Margaret Owen's snowdrop day

[Martin Baxendale]

Paddy yes it was flowering. As corrected by ?Martin it's the spring flowering r-o

I've been informed Celadon isnt correct

Yes, I meant to also mention (but forgot - nearly bedtime!) that 'Celadon' didn't look right. I've never seen it, but the markings and foliage are supposed to be very pale, which doesn't fit with the photo. I should have seen it as I used to visit Amy Doncaster (who selected and named it) in the early 1980s, but I don't recall it - maybe she selected it out later.

[Paddy Tobin]

Mark & Martin,

So, G. reg. olg. Ken Beckett's Form flowers in spring, indeed quite late into spring, main flowering time for all snowdrops really. Is this usual for any other Galanthus reginae olgae cultivars? I would have had the generalised idea in my mind that all G. reg. olg. were early flowering, even before Christmas.

I wonder if this late flowering has any benefits for this cultivar and other similarly late flowering reg. olg. cultivars in avoiding damage from wet conditions in the late previous season?

Are the spring flowering reg. olg. cultivars more reliable than those that flower in autumn? I must say I have had great failure with G. reg. olg.

Paddy

[Maggi Young]

I would have had the generalised idea in my mind that all G. reg. olg. were early flowering, even before Christmas.

You and me, both, Paddy.... That's exactly what I thought!

[mark smyth]

You can extend the season with ssp. vernalis. The cultivars available, according to the book, are AJM, Alex Duiguid, M5287, Miss Adventure, Miss Behaving, MT4027. I'm sure there are many more available

[Hans J]

Maggi and Paddy ,

Gal. reginae olgae ssp. reginae olgae is flowering in my garden from September until November
Gal. reginae olgae ssp. reginae olgae ( corcyrensis ) is a bit later
Gal. reginae olgae ssp. vernalis starts here in end of December until March

I grow plants of Gal. reginae olgae ssp. vernalis from different locations :
Sicily, Calabria, Apulia, Montenegro - mostly received from botanists

[Martin Baxendale]

Reginae-olgae vernalis (of which 'Kenneth Beckett's Form' is a selection) is a sub-species of Reginae-olgae, with similar morphological features (e.g. silver stripe on  leaves) but a spring flowering period instead of autumn-flowering.

For garden purposes, I reckon the spring flowering of ssp. vernalis negates the main advantage of the species, reginae-olgae, and it's generally such an insignificant feature in the garden during the main snowdrop season that it's barely worth having in the garden - you'll get a better show from most "ordinary" Gal. nivalis. Unless you want it for "completeness" or botanical interest, that is.  

[mark smyth]

Here is Celadon sent to me by Janet from Judy's Snowdrops

[Paddy Tobin]

Many thanks Mark, Hans & Martin for very informative replies. I think Martin has hit the nail on the head, that those which flower at the latter end of the G. reginae olgae season are such that they are not noticed among the many better plants in flower at that time and might be grown for completeness of a collection rather than for any intrinsic beauty.

I am unfamiliar with some of those you list Mark though think G. 'Alex Duiguid' rings a bell as being a reasonably good cultivar while G. 'Miss Behaving' and G. 'Miss Adventure' are certainly worth giving a miss. They are obnoxiously malformed snowdrops.

Ae the vernalis group of G. reginae olgae any easier in cultivation than the autumn-flowering cultivars.?

Many thanks, Paddy

[mark smyth]

"obnoxiously malformed!" I suppose that depends on who is doing the looking. I find my plant a little cutie.

[Martin Baxendale]

Paddy, I find the couple of Reg-olg vernalis forms I have quite easy, but then I don't find autumn-flowering reginae-olgae all that difficult either on my well-drained, sun-baked south-facing slope (as opposed to what I assume is a slightly damper and cooler situation where you are).

[Tony Willis]

What cruel comments about a perfectley nice plant.If you restrict your self to the neat natural species instead of the overblown misfits and odities then they form a very nice part of the season.Here is one from gargano in Italy and I also grow others from Sicily and Calabria.

Martin I went to a book launch last night my first,enjoyable, but I am not expecting many more invitations.

[Hans J]

Tony ,

I can only confirm this statement !

[Paddy Tobin]

Tony & Hans,

Those are indeed lovely plants. My comments refer to the anomalous 'Miss Adventure' and 'Miss Behaving', hardly things of beauty?

Martin, Here the ground would be very wet over the winter  months though it dries out very well at this time of year. That was the point of my question as to whether or not the vernalis cultivars were easier. I wondered if they had a better chance in my winter wet conditions. Though I planted previous G. reginae olgae bulbs in raised bed positions they still did not last. I shall try again - and seek out Tony's recommendations next time. Of course, I shall have to go to Gargano first to source the best cultivar forms.

Paddy

[Martin Baxendale]

Tony and Hans, I should have made it more clear that I was talking about reg-olg vernalis as a plant for the open garden, where it can so easily be overlooked during the main snowdrop season as it doesn't make a particularly eye-ctaching display at that busy time (I did say "For garden purposes, the spring-flowering period negates the main attraction of the autumn-flowering species")

As a plant for pots, of course, it's an excellent choice, being so neat and tidy. And in a pot (or, I suppose a trough) it's attributes are much more easily admired and not lost in the general garden display.

[Tony Willis]

Paddy

I cannot flower reg-olgae outside.Although the plants grow well and make huge clumps they never flower.The theory is the slugs eat them as they emerge.Gourmet food.I have the similar problem even in the greenhouse.
The Gargano is wonderful but unless you are truly single minded you would be completely distracted by the masses of other goodies,orchids,cyclamen,narcissus ............................