Galanthus in March 2017

[johnralphcarpenter]

Some late ones: Galanthus plicatus 'Baxendale's Late, and Galanthus plicatus 'Warham Rectory'.

[Cephalotus]

Some superb finds there, Chris.  I particularly like 1 & 10 but they are all good.  I wonder if 1 will be stable?  Funny how you had not found the inversely poculiform type before and then you found lots of them.

Alan, I would love the number 1 to be stable, since it is really amazing looking one. 10. is also one of my favourites. The thing is, that I went to totally new population, around 120 km distant from the ones I searched through before. Those from before are from 1-30 km away from each other. All nearby the same river so they are basically one huge population spread in area. They are different a bit, but generally they have a potential to create the same mutations like poculiformis. No matter what population I visited, at some point I found one or more complete and/or incomplete poculiformis. The population I visited yesterday was different and had nothing in common with the previous ones so the types of mutations were different too. I found there a whole subpopulation of pterugiform, I stopped counting at 30 clumps, but there were definitely more than 50 or even 60 individual forms. I didn't photograph all, it would be crazy to do so. I searched the through in hope of finding a complete green one, but I failed with that. In addition I searched around... 1/10th of the forest so I would need to spend there at least two whole weeks to walk around it whole. There is definitely more to find. Again as in previous forest each population had areas which are more potent to created mutations than others. It is important to notice that and search those areas though better.

No.8 looks like a bunch of white bananas to me.

I got inspired with how you called the flower looks like. It really does resemble a bunch of white bananas.

[Rick Goodenough]

1.


5.



8. A monster form



13. One with upstanding flowers.

Chris,

Your 1, 5, 8, and 13 are all very intriguing to my eye and the rest are quite nice as well. Congratulations on a very productive day!

Congratulations!

Rick

[SusanH]

A friend gave me a pot of these Snowdrops today - not sure what they are - any idea anyone?
Thanks in anticipation.

[Alan_b]

Susan, those leaves look a bit mangled but the only widely-available snowdrop with broad and bright green leaves is Galanthus woronowii.  The mark on the inner petals is broadly correct for that species so I think that is what it must be.

[steve owen]

Alan
A little while back you were querying the distinctiveness of G.Ronald Franks. Its really quite late; my clump is only just flowering. It also has an attractive greyish-blue leaf. A single bloom is very samey, but a group has an attractiveness  - and of course when so much is going over....

[SusanH]

Thanks Alan - I have woronowii in the garden although they are much smaller in stature.  The bulbs on these ones are very large so I thought they were vastly different. Many thanks - much appreciated. Cheers.

[Ding Dong]

If anyone hasn't had enough of snowdrops yet this year, we (Avon Bulbs) have been doing a stock take this week, and will be putting some reduced price snowdrops on the website in the next couple of days - 30% off.  Will be UK and EU only, sorry others 

[Maggi Young]

If anyone hasn't had enough of snowdrops yet this year, we (Avon Bulbs) have been doing a stock take this week, and will be putting some reduced price snowdrops on the website in the next couple of days - 30% off.  Will be UK and EU only, sorry others 

Aha! Reduced = SALE =  a word that is  much favoured by most members, I think!!

[Maggi Young]

Sale now on  at Avon Bulbs : https://www.avonbulbs.co.uk/spring-planted-bulbs-and-snowdrops/galanthus-snowdrops - offer is 30% discount using the special code at checkout. 

[Alan_b]

Thanks Alan - I have woronowii in the garden although they are much smaller in stature.  The bulbs on these ones are very large so I thought they were vastly different. Many thanks - much appreciated. Cheers.

There are other snowdrop species with bright green leaves.  Some of these lack a notch on the inner petals so can be eliminated as yours have this feature.  So we are left with woronowii or ikariae or a  rare form of another species that normally has glaucous leaves.  Woronowii comes in a range of sizes, from the tiny little ones you find in garden centres up to those of a decent size.  Go to the Botanic Garden in Batumi, Georgia and it more-or-less grows as a weed there, it is present in such large quantities over large areas of their large garden. 

[Carolyn Walker]

Sorry, I haven't visited in a while but my snowdrop business has been extremely busy.  I thought you would all like to see this photo of the amazing 'Midas' sent to me by my friend Alan Street.  I think it is the most beautiful snowdrop I have ever seen.

For background, it was discovered as a seedling at Avon Bulbs in 2011.  It is a x valentinei, a nivalis/plicatus cross, with a pale green ovary, a pale yellow pedicel, and of course the very rare yellow marks on the outers.  It may be a cross between 'Blonde Inge' and 'Trym'.  Alan says a very limited quantity will be available as a dormant bulb in August with the price to be determined.

[Cephalotus]

I was speechless for quite some time. The plant is simply outstanding! I must try to create something like that myself. That photo just made me to want to create some crossings between forms I already have. The shown example is... wow.

[Alan_b]

.... I thought you would all like to see this photo of the amazing 'Midas' sent to me by my friend Alan Street. 

it's very lovely - but do you mean he sent you the bulbs or just the photograph?

[Carolyn Walker]

I was speechless for quite some time. The plant is simply outstanding! I must try to create something like that myself. That photo just made me to want to create some crossings between forms I already have. The shown example is... wow.

I had the same reaction, Chris.  I called my non-galanthophile husband over and said you have to see this....even he was impressed!

No, Alan, all I have is the photo but that's enough for now.