Spring catalogue."
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please give the nurseries a chance, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
It just seems to me that growers can avoid all the problems complained about here by supplying dormant (but not dried out) snowdrop bulbs in Summer, which are virtually guaranteed to do well the next season. One snowdrop-selling nurseryman told me years ago, when I asked why he didn't do dormant snowdrops in Summer, "It gives us something interesting to help bulk out our Spring catalogue."
Martin, it is sometimes not easy to identify dormant bulbs unless your growing regime is very well organised, and even then. Last summer I tried to find a bulb of 'Ailidh' for Chris (see pic above). I knew where they were, but could I find them? ::) No! The bulbs have duly flowered exactly where the label said they were, and exactly where I looked! I must have planted them much deeper than I thought. :-[
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Is there anything wrong with naming the poor packers/suppliers so other forum members can make an educated decision about whether to order from them or not?
It would also give the poor sellers a kick up the backside not to be so complacent about us punters.
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It is only fair to inform anyone giving less than perfect service that you are dis-satisfied to give them a chance to explain/apologise/ make reparation.... before naming them publically, I suggest.
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Yes you are right Maggi.
If not name & shame how about recommending the good suppliers who send quality plants well packed?
These are two suppliers I've bought snowdrops from this year I can reccomend:
Beth Chatto Gardens
Snape Cottage Snowdrops
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That's a constructive and helpful approach, Mike! 8)
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Yes, I'll not mention the name of the supplier who this year sent me a £40 snowdrop contorted through the empty spaces of a recycled bubble pack :o
Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh................. plus P+P
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Loes,
I dont feed the Maximus anything special besides some "horse-droppings". I got mine from a older colleage who grows them over 40 years. Did you plant them last year or are they settled for some years?
Martin,
I can send you some this summer dormant or now in the green.
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Martin, it is sometimes not easy to identify dormant bulbs unless your growing regime is very well organised, and even then. Last summer I tried to find a bulb of 'Ailidh' for Chris (see pic above). I knew where they were, but could I find them? ::) No! The bulbs have duly flowered exactly where the label said they were, and exactly where I looked! I must have planted them much deeper than I thought. :-[
Tell me about it! Seriously though, I agree it can be a problem in the garden, but professional growers should be able to keep their stocks for sale segregated enough to be pretty sure what's what at lifting time in dormancy. Growers of other kinds of bulbs do it okay. Mistakes can happen of course, as they can with other bulbs sold dormant, and with many nursery plants shipped out of flower, but I think the overall benefits of getting sound, firm bulbs, their growing cycle complete and virtually guaranteed to flower and grow the next year outweighs the drawbacks. There are snowdrop growers who do it, e.g. Paul Christian and Janet of Judy's Snowdrops. In fact, Janet's dormant bulbs are a real treat to receive, clean, healthy, large and solid, and always correctly named.
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Gerard,
yes they are newly planted and still growing.the tallest is ,just measured,27 cm.
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David - Paper towel and toilet roll tubes are too flimsy here in North America
This morning I saw 4 foot white plastic tubes at a hardware store, they are called vacuum cleaner tubes. $3.95 each and they looked to be perfect for mailing plants if sawed into smaller sections.
We took some Beschornerias to Ireland in a very stout cardboard tube that was indestructible and very heavy, far too costly to post. The remnant here we can stand on without collapsing.
johnw
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hello,
Galanthus nivalis some without a name.
regards, Wolfgang
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Here are a few out in the garden today,we seem to be behind in the flowering stakes,although only in Northamptonshire they were under the snow for quite some time
Sally Pasmore
Primrose Warburg
Jessica
The Pearl
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Four beautiful snowdrops, Chris.
Paddy
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Is 'Jessica' supposed to be elwesii 'Jessica'? In which case it should have green tips and a very different mark, a sinus V-mark blurring upwards, not a solid mark. Also the ovary on elwesii 'Jessica' is much longer and thinner. Unless this is another 'Jessica'. Looks like it has a plicate leaf.
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Well just had a look through the book and you are right ,thank you,I will have to see what the seller says when I next see them.................................my original was stolen from the front of my house so purchased this from him to replace it,
Thanks Martin
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Is 'Jessica' supposed to be elwesii 'Jessica'? In which case it should have green tips and a very different mark, a sinus V-mark blurring upwards, not a solid mark. Also the ovary on elwesii 'Jessica' is much longer and thinner. Unless this is another 'Jessica'. Looks like it has a plicate leaf.
Here is a Jessica shot at Covertside, not terribly clear.
johnw
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I didn't order many plants this year as money is rather tight now that I am a single person household. But wanted to say how HAPPY I was with the delivery received this week from Angela Whinfield at Snape Cottage. ;D Big fat bulbs, wrapped in damp moss, placed into plastic bags, layered with scrumpled newspaper in a strong sturdy cardboard box. Very good. ;D 8)
Fingers crossed that Angela does decide to do a list again next year or the year after as I was very pleased with the ones that I got. :D
Regards
John
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Today I received my order from Avon Bulbs and was very satisfied. The packing was excellent, each bulb in a plastic bag with enough wet soil, so they could not dry out. Everything in a good and solid box. It was a pleasure to unpack it and find good looking plants. Each bulb with at least one good bulblet or even a second bulb of flowering size. :)
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Nice to see some positive feedback from satisfied customers. :) I always send positive feedback to the supplier, or at least acknowledge receipt. I would expect the same. A bit like replying to an email or message. That having been said, I'm sure some messages get overlooked. ::)
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Nicely packed bulbs from Monksilver today.
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Here is Galanthus nivalis 'Belles Etoiles' - named by Johan Mens, Belgium
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Oh Gerd, I was just getting over white fever and you produce that. :o It really is beautiful and I want one. :-[
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some Galanthus here
G woronowii 1
G. krasnovii
G rizehensis mit zwei Stielen
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Galanthus elwesii with green peaks discovered in the garden today.
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Your snowdrops are all looking very well, Wolfgang.
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Here is Galanthus nivalis 'Belles Etoiles' - named by Johan Mens, Belgium
Very nice, Gerd.
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Gerd and Wolfgang,
Wonderful snowdrops.
Paddy
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Always the last snowdrop to open in my garden: 'Ruth Birchall'. A very big flower lasting for a long time.
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Thanks Gerd, Wolfgang and Thomas - three lovely snowdrops.
But 'Belles Etoiles' - gosh! ;D I remember putting that beautiful snowdrop on my wanted list back in 2007 when Johan first showed it to us - seeing it again has made me remember why it is on my wants list - it is a stunning little plant and would certainly be different enough to gain entry to my garden. 8)
Cheers
John
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Here are 3 late one's that are not bigger than 2 inches(5cm) I think i call them The 3 midgets. And a pic from some white spikes called Spanish Swan and 1 with half yellowish leaves.
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It has been suggested that the tiny Estonian yellow nivalis be called 'Kullake', which means "sweet, sweetie, sweetheart, honey, darling, deary
..." but a direct translation is "little gold".
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Excellent name for a very pretty little snowdrop Anthony :)
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Some of the earliest 'drops are looking a bit sorry for themselves, but there is still small white interest here in Aberdeen.....
some stray snowdrops that found their way into a trough ( of Sanguinaria canadensis )
[attach=1]
no secret that I love crocus, so here are some C. tommasinianus ..with snowdrops....
[attach=2]
I have a couple of very little snowdrops, too..... this one is barely 5cms high.... luckily it is growing in a raised bed so I can see it!
[attach=3]
This one is bigger..... it is 6cms high!
[attach=4]
..and the interior of the 6cms cutie......
[attach=5]
all in all there are quite a few assorted whites coming and going at the moment....
[attach=6]
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Whilst the cat's away....................... ;D
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Whilst the cat's away....................... ;D
Sssssh! ;)
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...but aren't the mini ones sweet Maggi!
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Some in Austria wild growing Galanthus (except the 3rd G.) and Leucojum wagneri (plants always with 2 flowers)
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I just received a 2g packet of Galanthus nivalis seed from Jelitto. They recommend mixing the seed with moistened sand and holding them from 2-4 weeks at 20c then sowing at -4- +4c for a month or more.
The seeds looked dry so I soaked them overnight and they plumped up nicely. Then I mixed them with the sand and I will keep them warm for a week or so. I will sow in pots and keep around 4c, then place outside in mid April and let nature take over.
Does this sound like a reasonable approach for such a late start?
johnw
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Sounds reasonable John, I've only done fresh seed so can't be very helpful :(
Here are some snowdrops out today, enjoying the spring sunshine.
G ikariae again showing its March flowering credentials, Greenish and Virescens, Ransomes Late, Hippolyta still at it and G elwesii from a garden centre potful ( which I'm usually rude about ! )
The late ones are specially nice cos they flower with the other spring bulbs.
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Ooops, here's Virescens :)
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Great shots. All that work paid off Jo!
At Cerney....one never knows who is watching.
johnw
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It's the earliest emergence ever (a good month before the norm)...and I cherish every moment of it's unfurling...out of mostly frozen soil.
Most of my world is still cold and white.
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Hi Kristl
the first flower of spring is always nice - and for it to be a yellow Galanthus so much the better. 8)
I am almost at the last of my snowdrops - just 3 more to flower and that will be the finish until October. :'(
Please keep the pictures coming to keep my white fever burning for a few weeks longer.
Regards
John
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Great shots. All that work paid off Jo!
At Cerney....one never knows who is watching.
johnw
That was a great day wasn't it John, and now the season is nearly over :( Ah well, lots more stuff going on in the garden. The great thing about snowdrops is that they keep you in the garden for the full 13 months a year :D
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The yellow ones are still at their best here:
G. 'Primrose Warburg'
G. 'Bill Clarke' (or is the correct spelling Clark?)
G. plicatus 'Sarah Dumont'
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Bill Clarke with the "e", Thomas, according to the Snowdrop Book (Bishop, Davis and Grimshaw)
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Hi Thomas
many thanks for posting the pictures - I have only seen 'Sarah Dumont' once before and that was last year on SRGC - I hadn't realised that it was a yellow as last years picture showed it as green.
Now that I have seen 'Sarah Dumont' in her full glory I have really fallen for her - one to add to my search list.
This was last years picture - looks the same flower from the shape - but I guess a much older flower as I have noticed some of the yellows can change to a green colour as they mature.
Cheers
John
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Hi there, Galanthus elwesii ssp minor in the wild - Bulgaria, Black sea coastal sand dunes, 10m above sea level in the shelter of bushes
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Hi Hristo ,
This is a very unusual habitat for Galanthus - could you please write which vernation have this plants ( from your pic it is not possibly to see )
Thanks for your intresting report
Hans
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Thomas,
A trio of beauties. Lovely snowdrops. Many thanks for posting.
Paddy
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Could anyone help with an ID please from this Galanthus? G.woronowii, ikariae, or platyphyllus
I would be very grateful for your help.
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Franz ,
Thats shure G.woronowii
Best wishes to Austria
Hans
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Bill Clarke with the "e", Thomas, according to the Snowdrop Book (Bishop, Davis and Grimshaw)
Isn't the book wrong this time? I thought Bill Clark spelt his name without the 'e'?
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If so it's wrong here too Anthony
http://www.wt-woods.org.uk/clarkscorner/description.asp
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Could anyone help with an ID please from this Galanthus? G.woronowii, ikariae, or platyphyllus
I would say woronowii too - ikariae has a much longer green mark and platyphyllus does not have the notch on the inner.
There is quite a variation in the size of the marks on your clump and you appear to have a green tipped one on the left of the photo. I am not an expert, but I do not think that green tipped woronowii are very common so you might want to keep an eye on that one.
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Hi Thomas
many thanks for posting the pictures - I have only seen 'Sarah Dumont' once before and that was last year on SRGC - I hadn't realised that it was a yellow as last years picture showed it as green.
Now that I have seen 'Sarah Dumont' in her full glory I have really fallen for her - one to add to my search list.
This was last years picture - looks the same flower from the shape - but I guess a much older flower as I have noticed some of the yellows can change to a green colour as they mature.
Cheers
John
Hello John
when I received 'Sarah Dumont' last year from Joe Sharman, the ovary was green, the inner marking yellow. I was slightly disappointed, but now in my garden it turned up as a perfect yellow! And there is still no sign of getting greenish. If one might think, that acid soil might influence the colour of the yellow ones: I am gardening on alkaline soil...
Cheers
Thomas
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Bill Clarke with the "e", Thomas, according to the Snowdrop Book (Bishop, Davis and Grimshaw)
Isn't the book wrong this time? I thought Bill Clark spelt his name without the 'e'?
Joe Sharman always listed 'Bill Clark', and I should think, he knows the right spelling. But what is more important: The right spelling according to the name of Mr. Clark, or that it is published as 'Bill Clarke' in the book?
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Well, I think it is more important now Mr Clark spelled his name... and I think it is a pity when books get these things wrong. :P
Edit : I'm told that the book I consulted was the first edition and that the spelling mistake was corrected in the econd edition to be 'Bill Clark'.
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Hello Thomas,
Trio yellow Snowdrops is super!
Regard wolfgang
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some pictures
Regard wolfgang
G. ladogechianus
G. nivalis green tipped
G. nivalis Poculiformis
G. wendy's gold
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Could anyone help with an ID please from this Galanthus? G.woronowii, ikariae, or platyphyllus
I would be very grateful for your help.
Hello Franz,
your Galanthus is Galanthus woronowii
Regard wolfgang
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If so it's wrong here too Anthony
http://www.wt-woods.org.uk/clarkscorner/description.asp
No, it's correct here as, just as I suspected, Bill Clark has no 'e' in his name.
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Thank you, Maggi and Anthony. Now we know, that the correct spelling is 'Bill Clark' and I am no longer irritated when reading that. I have the first edition of the book like most of us ...
-
Thank you, Wolfgang.
Your green tipped nivalis and the poculiform one with three green lines are looking nice and distinct. Are they your own finds?
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Could anyone help with an ID please from this Galanthus? G.woronowii, ikariae, or platyphyllus
I would be very grateful for your help.
Thank you very much for your help.
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Perhaps this does not need repeating yet again, but I visited Bill Clark last year and he assured me he does not spell his name with an "e"!
(See first post here http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=1350.60 )
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Just a quick couple of pics of a late seedling I found in a seed bed today.
It's ikariae x nivalis 'Virescens', has ikariae leaves and flower shape with a solid green inner mark and green tips to the outers.
The photos don't do it justice. It's a small flower (may get bigger in future years - this is the first flowering) but nicely shaped and the green shading looks better in the flesh than on the photo.
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Martin,
That's a good one, an excellent result for your breeding programme. Well done.
Interesting shape to the inner segments; they seem to form a point.
Paddy
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Martin,
That's a good one, an excellent result for your breeding programme. Well done.
Interesting shape to the inner segments; they seem to form a point.
Paddy
Just had a look, Paddy, and yes the inner petals do narrow towards the sinus end, almost forming a point. I also just noticed that the leaves, while basically ikariae-like are quite narrow for ikariae and also have a feint pale central line which may come from the nivalis blood. It's an elegant little thing which really does look better in real life than in my snap.
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A lovely shape overall - very nice. 8)
John
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Hi Martin very interesting indeed please excuse me but is this one of a very few hybrids between G. nivalis and G ikariae, I have not heard of others, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Hi Martin very interesting indeed please excuse me but is this one of a very few hybrids between G. nivalis and G ikariae, I have not heard of others, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
I'm not aware of any other ikariae x nivalis hybrids, though there may be one or more I've never heard about. I may have a few more in my seed beds eventually.
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Here is a strange little ikariae flowering without leaves where it was until I moved them 'all' last summer. Clearly I missed one. ;D
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Some G. nivalis are out near the house. Have a quick look at the state of our Galanthus in the open garden, G. nivalis doubles. Leucojum vernum not far behind. I say quick as we are expecting 20 cm of snow in the next 24 hours. Not a very good start to Spring.
johnw
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Hey John, you're soooo lucky, still all those snowdrops to come :D They are rapidly finishing here after a week of lovely spring sunshine :)
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Help, I'm getting snowdrop withdrawal symptoms and there have been no posts on the forum for almost two days.
I wonder if there is anywhere I can go to see snowdrops at their best in late March or April? Preferably somewhere in reach of a cheap flight out of Stansted Airport? I would love to see them growing in the wild and see the other spring flowers that accompany them.
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Help, I'm getting snowdrop withdrawal symptoms and there have been no posts on the forum for almost two days.
I wonder if there is anywhere I can go to see snowdrops at their best in late March or April? Preferably somewhere in reach of a cheap flight out of Stansted Airport? I would love to see them growing in the wild and see the other spring flowers that accompany them.
Aberdeen? ;D
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I have 'Baxendale's Late' just coming into bloom! ;D
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So Alan, it looks like Anthony's garden or Aberdeen, or maybe there are cheap flights to Coastal Nova Scotia, but I don't think Ryanair goes that far. Shame :(
Glad the plants arrived safely :)
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We're just home from a trip to Namibia and South Africa with our two oldest
grandchildren. We were mainly looking for animals (63 elephants in and around
one mudhole), but I did see a few flowers.
I expected to miss the flowering of a lot of my spring flowers - my poculiform
elwesii were still in tight bud, and no nivalis were open yet when we left at the
beginning of March.
However, the weather here must have been cold, as a quick trip around the garden
this morning at dawn showed snowdrops still blooming. I must get those pocs
crossed, if I can find decent pollen on them - when I've looked in previous years,
the stamens seem a bit deformed.
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So it's Perthshire and Aberdeen, followed by coastal Nova Scotia, then over to Victoria on the West Coast of Canada? Well that sounds like a fun, if expensive trip. But what I had in mind was more to do with finding snowdrops in their natural habitat by going East rather than North and West
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Alan :
you could also go first to the Caucasus .....to see Galanthus platyphyllus ::)
they have always a very late flowering time 8)
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Alan :
you could also go first to the Caucasus .....to see Galanthus platyphyllus ::)
they have always a very late flowering time 8)
That sounds eastern, then maybe on into Turkey and take in a few other bulbs along the way, I don't think Ryanair go that way either :(
Whenever I've looked for cheap flights to Turkey the price seems to be high. I suppose it is a long way.
The trouble with following the snowdrops east means you must also be following the cold weather, mmmm.
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... but at least you have got us posting again. 8)
I have been sat shivering in a corner suffering from Galanth us 'Cold Turkey'.
It is nice to have a few more days chatting with my snowdrop chums. ;D
Thank you Alan,
John
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You don't have to go in the cold. Wait two months from flowering
and look for seeds. We could do with some pictures of seedpods.
I wonder if they vary much between species? And you'd have seeds
to sow.
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Diane, that is VERY sensible...... it seems that there may be considerable differences in the pods and also in bulb shapes...... more than might be imagined, I would guess..... that is a further area of study to keep the Galanthophiles
out of my hair ummmm, usefully occupied for quite some time.
John, I TOLD you you should have planned a visit.... we still have the little white things that so stir your heart....... I TOLD you ...... ::)
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that is a further area of study to keep the Galanthophiles out of my hair ummmm, usefully occupied for quite some time.
:-*
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Alan
Just to keep you going a little longer, here are two snowdrops from the garden this morning.
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Thanks Steve, I was just about to do Maggie's bidding and photograph seed pods but somehow I just wasn't inspired ::), and then we had a hail storm.
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Jo
the Great Snowdrop Split is starting here.
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:'(
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Hallo,
some pictures from today.
all G. nivalis "Trym"??
regards, wolfgang
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That's very interesting Wolfgang. 8)
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Hallo,
some pictures from today.
all G. nivalis "Trym"??
regards, wolfgang
"Trym" is a plicatus. Did you mean that this is a nivalis that looks like Trym or is it the real Trym?
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Hallo Alan,
Galanthus nivalis "Trym??" is a nivalis, but is similar to the Plicatus Trym.
Wolfgang
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As I said, very interesting. Are there any other nivalis 'Trym-forms'?
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Hi Wolfgang
I too, like Anthony, find this very interesting - do you know if it is perhaps a seedling from G. P. Trym? Or do you think it has arisen (grammar: arised, arosed, arrrrr....whatevered?) spontaneously with no Trym involvement at all?
Best wishes
John
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Hello Kent, this nivalis "Trym??" has spontaneously originated without effect plicatus Trym. Unfortunately, Plicatus Trym does not exist in my garden. I have would pass away forms from nivalis green tipped, these vary very strongly. Regard Wolfgang
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It's a very nice snowdrop Wolfgang, nivalis or otherwise. I am trying to remember if "Kirtling Tower", a recent Trym-like find by Richard Ayres, is a nivalis (but I can't). And I found a similar nivalis last year (perhaps not as good?) which failed to flower this year (it only appeared at all late in the season). John (KentGardener) was taken with this one when he visited me and I am hoping mine will pull through and return to full strength next year. The best picture of mine I could find is in situ before I abstracted it.
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Now that's how to show off a lovely plant Wolfgang. 8) Sehr schöne. 8)
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Galanthus nivalis with two outer petals
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Hi Wolfgang
I do not think that 2 petal snowdrop will do that again next year - it has the look of a malformed flower to it for 2009.
Nice green outers though. 8)
Cheers
John
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Hi Wolfgang
I do not think that 2 petal snowdrop will do that again next year - it has the look of a malformed flower to it for 2009.
Nice green outers though. 8)
Cheers
John
Hi John,
I do not think this 2010 will bloom again. Looks interesting but
Wolfgang
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Oh! :o It was not April, 1st? Robin, it's great! May I take place in a queue for a bulb?
(http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3146.0;attach=107857;image)
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Oh! :o It was not April, 1st? Robin, it's great! May I take place in a queue for a bulb?
Olga,
I will wait 2 more years before distributing G. "Green Mile".
I'm a bit surprised that a modest little Galanthus excites more enthousiasm than more spectacular plants such as Arisaema and Trillium.
Sorry galanthophiles :)
Robin
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......I'm a bit surprised that a modest little Galanthus excites more enthousiasm than more spectacular plants such as Arisaema and Trillium.
Sorry galanthophiles :)
Robin
I've been thinking about this and I have come to the conclusion that if snowdrops flowered in March or April then they would not excite nearly so much enthusiasm. But they flower at a time when there is very little else to look at in the way of small perennials.
And even if you don't think much of snowdrops individually, they really do look spectacular when viewed en-masse.
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Robin,
That green is absolutely stunning!! I have to ask..... does it ever set seed? I've never seen anything even remotely like that here in Australia!!!!! :o Given our quarantine setup it will take many years before anything like that ever appears, if ever, so seed would be the best option to have a chance of ever owning something like that. 8)
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That green is absolutely stunning!! I have to ask..... does it ever set seed?
Paul,
It hasn't set seed so far. Maybe this year?
Robin.
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Robin
I will wait with you and others. 8) Thanks for sharing your discovery!
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Robin,
If you do ever get seed from it and can spare some please keep me in mind. I would so love to grow something like that, and I'm willing to wait and find out what seedlings of that might end up looking like. ;D part of the fun of growing from seed, as I am sure you're familiar with. ;)
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Oh! :o It was not April, 1st? Robin, it's great! May I take place in a queue for a bulb?
Olga,
I will wait 2 more years before distributing G. "Green Mile".
I'm a bit surprised that a modest little Galanthus excites more enthousiasm than more spectacular plants such as Arisaema and Trillium.
Sorry galanthophiles :)
Robin
Robin, when you produce not one, but a whole clump of as spectacular a snowdrop as 'Green Mile', expect a whole string of 'wow' and 'fantastic' and other words that express awe and delight. Enjoy it and when, and only when, you have enough to spare, then you can 'spread the joy' making sure you still have your spectacular clump as insurance.
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Now that is really special - fantastic. I love trilliums and lots of other plants but to me nothing is nicer than a snowdrop.
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Lastly from Covertside....Freddie who?
johnw
John - not sure if you got an id on this one, but it is G. 'Chastleton Freddie', one of 25 seedlings selected by Daphne Chappell & John Sales from the neglected garden of Chastleton House (see Transcript of the Ninth Galanthus Gala 2006)
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Lastly from Covertside....Freddie who?
johnw
John - not sure if you got an id on this one, but it is G. 'Chastleton Freddie', one of 25 seedlings selected by Daphne Chappell & John Sales from the neglected garden of Chastleton House (see Transcript of the Ninth Galanthus Gala 2006)
Thanks Chris, I think you had already identified it. A splendid garden it was and a delightful owner.
johnw.
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Lastly from Covertside....Freddie who?
johnw
John - not sure if you got an id on this one, but it is G. 'Chastleton Freddie', one of 25 seedlings selected by Daphne Chappell & John Sales from the neglected garden of Chastleton House (see Transcript of the Ninth Galanthus Gala 2006)
Oh Chris, 25 more seedlings. Is there no end to them?
Paddy
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Oh Chris, 25 more seedlings. Is there no end to them?
Paddy
[/quote]
Afraid not Paddy ::) and a large number of these seedlings have been named - I have now identified over 1500 named snowdrops, over and above those that appeared in 'Snowdrops', and I continue to find new ones almost daily!
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Chris,
Most will slump into obscurity, I'm sure.
Paddy
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Afraid not Paddy ::) and a large number of these seedlings have been named - I have now identified over 1500 named snowdrops, over and above those that appeared in 'Snowdrops', and I continue to find new ones almost daily!
Well, In several years of growing galanthus and, like others, looking at seedlings in my garden and elsewhere, I have found just two that I thought sufficiently distinctive to be worth naming. I get the feeling from SRGC that others are similarly restrained. What on earth is the point of naming 25 new finds from one location? How can such a large number all be so distinctive as to be worthy of naming?
Chris, you put round a note last year about the follow-up to the Snowdrops book that touched on the point of distinctiveness. How and by whom is a judgement being made about naming new and "different" varieties, and is there a danger of the market being swamped by unworthy look-alikes?
Ian Christie's recent pic of the yellow Harrison woronowii - now that's different!
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Chris, you put round a note last year about the follow-up to the Snowdrops book that touched on the point of distinctiveness. How and by whom is a judgement being made about naming new and "different" varieties, and is there a danger of the market being swamped by unworthy look-alikes?
Ian Christie's recent pic of the yellow Harrison woronowii - now that's different!
Steve - anybody can name a snowdrop, and quite clearly very many people have been doing so!
I know from our correspondence about the two seedlings that you have selected that you are taking the responsible route, both in passing them to other experienced growers to grow on & give you their opinion and, just as importantly, allowing the passage of time to make sure that they are stable and that the features that caused you to select them in the first place do consistently repeat. Many others have clearly not gone down this route and have named snowdrops based on the slightest difference and, often it seems, without either waiting to see if the snowdrop repeats the particular feature, or checking to see what similar named snowdrops already exist.
I agree that, to warrant being named, the snowdrop should be distinctive and this, for instance, is one of the key criteria that the Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee use when judging snowdrops that have been put up for awards (FCC, AM & PC).
Martin Baxendale also often reminds us that the snowdrop should have other attributes such as being strong and healthy, high disease resistance etc.
This proliferation of names, many of them given to snowdrops that, on the face of it, appear to be undistinguished and of little merit, is clearly going to prove challenging in putting 'Snowdrops2' together. The logistics are quite daunting, but I am confident that the division system that we use will enable us to bring to the fore those snowdrops that are truly distinct and worthy of being named.
On a related issue, did you receive the email that I sent you on 19th December?
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Martin Baxendale also often reminds us that the snowdrop should have other attributes such as being strong and healthy, high disease resistance etc.
A wise man that Martin Baxendale. Others should heed this dictum before registration.
johnw