Allotments 4 All
Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: ugly gourd on December 28, 2007, 14:01:43
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Well here in windy but sunny north bucks my first snowdrop is just showing its head ;D
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OOOh thats early! - I love Snowdrops - i'll have to keep a lookout for my first one!
Louise
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Ive been known to have one or two out for xmas day but it really makes you think of spring. Quick where are the seed caterloges!! ;D
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Got my first cyclamen coum flower out, and the helleborus niger is showing signs of flowers. Snowdrops are only just peeping through the ground, but have one daft daffodil that is showing yellow on its flower. Whereas the other plants are growing flower shoots at the same rate as leaves, this one has shot up a stem way above the leaves, and will be in flower in the next few days. The daffodils are normally in flower late January (variety February Gold). I don't think it's anything to do with climate change/global warming, this daff has just thrown a wobbly!!
valmarg
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My snowdrops are just coming up, the odd hellebore is out, and a few cowslip crosses are flowering.
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I've been out in the garden for about an hour (having been fooled by the beautiful blue sky) but I've popped in to thaw out - the wind is awful here too.
Like Valmarg, my H.Niger will be out any day - best crop of flowers I've ever had - but the Snowdrops are only about an inch above the ground. No sign of any Daffs yet but the Acconites and dwarf Iris are peeping through. Biggest surprise was seeing the Leucojum (summer snowflake) coming up and buds on the Quercifolium! The Garlic Chives are also showing green shoots. :)
G x
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What I love about this time of year is that the winter solstice is past. To me January and February are the worst months of the year, but come March the year's growing season is going to be so much better, hopefully :-\ :-\
valmarg
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My first one came out today. Just in time for New Year! Not for the first time I might add, I have had them out in time for New Year a couple of times before.
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I had a G. Elwesii out on Christmas Day, a full week earlier than usual. I did think they'd be even earlier as the buds were well above the soil at the start of Dec but the cold held them back.
moonbells
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None here in the east yet and i hope more flower this comming year.Three years ago i decided in my infinite nonwisdom to split them and then they sulked for a few years & wouldnt flower.
Last year more flowered,but i've learned by lesson. :)
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My only concern with my snowdrops is that whilst some hve come up and started to flower, some havent apeared at all yet. i am hoping they are just late and nothign has gone wrong underground.
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Your soil probably varies in temperature round the garden, and snowdrops are pretty variable as well. Give them time.
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Some leaves are through, but no sign of a bud as yet. :( I got 1000 in the green as a birthday pressie a few years back :), so I now do an annual count. I had to do some guerilla gardening to get them all planted, so I 'expanded' out of the front garden and down the public land's bank next to the house. They do look good even if I say it myself!
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Found 1 bud today ;D
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No sign of my snowdrops yet. Eric kindly sent me some in the green 2 seasons ago and last year I was in a panic as quite a few members had snowdrops in flower and mine were not even showing. They then popped up and were really lovely so I am not going to worry this year, for some reason mine seem to be late starters :)
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I planted some in the green last year (sadly not sure where)
and bulbs in November so I am really hopeful to get some soon.
However I am a novice gardener so I might have messed up.
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No sign here in South Chesh although we go every year to look at the snowdrops at Rode Hall just down the road and they run from start Feb so still a bit of time to go?
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Loads of time. Mine are up, but there's no sign of a flower.
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Mine are up and in flower and i only noticed them today! :-[
A couple of years ago they flowered at the end of November which ruined the whole 'promise of spring' idea for me. I didn't have many last year and I assumed they'd been taken by a squirrel.
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I am concerned about my snowdrops. Some have come up and started to flower but i still have large gaps where I did not have them before. I note Robert's comments about soil temperature etc, but I am not sure if this is the case as in the same patch of soil some have come up and flowered and others have not appeared. I cannot see that soil temperature can vary that much or make that much difference in the space of a few centimetres.
I looked back over photos from past yers and worryingly noted a gradual thinning over the past few years, coinciding with warmer wetter winters. Could it be some bulbs have just got too wet. It seems no coincidence to me that where the bulbs are coming up the site is either more sheltered (overhanging trees or shrubs) or the site s raised up and better drained.
To give some history our garden always had snow drops growing happily along the front of retaining walls at the bottom of our sloping garden They were happy and only needed a bit of thinning out. Then we redeveloped the area and the snowdrops had to be moved. Once the work was complete and new retaining walls built, the snowdrops were replanted, all be it more thinly than before. I expected a thin display the first year after replanting but expected them to bulk up again and restore the old display. This has not happened an as described above, rather than getting thicker the bulbs seem to have got thinner. it could be that the soil isnt as good here any more, or is less well drained, or maybe it is just the weather (climate change?).
I think I may have to buy in more bulbs to bulk up the display, but since I dont really know what caused the deterioration of the current bulbs, I am reluctant to spend money on new bulbs and plant them in the same place. Sad though it may be to do, it may be time to start again in a fresh site. This would be a shame since where they are currently is in veiw of the house windows and creates a nice outlook at this time of year..
Sorry for the lengthy post. I hope someone can advise me on this little problem. Thanks
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Apparently snowdrops like to be in a dry-ish spot during the summer, so I suspect last summer hasn't helped your display this year. This might be why the ones under the trees are looking in better shape as the trees hopefully soaked up some of that moisture.
I'm worried that the same may have happened to mine. I've kept a count of the maximum number of snowdrops in flower/bud at 1 time, so should know for sure whether they've thinned out in 3-4 weeks time.
I'll be posting the results up on my blog, starting with this week's count...
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My plot was saturated for weeks on end, but the snowdrops look the same as ever. Did you let the bulbs dry out at all after they were lifted? Unlike daffodils or onions, they can't stand the treatment.
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I bought 50 snowdrops last Autumn and encouraged Hubby to do his very first planting, I gave him instructions then left him to it, suffice to say, not a dicky bird so far, but I have faith ::) ;D
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I planted quite a few snowdrops last year (both in the green and as bulbs).
I have now got 3 not a brilliant return (maybe I could get more later ?) but I am still happy about it.
BTW what is best in the green or not ?
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I've had best success with In the Green - about 80% came up from those. Bulbs were just 10%. Well worth the xtra for ITG unless you're very patient for the bulbs to get multiplying...
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And here are ours today
The Damson Wood today.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Berghill/Jan08/Miscellanysmall024.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Berghill/Jan08/Miscellanysmall025.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Berghill/Jan08/Miscellanysmall026.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v172/Berghill/Jan08/Miscellanysmall027.jpg)
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What a wonderfull thing to look at thousands of Snowdrops, when we moved last May i had to leave all mine behind so i envy you all with your beautifull Snowdrops.
Thanks Eric for the lovely photos. Rosebud.
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Agree with Mary Eric. What a lovely sight. I have tried planting bulbs on 3 occasions
(must ask daughter-in-law not to buy me any more) Haven't had 1 grow/ Only ones that have been successful are the ITG ones that Eric kindly sent me 2 seasons ago. Not showing yet but they were late last year so I am not worrying. Hope they have multiplied :)
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Lorna, I will replace them for you if they have not grwon. We do have a few and can spare one or two! ;D
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Eric. You are very kind. You may remember last year I was in a panic as the snowdrops hadn't appeared when you had yours in flower. You told me to wait a bit longer and sure enough they came through and were beautiful. So I am sure I will soon see them peeping through again, but would like to say thank you for your kind offer.
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lorna, the ones I have from palustris came up late last year as well, so fingers crossed for you for this year. I just have the odd bit of greenery peeking through.
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Eric. Thought I would let you know my snowdrops are through and in flower. I am so pleased.
Lorna.
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I thought I had a lot missing but another lot, mainly the ones I planted last year are coming into flower now. Though I do think the squirrel has been back, it dug up a lot my bulbs.