Just for a year I hasten to add! The snowdrops are coming to an end earlier than usual, due no doubt to the strange, warm weather we have had during Jan/Feb. The early “specials” were very early, then the wild ones flowered at almost their usual time and the “late” ones are all now flowering, early again. We usually have snowdrops flowering till the end of March, but this year they are going to be over a lot sooner.
Wendy’s Gold.
I’m going to start with Wendy’s Gold, she is such a good snowdrop and is increasing so well.
Wendy’s Gold.
This year she managed 18 flowers, a lot coming from 2 stalks from the same bulb, fantastic! She has finished now and has lots of seedpods forming, I wonder, should I try planting some of them? Yes, of course I should!
G. Excelsis
This one was new last year, so just one flower this year, I like the markings on this one.
G. Alison Hilary.
Alison Hilary is another that is increasing well, it was new just a couple of years ago and is now sporting lots of flowers with lovely markings.
G. caucasicus.
A tiny species snowdrop which is slowly increasing, this was my first species snowdrop which I planted many years ago.
G. Augustus.
Augustus is a good “doer”. Lovely wide leaves with a silver stripe, chubby flowers with the texture of seersucker material and flowers late on to extend the snowdrop season. I can see that I’m going to have to go round with a wet sponge and clean all my name tags, they have all been splashed by the rain over the winter!
No name.
I’m still searching for the name of this one, it should be easy with its plicata leaves and strong green mark on the inner petals. I have spent an evening with all my snowdrop books trying to identify it, but no joy. There are plenty similar, but nothing exactly the same, any help would be greatly appreciated!
G. Green Man.
This is another that was new last year, but it has 3 flowers already, which looks promising for the future.
G. Viridapice.
This one has green tips to the outer petals. G. Viridapice took a long time to start increasing, but since it gets a mulch of leaf mould each winter, it seems a lot happier.
G. Wareham.
Wareham is on the opposite side of the path to G. Augustus, they look a bit similar, but the markings on the inner petals are different.
Baxendales Late.
Not really, this one usually flowers at the end of March so it’s not really late. This one is always the last one to flower for me, so I still have more snowdrop flowers to look forward to.
It seemed strange that the “specials” have all flowered earlier than usual, I’m presuming because of the weather, but the wild singles have reached their “peak” at their usual time of the 3rd weekend in February. Have you found the same in your garden?
Hah, still waiting for my first blooms to emerge here in Estonia! 😀
Last year by this time we had our first snowdrops blooming, but this was early. I guess this spring will be an average one, so about 2-3 more weeks to wait. Currently 20+ cm of snow in our garden!
I knew some people would still be waiting Tistou, but then, mine will all be over while you are enjoying yours! We don’t often get snow here, if it does come, it doesn’t seem to last long, so the flowers just carry on as normal.
I’ve spent some of the morning in the greenhouse Pauline watering and feeding my specials in pots. They have been early this year although there are still some in flower and a couple still to open. The ‘wild’ ones seem to have behaved much as usual. ‘Excelsis’ is new to me this year 🙂 ‘Augustus’ would be in my top ten if I was forced to choose. Looking at the shape of the ovary I think that ‘No Name’ might possibly be ‘Melanie Broughton’.
Thank you so much Anna for your ID of the snowdrop without a name, I have a feeling that you could be right! It also means that I have just bought another bulb of it, thinking I hadn’t got it already in the garden, woops!
I find it strange that the wild snowdrops have behaved as they normally do, while “specials” have all been early, there must be a reason for it, but I don’t know what it could be.
I think the greenhouse was a very sensible place to be this morning, the wind we have today is bitterly cold. Your snowdrops must be much happier than mine, having to cope out in the cold wind!
Glad that I may have helped with the id Pauline. Have been trying to take a photo of my small clump of ‘Melanie Broughton’ in the garden to email to you. However taking a decent photo has not been easy. I hope to catch them though before they go over.
It’s not easy taking photos of snowdrops when the wind is blowing Anna, I’ve ended up with blurred photos many a time! Thank you for trying though.
Viridipice and Augustus are yet to bloom here, both new last year but both have done well.
Although I feel as if somethings are early I find that checking back it seems they are at exactly the same stage as they were last year.
It must be sad to see your magnificent collection go over, it does of course signal time for a change and other blooms to enjoy Pauline.
A lot of my snowdrops were flowering before Christmas last year Angie, so after three months, or it will be nearly four by the time these present flowers fade, I have to admit I’m ready for something new! The Snakeshead fritillaries are nearly ready, a couple of buds have appeared already, I must just keep the pheasant away!
I think a lot of my “special snowdrops” were flowering early because we had such a warm spell in Jan/Feb, which you probably didn’t have, I’m thinking it must have made some difference to their flowering time.
It is early here too, which means that they are just starting to poke out of the ground.
Please Alain, do a post about yours when they are flowering, then we can all enjoy them!
I was so glad to see that you had put together a post for your special snowdrops. The wild ones were showing up and I thought that with all the rain perhaps you had given up on photographing these! They look great, and it’s nice to see how some are really growing into clumps.
Maybe your noname is Merlin? It looks similar and when I googled for photos one of your very own posts came up!
I did a post about the early ones Frank, but later with all the rain, the flowers weren’t opening and I don’t see the point in photographing them when they are tightly closed and we can’t see the different markings. Thank goodness for some sunshine this last week.
Thank you for trying to find a name for my unknown snowdrop, not Merlin though as I already have that and it is much smaller and thinner in flower and leaf.How amazing that one of my posts came up in your search!
Great post, thanks for showing off your beautiful snowdrops!
Thank you Anca, glad you like them, they are wonderful little flowers! Thanks also for stopping by and leaving a message.
Wendy’s Gold is lovely as are all the others. Next week my friend from UK will visit and bring me Sam Arnott. He will be my first special snowdrop! I hope I’m not going to become a ‘galanthophile’!
Samuel Arnott is a lovely snowdrop Denise, it increases well and will soon form drifts for you if that is what you want. I have some in the front garden under the red stemmed cornus, as well as the woodland and they are spreading nicely.Lucky you having such a good friend!
The first harbingers of spring are so special! Snow Drops are beautiful and a real plus that they multiply. I saw that someone named your mystery Snow Drop….I was thinking they may have cross pollenated……I love a good mystery!
It’s wonderful to see the bulbs multiplying Sally, without any effort from me! All my special snowdrops have a label when they are planted in the woodland, goodness knows where the label went for my unknown one, that is the mystery for me!
I just love your snowdrops and they are forming such lovely clumps as well. They must give you huge pleasure. I always enjoy your snowdrop posts and they have encouraged me to start a tiny collection. You have some unusual ones, do you buy from a particular supplier? Another question – do you feed them at any time? Lovely photos.
Thanks Sue, they are increasing nicely and yes, they do make me very happy!
I usually get my bulbs, from Avon Bulbs, http://www.avonbulbs.co.uk, they have plenty of choice and lots are at reasonable prices.
I don’t feed my bulbs, but each winter I give the woodland a mulch of leafmould which the snowdrops and other spring bulbs seem to like.
I always feel a bit sad when a beloved flower has finished blooming. But there is always the next plant to bloom, and of course, beautiful foliage! If a garden did not change through the year it would not be nearly as interesting, and I would probably take it for granted. Your snowdrops are lovely; I see why you will miss them!
It’s true Deb, there is always something to take over, it is almost snakeshead fritillary time! The snowdrops have been flowering since before Christmas, during our rather warmer than usual winter, there are still plenty flowering at the moment, but it won’t be long before they have a rest for another year. If they were with me all year, I don’t think I would feel the same excitement that I do when I see their first leaves pushing through, usually in January.
It is lovely to see the the ‘specials’ are forming clumps as I’m afraid I’m one of those people who doesn’t quite see the point of them. But I’m sure that’s only because I can’t get them here!!!!!!
I’m sure that if you lived in the UK, you would be as besotted as the rest of us Christina!
Lots of lovelies, Pauline – not come across the pretty Alison Hilary before. Here, all of mine started early but then slowed down and many are still at their peak, with one or two still to flower althouh my new Baxendale’s Late is clearly not going to emerge in March or any time at all… 🙁 Overall it certainly seems to have been a longer season than in previous years – I know what you mean about being ready to move on but I am sure you are as happy to be still be seeing yours as the rest of us are about ours!
Oh dear, Baxendale has a lot to answer for Cathy! Mine are still not flowering, but I can just see the tips of the flower buds, so it shouldn’t be too long now. I agree, it has been a very long season with lots out before Christmas and yes, I’m very happy to still have snowdrops to admire when I go into the woodland, but I’m also keeping an eye on my snakeshead fritillary flower buds!