Galanthus in March 2013

[PlantPref]

Congratulations on the gold medal Gerald!

Does anyone know Galanthus elwesii 'Marielle'? I bought one on impulse at Harlow on Saturday. It is described by the sellers The plantsman's preference in Diss as "A new selection found in an old garden near Ipswich by Bernard Tickner and Ivan Dickings. Grey foliage and large simple white flowers but the whole plant is big, very big! Up to 35cm when established."
The plant I bought is not big at all but as a pot-grown bulb that is not unexpected. The leaves fold back at the edges as though there is some plicatus in the mix rather than pure elwesii. I bought it as I live near Ipswich and it's nice to have local plants.

Hi, just found this on here and joined up to give a little more information.  I'm the one who sold it to you!

I first saw it growing as established clumps in Bernard's garden, Fullers Mill at West Stow near Bury St Edmunds where in late February it came almost to my knees (I'm 6'2"!) and with it's grey elwesii foliage I was suitably impressed.  I'm not a real snowdrop fan but commented on it to Bernard and he asked if I'd be willing to distribute it as it had been retrieved from a garden that had been rather abandoned but was likely to be cleared drastically.  I believe that Marielle is the name of the garden owner.  I was duly given a bucketful the next season and have sold small numbers over the last 3 years or so.

Joe Sharman has had it for a couple of years and said it's so big and vigorous it's almost a weed!  I have a couple of non-flowering pots (probably 2 reasonable bulbs in each) left this year if anyone wants to swap for another elwesii?

[Maggi Young]

Welcome, Tim!
It's good  to hear more about the history of 'Marielle'  - and a real delight to hear of a snowdrop that seems to be more than  robust! 

[Gail]

Welcome to the forum Tim and many thanks for going to the trouble to reply. I love to hear the background stories to the plants I grow. I am really looking forward to having a knee-high snowdrop (and as I'm only 5'2" that may be waist-high!).

I've done some pollen dabbling between Marielle and Wendy's Gold, hoping for a strain of yellow giants at some stage in the future.

[johnw]

Tim - Welcome to the Forum!

Any chance you could send some pollen of this brute to Martin Baxendale who is breeding for good-doers?  Always a chance the pollen is getting past peak.  Sounds like a must for his project.  I'm sure he'll chime in any moment.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

I'll take note of the information found on 'North Grange' and 'Baylham'. The snowdrop that is labeled 'Batlham' could be a nivalis x plicatus, it has double flower with 12 regular  inner petals and a strong single green marking but it seems to be smaller then the pictures of 'Baylham' I found. Anyway many thanks to all of you for the kind help offered,
Beatrice

 Beatrice,  I have some more information about Galanthus 'North Grange' - I have learned that this snowdrop arose in the former garden of SRGC members Lyn and Ronald Bezzant some years ago.... they tell me :

"Galanthus 'North Grange' originated as a chance seedling in our Bearsden garden about 1984.
It comes true from seed, and so is good for naturalizing.
It does well in acid damp soil. "

They are pleased to learn that their 'drop is being appreciated! 

Hope this is what you hoped to learn!
Maggi

[hwscot]

Still not quite got the hang of picture posting. But if it works, here's some shameless postcard aesthetics of a patch of bog standard nivalis. Garden savaged this morning,  Frit. raddeana laid low, and even hellebores flattened, so I felt a bit of cliche editing was in order to try and cheer myself up.

[Pauli]

Today I visited a natural site of Galanthus to look for variations - not much found - just a clump with four petals. Must be checked if it is stable....

[Pauli]

A few miles away and a little up the hills I looked for Leucoum and found a site with quite a lot of double flowers an a scape

[chasw]

A few from the garden today in between the snow flurries

Anne of Geierstein (thanks Maggi)
Dodo Norton
Natalie Garton
Priscilla Bacon

[Maggi Young]

Chas, I think your Anne of Gierstein should be Anne of Geierstein

.......  http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/works/novels/geierstein.html 

[Martin Baxendale]

Not much time for taking photos of my seedlings this season due to work pressures, but I had to grab a quick snap of this one as I like the markings so much. I love the crisp sinus mark and the way the basal mark is made up of very regular lines rather than a blotch.

[Martin Baxendale]

Hmmm. Tried to resize that photo to make it larger so the mark is easier to see but that seems to be its maximum size. I guess it's clear enough.

[chasw]

Have to excuse me have been up for over 20 hours now
Two more
Trymlet
Seagull

[Maggi Young]

You burning the "bulb" at both ends again, Chas?
I know that feeling- but it's not good for you!

[chasw]

 Maggi,its hard to come home and go to bed when the sun is shining.......................I need to be out in the garden...............sleep can wait 5 nights off now