Galanthus Faringdon Double, has decided to open up at last. Usually it is open by Christmas, but not this time, I think it is in too shady a spot as the Euonymous next to it is overshadowing it. Once the flowers are finished it will be moved as I don’t want to cut the Euonymous back, it has taken years to reach the size I want it.
Mrs McNamara keeps Faringdon Double company, another one to flower early.
Just outside the back door is another early snowdrop, a small one with a very dainty flower. The label has gone missing, where do they go to! I will have to spend quite some time with my new snowdrop book and try to identify it.
Also just outside the back door is a Chaenomeles planted by the people here previously. At the moment it is covered in flowers and looks as though spring has arrived, even though it is still a long way off. As long as the weather stays mild, the flowers will continue to open, the next frost will finish them off, but there are lots of buds to take over when the temperature rises once more.
Lots of other snowdrops are showing flowers that will be open in a few weeks, the birds are singing, the woodpeckers drumming on the trees and the temperatures are around 10 or 12 C. Today it is actually dry and the sun is shining, thank goodness no rain, the garden can’t take any more!
Lovely! The first snowdrops are always an event – can’t wait to see mine! Until last year I had never realised how many different ones there are. The ones I can buy here (in a country of non-gardeners) are simply labelled Galanthus nivalis… Enjoy the snowdrop season Pauline!
Cathy, Germany is now producing some wonderful new varieties of snowdrops, I wish we could get them here! Our local garden centre sells pots of G.nivalis, but if you look through them carefully, you can quite often find a few that are definitely something else, its worth searching. I certainly will enjoy the snowdrops season and the garden visiting that goes with it!
How lovely to see your snowdrops at last! I remember that last season you and others reported Faringdon Double in flower before Christmas and that was why I added that to my collection, but I am pretty sure mine won’t be flowering this year. Hope you can identify your label-less one. That Chaenomeles is such a pretty pink – I have heard others mention they have buds on theirs so I suppose I ought to check mine!
Yes Cathy, its late this year, definitely before Christmas last year! I have another Chaenomeles, “Appleblossom” but that only flowers in the spring, this pink one has been flowering on and off since November and is so lovely each time we go in and out of the back door, which is at the side!
It’s so exciting when the snowdrops start. You are right about finding interesting snowdrops amongst the so-called ‘nivalis’ pots. I have some lovely elwesii snowdrops in bloom now which I found for sale last year at our local farm shop. They were all labelled ‘nivalis’ and cost £2 per pot. There were quite a few different ones which of course I had to buy. I’ve no idea what they are though except for the elwesii with its distinctive foliage.
I love that Chaenomeles do you know which it is?
Chloris, the pots at our garden centre were just £1 for a pot of 5 bulbs, I think the ones I bought were all elwesii hybrids, but they had so many different markings.
I’m not sure what the Chaenomeles is, it was here before we were, but looking in my encyclopedia it might be C.japonica, but I can’t find one that has pink flowers!It really is a lovely plant and I look forward to it each winter.
I’m always excited to see the first snowdrops, but there aren’t any here yet. I shall have to wait a bit longer. The chaenomeles is a lovely colour, so welcome at this time of year.
The snowdrops Wendy, are the beginning of the woodland starting to flower for about 5 months, every day it is worth going to see what has opened overnight. The chaenomeles looks so springlike, I love it at this time of year.
How exciting Pauline. ‘Faringdon Double’ was out before Christmas here but is under cover and has since been joined by ‘Mrs Macnamara’. I’ve found that ‘Farringdon Double’ has clumped up well and now have bulbs heading for the garden. I wonder what your mystery ‘drop is – you will have to post a photo when fully open so that we can try to guess too. Thanks for identifying the two snowdrops on your last post.
Faringdon Double was well and truly overshadowed by the Euonymous, I’m sure it will be better if it has more light.I do wish labels wouldn’t go astray, is it the blackbirds or the squirrels that steal them? I will certainly photograph my unknown snowdrop when it decides to show the inner petals.
Hi Pauline,
Must go check on my Nivalis… Haven’t looked for almost a week, so I think by now it might be almost there!
Lovely Quince! Mine is still tiny, so no lovely photos like yours for me.
Can we please just have a week of dry weather? It’s not asking much is it? The forecast here has been mostly dry for a few days but it’s been raining – not constantly. Fed up now. Guess we shouldn’t complain, considering what the US is going through… Bah.
My nivalis aren’t up yet Liz, I had a look this afternoon when the sun was shining! We actually had a lovely day today but rain is coming again tomorrow unfortunately, but we would need at least a week for the garden to dry out properly. The temperatures in the US are horrendous, I hope they are back to normal soon.
It’s been wonderful to see a bit of sunshine today, and even better to see the snowdrops starting to flower. Feels quite springlike. The pheasants are certainly feeling it. The fighting has started. Haven’t heard the woodpeckers drumming yet though. Can’t be far off.
Its been a wonderful day Jessica with non stop sunshine all day, what a difference. I found quite a few more snowdrops out in the woodland this afternoon, they have come on quickly in the last few days. The birds are certainly getting ready for spring, I hope they cope with the lower temperatures that are forecast!
Wow, pretty, pretty things this early! I’m envious! Thanks for sharing. Blessings, Natalie 🙂
Yes Natalie, they are pretty aren’t they, they lift my spirits every time I go into the garden.
Glad it stopped raining for you Pauline and gave you a chance to get outside and enjoy your snowdrops; I’m very much enjoying all the snowdrops on offer on the blogs I follow.
It was so good Christina to be able to get in the garden without getting soaked, today is looking pretty good too but then more rain for the weekend! There will be plenty of posts about snowdrops from us all to keep you happy, February is the best month.
Unbelievable your chaenomeles, Pauline – very mild here too, birds are singing and the blackbirds would like to have a go at my snodrops so I had to protect the first ones rather inelegantly with chicken wire. Our loamy soil is also (too) well soaked, so fingers crossed for a long dry period. Got myself Waldorf’s book on snowdrops – which one did you get?
Yes Annette, the chaenomeles makes us all feel that spring has arrived even though we are only half way through winter. How strange that your blackbirds like your snowdrops, we have a couple of families but I haven’t noticed any damage, fingers crossed!
I already had the big bible of snowdrops and Waldorf’s, my present this Christmas was “A Gardener’s Guide to Snowdrops” by Freda Cox, a lovely book with super photos and drawings, she is a botanical artist.
Dear Pauline, such a cheerful post. Snowdrops and Cheonomeles – two of my fave flowers. The latter I haven’t managed to find a spot for, despite it being a tough survivor well suited to my tough love regime. Apple Blossom is my very favourite. Snowdrop bulbs I planted years and years ago, and they mostly come back each spring.
It’s wonderful Catmint that you have snowdrops growing in your garden, they must get very hot in your summers! I too have Chaenomeles Apple Blossom, mine is up at the top of the garden, a lovely flower, but it just flowers in the spring, hopefully encouraging the bees into the fruit and veg garden.
I think your Chaenomeles is beautiful – it’s doing a wonderful job there isn’t it.
Lovely to see your snowdrops out now – although I only grow the common variety – they are not even 2 inches high yet. I think I may consider getting a few named varieties to add to my miniature garden.
Angie, I can’t see any of my ordinary nivalis yet, usually they suddenly appear in February. We pass the chaenomeles every day and it certainly makes me smile as it looks so pretty at this time of year.
I love chaenomales but don’t have anywhere for one at the moment. I just love the contrast of the bare stems and those flowers – so oriental. No snowdrops here yet. they’re pushing through though. Strangely despite no frost they aren’t any earlier than previous years. Perhaps they are governed more by day length.
I have to prune the chaenomeles twice a year WW, to keep it close to the wall otherwise we wouldn’t be able to get past, it gets pruned like an apple tree to form flowering spurs. I have a while to wait yet for my nivalis snowdrops, its only a few of the named varieties which flower first. No frost here either for quite some time, although the next village was white when I drove through this morning.
Snowdrops are so sweet! And I can’t believe how your chaenomeles are blooming! Mine are full of buds but no blooms yet. For the most part, we are still winter bound, as much as we usually are here in Alabama!
I hope Deb, that you have escaped the dreadful weather that we have seen on our news. Just the one chaenomeles that I have flowers on and off all winter, the others wait till spring, very sensible!
What a gorgeous photo, I am so looking forward to spring. I have buds and a few have actually broken.
Thank you Charlie, flowers at this time of year make us think that spring is not far away, even though usually January and February are normally our coldest months.
There is so much going on in your garden. The Snowdrops are a wonderful and welcomed sight to see at this time of year and your Chaenomeles are just beautiful…such a nice visit!
Nice to hear from you Lee, thanks for stopping by. We love it when the snowdrops start pushing through the ground, more and more coming each day. By the middle of February, the woodland is covered with masses of snowdrops, other small spring bulbs and hellebores, I could never say that a winter garden was dull! We love the Chaenomeles which flowers all through the winter as long as we don’t have too much frost, it makes me think that spring has arrived!
I love your quince, I didn’t realize just how early they can be. I need more spring branches for forcing indoors and might have to look up getting one of my own!
Your new photo collage-ing skills are also something to be proud of. I need to take some time and look at the links in your previous post… thanks!
This Quince Frank flowers on and off all winter as long as there isn’t any frost, my other one only flowers in the spring. I enjoyed playing around with the collage, proof that you can still learn something new when over 70!
I forgot to say in the oth comment that I love your snowdrop banner. I will have to try and get Mrs. McNamara, everyone raves about her.
The header photo Carolyn, is from last year, it is Robin Hood, which isn’t quite open yet. The flowers are up but haven’t bent over yet, it won’t be long before I can photograph them once more.