Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: Maren on February 21, 2011, 04:29:58 PM

Title: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on February 21, 2011, 04:29:58 PM
I'd love to acquire some of these, but nobody seems to sell them.

If anyone has some spares, I'd love to buy them. Please send me a PM if you can help. Thank you.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on February 21, 2011, 07:36:05 PM
I'll ask a friend who has a large patch. I'm sure he will say yes
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on February 21, 2011, 10:50:01 PM
That would be terrific. :D :D :D

Could you also please find out what soil conditions he grows his in. Some people say they are difficult.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on February 21, 2011, 11:17:45 PM
They are in a good leaf mould rich soil. Mine, only 2, are in a woodland trough that has a planting mix made up of top soild, grit and leaf mould
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Mavers on February 22, 2011, 12:37:22 AM
I saw some at Snape cottage over the weekend (not for sale) & was attracted to it by the foliage as well as the flower.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: steve owen on February 22, 2011, 07:37:53 PM
It's a super snowdrop and a nice memorial to Sophie and her dad and the Snowdrop campaign that resulted in the banning of hand-guns in the UK.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Sean Fox on February 23, 2011, 03:12:33 PM
Someone is selling a clump of 3 bulbs on e-bay with a starting price of £80  :o
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on February 23, 2011, 03:16:43 PM
Don't do it.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on February 23, 2011, 03:28:26 PM
I won't. They probably saw me coming. :o :o ;D
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: KentGardener on February 23, 2011, 07:53:49 PM
I'll keep quiet that, for some stupid reason, I decided not to buy them at £3.00 for two bulbs on the AGS stand at the Kent show last year....   :-[
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on February 23, 2011, 08:23:56 PM
John! You should have bought them all
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: chasw on February 24, 2011, 06:54:35 AM
And I've lost mine  :(
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: RichardW on February 24, 2011, 10:23:10 AM
mine went as well, although having shown a photo of it here a while back not sure it was ever Sophie North in the first place...
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 25, 2011, 07:45:16 PM
Is this  G. Sophie North ?

Angie  :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Martin Baxendale on February 25, 2011, 07:59:25 PM
Is this  G. Sophie North ?

Angie  :)

Yes, I'd say so Angie. Lost label?
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 25, 2011, 08:07:14 PM
Martin yes I only have half a label in the pot  ::). That's good I remember buying it at Dunblane but wasn't sure if it was this one or a clump I have in the ground. Now I will have to figure what the clump in the ground is.

Thanks Angie :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Martin Baxendale on February 25, 2011, 10:40:58 PM
Martin yes I only have half a label in the pot  ::). That's good I remember buying it at Dunblane but wasn't sure if it was this one or a clump I have in the ground. Now I will have to figure what the clump in the ground is.

Thanks Angie :)

Will you post a pic of the one in the ground? We may be on a roll here  ;D
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Martin Baxendale on February 25, 2011, 10:43:02 PM
I must look for a new source of Sophie North as well. I've used it in my  breeding programme but find it is short lived and prone to disease here - it clumps very nicely an flowers beautifully then suddenly dwindles, as some older clones of plicatus are unfortunately prone to doing.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 25, 2011, 11:03:40 PM
Martin here is a picture of the clump in the ground. I searched for its label in the ground but nothing there. I have now started taking a picture of my plant with a label beside it and then log the plant. This is what Ian Young does. Just wish I did this years ago.
I hope I manage to keep my Sophie North. I bought two years ago.

Angie :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Martin Baxendale on February 25, 2011, 11:12:23 PM
Martin here is a picture of the clump in the ground. I searched for its label in the ground but nothing there. I have now started taking a picture of my plant with a label beside it and then log the plant. This is what Ian Young does. Just wish I did this years ago.
I hope I manage to keep my Sophie North. I bought two years ago.

Angie :)

It looks like Atkinsii. Does that ring any bells?
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 25, 2011, 11:29:28 PM
No Martin , but tomorrow I will look in my container of old labels. These are labels I have found in my garden after the blackbirds have thrown them about.
Thanks
Angie :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Martin Baxendale on February 25, 2011, 11:38:54 PM
I'm pretty sure it's Atkinsii. I can see deformed inner petals, which is typical of Atkinsii (though some people say the ones with deformities are James Backhouse - I say they're all Atkinsii).
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: galanthophile on February 26, 2011, 03:32:43 AM
This is my Atkinsii taken a couple of days ago
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 26, 2011, 09:26:10 AM
It astonishes me that you can tell just from a picture what the snowdrop is. To me they all look similar :-X but I do enjoy them so much. I love this time of year when the woods are full of snowdrops.
Martin thanks for the name of the snowdrop.
Here is a picture of Galanthus nivalis under my hedge, sorry not a very good picture, even the common one is so nice.

Angie :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Paddy Tobin on February 26, 2011, 09:31:23 AM
Angie,

A beautiful planting. Perfect situation, so natural and the snowdrops are obviously thriving.

Paddy
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 26, 2011, 09:45:21 AM
Thanks Paddy

When we built our house the old garden was covered in snowdrops and bluebells so before the diggers came in I dug up as much as I could and put them under the hedge that I had just planted, they have done well . I gave away hundreds to friends.

Angie :)

Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: daveyp1970 on February 26, 2011, 10:00:38 AM
Angie do you grow your sophie north in a pot all the time because its in fantastic condition,lovely potfull.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on February 26, 2011, 10:06:07 AM
I think Atkinsii also. Mine are finished long time now.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Martin Baxendale on February 26, 2011, 12:41:18 PM
My Atkinsii are also long over, and my Sophie North. You're a long way behind, Angie. Then again you've had an even colder winter than me.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on February 26, 2011, 06:01:09 PM
Just back from the Harrow Show and there were lots of beautiful Sophie Norths on show, but none for sale. It's like "Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."

Still, they were lovely and lots of other nice things besides.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 26, 2011, 11:33:48 PM
Angie do you grow your sophie north in a pot all the time because its in fantastic condition,lovely potfull.

I have that small pot full and a small clump in the garden( found that today) I think when I bought them I put one bulb in a pot and the other in the ground. Must have been playing safe.

Martin never found a label for Atkinsii so I am glad that you identified it for me .
It's been a long winter but the last few days felt like spring is here. Its so nice to see and feel the sun.
Tonight there is a frost. it's hard for plants living here, one thing if I can grow it here it will grow anywhere  ::) ;D

Angie :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Mavers on March 04, 2011, 12:30:31 PM
I love the foliage of Sophie North as well as the flowers........very distinct to my eyes.

Maren what a sight that pot of Sophie North make.

What is the secret to growing such a perfect potful??
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Darren on March 04, 2011, 12:53:42 PM
OK - I know I am a Galanthocynic but I confess that I after seeing your pictures even I agree that this is a distinct and very lovely snowdrop. But then I have had a rough week and it may be affecting my judgement.. ;)

Seriously - I have to echo that Angie's potful is beautifully grown.

Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on March 04, 2011, 01:07:57 PM
I agree, Angie's pot is terrific. I also think the foliage of Sophie North adds to its distinction. The colour of the foliage has a hint of glaucous, which I find very attractive; the stem holds it's gorgeous head well and the petals have such rich substance and glistening appearance, I really can't find any fault with this galanthus except that it does not inhabit my garden - yet. ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: daveyp1970 on March 04, 2011, 01:09:20 PM
Can anybody give me any advice in growing drops in pots like that Sophie North pic of Marens,i'd love to grow them like that for show standard.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Diane Clement on March 04, 2011, 01:49:05 PM
Can anybody give me any advice in growing drops in pots like that Sophie North pic of Marens,i'd love to grow them like that for show standard.  

Doubtless someone on the forum may advise you, Dave, but if you visit one of the shows, you can then talk to the particular growers. That particular pot of Sophie North belongs to Don Peace who will be at most shows in the weeks to come.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on March 04, 2011, 09:34:15 PM
Maren I have failed to get you one :( I'll be seeing another person on Monday who grows it
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on March 04, 2011, 11:04:20 PM
Good luck ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on March 04, 2011, 11:16:47 PM
I was at a members garden the other day and she has a big clump of Sophie North. I thought I would never be able to tell the differences in snowdrops but I have proved myself wrong. I spotted Sophie North straight away. She had some lovely snowdrops I wish I had taken my camera that day. Maybe if she is reading this she will post some pictures of her lovely snowdrops for us all to see  :)

Angie  :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on March 15, 2011, 07:10:41 PM
Smile Maren  ;)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on March 15, 2011, 07:17:18 PM
Hi Mark,

another cryptic clue  ??? ??? ??? ???
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on March 15, 2011, 07:45:48 PM
I have a Sophie North for you
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on March 15, 2011, 11:04:12 PM
Congratulations. That's very nice. Please send me a PM to mtalbot AT talktalk dot net and we can discuss details. :) :) :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on March 26, 2011, 06:53:35 PM
Hi,

I managed to swap pleiones with a forum member for a couple of bulbs of G. plicatus Sophie North. One of them is growing a seed pod.

My question is this: since I did not pollinate it, I don't know what's in the pod. Therefore, should I cut it off to allow the plant to grow big and strong or is it worth hanging on to the seed, just in case there is something worth having?
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maggi Young on March 26, 2011, 07:02:03 PM
Hang on to it, Maren. The foliage will stay green for longer if there is a pod developing and that can only add more food to the bulb, as well as ripening any seed. 
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Alan_b on March 27, 2011, 08:04:18 AM
I just noticed the email address quoted on this thread.  If you want this address to remain usable, you need remove it before it is discovered by the spambots.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maggi Young on March 27, 2011, 09:03:53 AM
I have edited the post, Alan.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on March 27, 2011, 08:12:25 PM
Thanks, Maggi, I had already nearly decided to hang on to it, but your advice confirms my decision. Who knows ..... :D
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Mavers on March 30, 2011, 12:39:03 PM
Hang on to it, Maren. The foliage will stay green for longer if there is a pod developing and that can only add more food to the bulb, as well as ripening any seed. 

This is interesting, I didn't realise this Maggi...........I have always removed the seed pods from bulbs thinking the 'goodness' will go into the bulb rather unwanted seed.

Mike


Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maggi Young on March 30, 2011, 02:09:06 PM
This is a feature you can see demonstrated in pretty much any bulb, Mike.
Lots of people think that taking off the seed head "saves" the bulb from making the effort but if the leaves are going to be fresh and "working" for several weeks extra we have found that there is a benefit to the bulb as well as the bonus of seed.
It's something Ian has commented on in the Bulb Log over the years.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Mavers on March 31, 2011, 10:47:26 AM
I'm going to try this in future Maggi thanks for passing the tip on.

Mike
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maren on February 02, 2012, 11:52:57 AM
Not sure whether I'm allowed to post here any more, since it's 120 days since the last activity, but here goes:

I'm a happy bunny because the G.p. 'Sophie North', acquired from a kind forumist last year, has made 2 nice flowers. Not sure why it decided to move to the edge of the pot, but I'm not going to disturb it now. Long may it live and thrive. :D :D :D
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Brian Ellis on February 02, 2012, 12:25:31 PM
What a nice surprise Maren.  I don't know why some snowdrops go to the edge of the pots either, it can be irritating when you just have one bulb and plant it in the middle; if it doesn't come up some people are tempted to gently scrape away to see if it is on it's way up, but if it has gone to the side you don't find it.  I was convinced I had lost a particularly valued (by me) autumn-flowering snowdrop but lo and behold a couple of weeks ago there it was, just foliage but still alive ... and at the side of the pot :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: angie on February 02, 2012, 04:11:20 PM
Maren that's nice that you got the snowdrop you wanted and it has flowered. Funny how its gone to the edge, maybe it was trying to escape  ;D My Sophies are looking good now, no snow covering them this year.

Angie  :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: RichardW on February 11, 2013, 07:54:45 PM
sorry to bump such an old thread, hard to believe it was over 2 years ago I thought I had lost the bulb but took this home to sit by the log burner today having spent hours re-potting rescued bulbs it looked promising so hoping it's actually Sophie North, leaf looks good but last time I posted the flower was told it was wrong.



Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maggi Young on February 11, 2013, 08:00:47 PM
 A new forumist was telling me recently that he has three different acquisitions of . 'Sophie North' and all three are different  :-X
Seems others have the same problem.

 By the way , the story from Evelyn Stevens of how this snowdrop came to be named   can be read in issue 99 of the Rock Garden - pages 146 - 151 =- That is  one of the hundreds of issues of TRG available (http://www.srgc.net/site/index.php/extensions/journal) on the SRGC Website.
  Direct link for  Issue No. 99  is  http://files.srgc.net/journals/vol_1%20to_113/99.pdf (http://files.srgc.net/journals/vol_1%20to_113/99.pdf)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: RichardW on February 11, 2013, 08:06:20 PM
ah, sounds like another Percy Picton...

had that 3 times but the one someone gave me last year looks "right"

having looked at other images in this thread it does appear to be a good match, though I'm sure the problem with it before was that the inner mark was split on mine where it should be soild, I might have photographed the wrong one  :-[

even if it's not I'm still pleased I rescued a bulb which is now flowering again  :)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Maggi Young on February 11, 2013, 08:28:55 PM
even if it's not I'm still pleased I rescued a bulb which is now flowering again  :)

A rescue is always worth a celebration.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: John Breen on February 13, 2013, 08:50:11 AM
A new forumist was telling me recently that he has three different acquisitions of . 'Sophie North' and all three are different  :-X
Seems others have the same problem.

Maggi
I will try to post the photos maybe this evening. Thanks for the advice on how to do this.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: John Breen on February 13, 2013, 11:48:38 PM
I had what I thought was a nice clump of Sophie North. They were from two sources: one from a local forumist and one from an English source (I’m not 100% sure).  The Bible (Snowdrops, Bishop et al. page 150) gives a picture. The inner mark on my Sophies did not show the distinct kite-shaped mark, and only had a slight waist. The text description in the Bible could fit my Sophies. “The most useful feature for its identification is the absolutely straight, erect spathe, an unusual character in G. plicatus.” However they describe the inner mark as “a V with rounded arm-ends joined to an oval” and mine were not that! I separated these two clumps. I think they are identical or very similar. They are good garden snowdrops and are increasing very well – but I think they are “not” Sophie North. I think this variety self seeds and I suspect they may be “daughters” of SN.
See also the pictures in Reply #29 by Marren (26-02-2011) above in this Thread and the picture by RichardW four posts ago (Reply #54)
Two years ago, I was at the Spring Show in Dunblane and acquired the true Sophie North.
Pictures, below.
1.   Not Sophie North 1a (note “straight, erect spathe)”
2.   Not Sophie North 1b (same flower as 1a, open indoors)
3.   Sophie North 2a in the garden
4.   Sophie North 2b same flower forced open (note inner mark)
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: RichardW on February 14, 2013, 06:28:11 AM
Thanks for posting those, can't find my original image but am sure it was very wrong, is odd as i am usually very careful to mark where bulbs go in.

mine does fit the description but its still only one fairly small bulb, from the images of pot fulls it looks like a good doer.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Michael J Campbell on February 14, 2013, 10:32:42 AM
I got my Sophie North from Edrom about 1998. always thought it was correct. I will look for the receipt to check the correct date.  Many Computer crashes since then ( thanks Microsoft) so will have to delve into the filing cabinet.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: chasw on February 14, 2013, 10:37:55 AM
I think that my original (which I lost) came from Evelyn Stevens who was selling them for the Dunblane appeal,(please correct me if I am wrong)many years ago

I bought one to replace it at the gala at the week end ,will try and get a picture later
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Michael J Campbell on February 14, 2013, 10:50:50 AM
By the way,mine is the one in the first pick that John posted.
Here is a few  more pics of mine.

Galanthus Sophie North?
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on February 14, 2013, 11:00:25 AM
This is Sophie North. Not the best photo taken just now
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: mark smyth on February 14, 2013, 11:02:12 AM
Michael your 7049 looks very dark or is it just the photo?
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Michael J Campbell on February 14, 2013, 11:07:18 AM
It is just the pic Mark, bad light and the white balance set to cloudy.
Title: Re: Galanthus Sophie North
Post by: Michael J Campbell on February 14, 2013, 11:14:07 AM
Will the real Sophie North please stand up. :)
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