Galanthus February 2009

[Paddy Tobin]

Good posting, Anthony, a selection of very nice snowdrops, all doing very well and looking very well.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Good to see fresh snowdrops. Mine are fading too fast but here's a few still looking fresh
'Anne of Geirstein' with petals that cant be forced open using the snowdrop squeeze.
elwesii 'Green Comet'
elwesii 'Lord Monostictus' - a name that has now been dropped - a good post main season snowdrop
elwesii 'Sir Edward Elgar'
Mighty Atom Group 'Dodo Norton'
nivalis 'Mini Me' - 8cm
nivalis 'Tiny Tim' - the tallest in 10cm
'The Linns'

[Paddy Tobin]

A great selection of nice snowdrops. G. 'Dodo Norton' has a lovely puckering on the outer petals as well as a good overall shape.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Last snowdrop for now. I still have to catch up from last weekend. Here are some goodies from the Margaret Owen MS day

[johnw]

Mark - Do squish that aphid on your Mini Me.

Lovely photos.

We had the pleasure to meet a few forumists - John Finch, Alanb, Jo, Joe Sharman and saw Steve Owen at the CGS event but he bolted after the last talk.

Saw many wonderful displays & gardens...

Avon Bulbs Display booth at the Show
Foxgrove Display
Primrose Hiil garden
Cerney House
John Sales Covertside garden nr Chedworth

Have returned with a profound respect for Straffan, Sam Arnott and Galatea.

johnw

[johnw]

A few more.

John Grimshaw's garden

Colesbourne

johnw

[Paddy Tobin]

John,

Some fabulous displays and plantings there, wonderful!

In the Primrose Hill photograph, it is the large clump of bergenia which catches my eye. I am nearly sure it is a cultivar called, B. 'Ballawley' after the garden in Dublin where it originated. It makes a wonderful winter display with a tremendous purple colour enhanced by frosty weather.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

It's been so long since I was at Primrose Hill I didnt recognise the garden

[steve owen]

 and saw Steve Owen at the CGS event but he bolted after the last talk.


johnw

I'm obviously going to seed. Seriously, if only I'd known I would have stopped to sign a few autographs. But I had to meet a lady in the car park.

[ian mcenery]

Nice plants Anthony here is one I acquired last year will be nice if I can get it to clump up

G krasnovii


and G viradapice if it wasn't so easy I suppose it would be one of the most sought after 

and Percy Picton  along lasting and elegant plant

[Martin Baxendale]

I got some nice pollen from Phil Cornish's collection today. Anyone want to see photos?   

[mark smyth]

Martin when will we see photos of your snowdrops?

[Anthony Darby]

Nice plants Anthony here is one I acquired last year will be nice if I can get it to clump up

G krasnovii


and G viradapice if it wasn't so easy I suppose it would be one of the most sought after 

and Percy Picton  along lasting and elegant plant

I really like Galanthus krasnovii. Mine is still in bud.

Does anyone have any G. alpinus alpinus? It is the missing link in my polyploidy Higher Biology lesson. There is not enough biology actually brought into classrooms. It's alright making DNA out of wire, pasta, pipe cleaner and chocolate hoops, but give me a living example everytime. Anyone tried colchicine on twin scales of bortkewitschianus to try and make a fertile hexaploid?

[Martin Baxendale]

Martin when will we see photos of your snowdrops?

Just haven't had the time for photos this year. So damn busy with work. When I do find time to get outside, it's always the pollinations that demand my immediate attention. So much of the season my snowdrops were frozen in the ground or under snow that I've only had the second half of February to do all the crosses I wanted to do.

Plus Ivi keeps taking the camera to work so when I do think 'I'll take a pic of that' - no b****y camera!   

[johnw]

John,

Some fabulous displays and plantings there, wonderful!

In the Primrose Hill photograph, it is the large clump of bergenia which catches my eye. I am nearly sure it is a cultivar called, B. 'Ballawley' after the garden in Dublin where it originated. It makes a wonderful winter display with a tremendous purple colour enhanced by frosty weather.

Paddy

Thanks Paddy, Ken thought it might be Bergenia purpurascens but the leaves were a bit large for it.

Here's a close-up he took.

Also from Primrose Hill - a nice clump of Ruby Baker (who we were introduced to at the London Show) and a fine big clump of Lutescens.

New to me was Cicely Hall Improved , I have a shot but have to figure out which it is.

johnw