I think I've asked about this before, but not got a solution.
A house near me has some very early snowdrops, which are already 2 - 3
inches high with buds showing white. They cheered my heart this
morning. There's no sign of my snowdrops yet.
These have quite wide leaves, certainly wider than galanthus nivalis.
I asked the house owner once, but he'd "inherited" them when he bought
the house and did not know the variety. I'd like to be brave enough
to ask if he thinks they need thinning!
Can anyone suggest an identification?

Pam in Bristol

On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:30:48 +0000, Pam Moore wrote:

A house near me has some very early snowdrops, which are already 2 - 3
inches high with buds showing white. They cheered my heart this
morning. There's no sign of my snowdrops yet.

Some of ours where just poking up before the snow came on the 14th
Dec. Don't know their current status, they are under at least 3' of
snow...

http://www.howhill.com/weather/images/winter/090203/

Feb last year but the stuff that arrived and drifted this afternoon
is deep than those images. In the third one down with the thin rail
fence the current snow is up to the bottom rail and the bank pushed
up by the plough well above (18" above) that level.

Earlier today before todays snow fall and drifting:

http://www.howhill.com/weather/view....2010&m=01&d=02

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 2010-01-02 18:30:48 +0000, Pam Moore said:

I think I've asked about this before, but not got a solution.
A house near me has some very early snowdrops, which are already 2 - 3
inches high with buds showing white. They cheered my heart this
morning. There's no sign of my snowdrops yet.
These have quite wide leaves, certainly wider than galanthus nivalis.
I asked the house owner once, but he'd "inherited" them when he bought
the house and did not know the variety. I'd like to be brave enough
to ask if he thinks they need thinning!
Can anyone suggest an identification?

Pam in Bristol

No idea which variety but asking for 6 bulbs in the green and
exchanging them for something else, should be acceptable to most
gardeners. There are hundreds of snowdrop varieties, so unless you
have a tame galantophile at hand, pinning that one down might be
difficult, though the leaf might help. One nursery is offering one
bulb for £25 - as in a single bulb. Try looking at the Garden House,
Buckland Monachorum site. Matt Bishop, the head gardener there is a
big expert on Galanthus. In your local library you might find his book
on the subject, too.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I think I've asked about this before, but not got a solution.
A house near me has some very early snowdrops, which are already 2 - 3
inches high with buds showing white. They cheered my heart this
morning. There's no sign of my snowdrops yet.
These have quite wide leaves, certainly wider than galanthus nivalis.
I asked the house owner once, but he'd "inherited" them when he bought
the house and did not know the variety. I'd like to be brave enough
to ask if he thinks they need thinning!
Can anyone suggest an identification?

Pam in Bristol


As Sacha says, there are *so* many different snowdrops. However, one of the
more common wide-leaved forms is Galanthus Elwesii. Mine are very
occasionally ahead of the others, but not this year. There is a good
snowdrop site somewhere; I'll see if I can dig it up.

Spider

"Spider" wrote in message
...

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I think I've asked about this before, but not got a solution.
A house near me has some very early snowdrops, which are already 2 - 3
inches high with buds showing white. They cheered my heart this
morning. There's no sign of my snowdrops yet.
These have quite wide leaves, certainly wider than galanthus nivalis.
I asked the house owner once, but he'd "inherited" them when he bought
the house and did not know the variety. I'd like to be brave enough
to ask if he thinks they need thinning!
Can anyone suggest an identification?

Pam in Bristol


As Sacha says, there are *so* many different snowdrops. However, one of
the more common wide-leaved forms is Galanthus Elwesii. Mine are very
occasionally ahead of the others, but not this year. There is a good
snowdrop site somewhere; I'll see if I can dig it up.

Spider

Hi Pam,

Pardon me answering my own posting, but here is the link to that snowdrop
site. However, I had some trouble opening it. If you do, just try googling
on "Judy's Snowdrops".

www.judyssnowdrops.co.uk/

Spider

On Sun, 3 Jan 2010 16:30:36 -0000, "Spider"
wrote:

"Spider" wrote in message
...

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I think I've asked about this before, but not got a solution.
A house near me has some very early snowdrops, which are already 2 - 3
inches high with buds showing white. They cheered my heart this
morning. There's no sign of my snowdrops yet.
These have quite wide leaves, certainly wider than galanthus nivalis.
I asked the house owner once, but he'd "inherited" them when he bought
the house and did not know the variety. I'd like to be brave enough
to ask if he thinks they need thinning!
Can anyone suggest an identification?

Pam in Bristol


As Sacha says, there are *so* many different snowdrops. However, one of
the more common wide-leaved forms is Galanthus Elwesii. Mine are very
occasionally ahead of the others, but not this year. There is a good
snowdrop site somewhere; I'll see if I can dig it up.

Spider

Hi Pam,

Pardon me answering my own posting, but here is the link to that snowdrop
site. However, I had some trouble opening it. If you do, just try googling
on "Judy's Snowdrops".

www.judyssnowdrops.co.uk/

Spider

Oh my goodness, I didn't realise that there are so many varieties of
Elwesii. What a shame the pictures only show the flowers.
If we get more sun and no snow, I'll try and get a photo to put up
here. The ones I'm trying to identify are not out in flower yet.

The picture at
http://www.rainyside.com/features/pl...s_elwesii.html
looks similar, but I'll know more when my local ones are out in a week
or two.
Thank you Spider for that site and thank you Sacha for the advice
about the book. I've been to The Garden House several times in the
past but not for many years now I can no longer drive, and have only
been in the summer.
I've looked in the online library catalogue for the book but it's not
there but Wikipedia gives it as;
SNOWDROPS A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus. Griffin Press. pp. 17.
ISBN 0954191609.

I've been once to Colesborne Par, Glos, the home of the Elwes family
but when we went they were largely sold out of bulbs except for common
ones or very expensive ones; over £10 a bulb!
Thanks all


Pam in Bristol

On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:30:48 +0000, Pam Moore wrote:

Can anyone suggest an identification?

Can't help there - sorry.

But at the side of a nearby country lane we see very early snowdrops each
year :-

www.hughjampton.110mb.com/snowdrops.jpg

Photo taken on 10th December this year.

Obviously not normal snowdrops - perhaps planted by someone ? Just one
clump of them - no more.
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

On 2010-01-03 20:41:04 +0000, Pam Moore said:

On Sun, 3 Jan 2010 16:30:36 -0000, "Spider"
wrote:

"Spider" wrote in message
...

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I think I've asked about this before, but not got a solution.
A house near me has some very early snowdrops, which are already 2 - 3
inches high with buds showing white. They cheered my heart this
morning. There's no sign of my snowdrops yet.
These have quite wide leaves, certainly wider than galanthus nivalis.
I asked the house owner once, but he'd "inherited" them when he bought
the house and did not know the variety. I'd like to be brave enough
to ask if he thinks they need thinning!
Can anyone suggest an identification?

Pam in Bristol


As Sacha says, there are *so* many different snowdrops. However, one of
the more common wide-leaved forms is Galanthus Elwesii. Mine are very
occasionally ahead of the others, but not this year. There is a good
snowdrop site somewhere; I'll see if I can dig it up.

Spider

Hi Pam,

Pardon me answering my own posting, but here is the link to that snowdrop
site. However, I had some trouble opening it. If you do, just try googling
on "Judy's Snowdrops".

www.judyssnowdrops.co.uk/

Spider

Oh my goodness, I didn't realise that there are so many varieties of
Elwesii. What a shame the pictures only show the flowers.
If we get more sun and no snow, I'll try and get a photo to put up
here. The ones I'm trying to identify are not out in flower yet.

The picture at
http://www.rainyside.com/features/pl...s_elwesii.html
looks similar, but I'll know more when my local ones are out in a week
or two.
Thank you Spider for that site and thank you Sacha for the advice
about the book. I've been to The Garden House several times in the
past but not for many years now I can no longer drive, and have only
been in the summer.
I've looked in the online library catalogue for the book but it's not
there but Wikipedia gives it as;
SNOWDROPS A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus. Griffin Press. pp. 17.
ISBN 0954191609.

I've been once to Colesborne Par, Glos, the home of the Elwes family
but when we went they were largely sold out of bulbs except for common
ones or very expensive ones; over £10 a bulb!
Thanks all


Pam in Bristol

You could always try sending a photo of yours by email to the Garden
House and see if they can ID it.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

"Hugh Jampton" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:30:48 +0000, Pam Moore wrote:

Can anyone suggest an identification?

Can't help there - sorry.

But at the side of a nearby country lane we see very early snowdrops each
year :-

www.hughjampton.110mb.com/snowdrops.jpg

Photo taken on 10th December this year.

Obviously not normal snowdrops - perhaps planted by someone ? Just one
clump of them - no more.
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton


Lovely picture, Hugh. They may very well be Elwesii types. I know there
are other broad leaf snowdrops but I can't imagine anyone planting really
special (aka 'expensive') snowdrops in a common verge.

Spider

On Mon, 4 Jan 2010 00:07:30 +0000, Sacha wrote:
snip
You could always try sending a photo of yours by email to the Garden
House and see if they can ID it.

Nice idea Sacha, if you don't think they'll mind.


Pam in Bristol

On Mon, 4 Jan 2010 12:46:58 -0000, "Spider"
wrote:

"Hugh Jampton" wrote in message
. ..
On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 18:30:48 +0000, Pam Moore wrote:

Can anyone suggest an identification?

Can't help there - sorry.

But at the side of a nearby country lane we see very early snowdrops each
year :-

www.hughjampton.110mb.com/snowdrops.jpg

Photo taken on 10th December this year.

Obviously not normal snowdrops - perhaps planted by someone ? Just one
clump of them - no more.
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton


Lovely picture, Hugh. They may very well be Elwesii types. I know there
are other broad leaf snowdrops but I can't imagine anyone planting really
special (aka 'expensive') snowdrops in a common verge.

Spider


Thanks Hugh. I agree,a really lovely photo. When the ones near me
are out, I'll take a photo and compare. I don't think they can be
expensive ones, as there is a long border of them around a front lawn,
with rose bushes between.
I've just seen that your photo was taken on 10 Dec last, do I read
right? Are they VERY sheltered. i've never seen snowdrops so early.

Pam in Bristol

On 2010-01-04 16:33:49 +0000, Pam Moore said:

On Mon, 4 Jan 2010 00:07:30 +0000, Sacha wrote:
snip
You could always try sending a photo of yours by email to the Garden
House and see if they can ID it.

Nice idea Sacha, if you don't think they'll mind.


Pam in Bristol

I wouldn't think so, Pam and he is a galantophile, after all. I'd
address the email for his attention but I don't *think* there's a huge
staff there.
We often get queries or requests for advice from people who aren't
customers and it's the work of a moment to sort it out for them.
Failing that, send a pic to me and I'll pass it on to a friend of ours
who is also a bit of an expert. In fact, email it to me anyway and
we'll get two opinions! Shots of the top of the flower, the leaves and
inside the flower would be necessary but with those leaves, I hope the
field is narrowed a bit!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

On Mon, 4 Jan 2010 12:46:58 -0000, Spider wrote:

Lovely picture, Hugh. They may very well be Elwesii types. I know there
are other broad leaf snowdrops but I can't imagine anyone planting really
special (aka 'expensive') snowdrops in a common verge.

I thought that perhaps they might have been planted in memory of someone.
They're just at the entrance to a village next to the village name sign.
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

On Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:38:49 +0000, Pam Moore wrote:

I've just seen that your photo was taken on 10 Dec last, do I read
right? Are they VERY sheltered. i've never seen snowdrops so early.

No mistake - the photo was taken on 10th December last. I've got one taken
on 30th November - they are just beginning in that one. And yes they are
quite sheltered.
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

"Hugh Jampton" wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 4 Jan 2010 12:46:58 -0000, Spider wrote:

Lovely picture, Hugh. They may very well be Elwesii types. I know
there
are other broad leaf snowdrops but I can't imagine anyone planting really
special (aka 'expensive') snowdrops in a common verge.

I thought that perhaps they might have been planted in memory of someone.
They're just at the entrance to a village next to the village name sign.
--
Regards,

Hugh Jampton

Mmm..you could be right. I hope it was a happy memory and not a traffic
accident. I have used Crocus 'Remembrance' to mark pets' graves, plus basic
snowdrops. I almost wish I hadn't though: when the snowdrops bulk up, I
won't want to disturb the graves to split them up :~(.

Spider