Galanthus nivalis – lumikello

Espoo 27.4.2009

Last week, I was sure that the five inches of snow would be our last– silly girl.  Of course, I awoke this morning to a garden covered with snow.  But we have blooms and signs of spring on the way…

Galanthus Nivalis: snowdrops, living up to their name

The snowdrops can take the snow better than most, and flowered beautifully in yesterday’s warm sunny weather.  Today they were shut up tight and are doing fine.  If you are interested you can get a bunch of different varieties at Brent and Becky’s bulbs– just do a google search for them.  They supposedly have a variety that is hardier than the rest, which I will likely try next year.

purple crocuses

The crocuses yesterday were glorious– the subtle purples and the bright golds:

Golden Crocuses (with an errant purple)

The golds were so bright in the sun yesterday that it looked as if someone had lit fires around the yard.  Today, in Wisconsin’s fickle weather they are unhappy but still a sight for winter weary eyes.

The daylilies, tulips and daffodils (below) are coming up…

daffodils and snow

and finally, two of my favorites about to bloom in my alma mater’s colors: blue scilla and winter aconite.

Blue Scilla-- the bluest of blue flowers

Winter Aconite

Don’t worry, if you were likewise afflicted with the snow, yet again, anything blooming this early is prepared for snow, and your perennials are fine if they are coming up already.  Don’t plant anything yet, but don’t worry about the things that are out there.  It is the late season snow that you have to worry about– but the garden can take the snow in early April, it just waits it out.

More importantly, despite the snow– spring is coming!

galanthus nivalis

galanthus nivalis

Spring in Wisconsin.  Ain’t it wonderful?  Two weeks ago, it was shorts weather and this past weekend it snowed 4 inches.  But I know that spring is coming.

For proof, I have yellow and purple crocuses up and blooming– they did a bit better in the snow under the garden cloche that I bought this winter– and even those that were uncovered did ok— but looking at the crocuses under the cloche with snow all around them is very cool– like looking through a greenhouse window. 

I know that a lot of people prefer purple and white crocus– they are definitely more subtle.  I greatly prefer golden yellow crocuses.  They are bright and cheerful, after a very long winter, I’m ready for some color.  Plus they are easier to see from the house windows than their darker relatives.  And the white ones make me think of snow, which I am definitely over.

Speaking of snow, and how boring white flowers are, the snowdrops (galanthus nivalis) are up, thank goodness.  Having just said I don’t love white flowers, snowdrops are one of my favorites, and I think that love of a plant is always inversely proportionate to its willingness to grow for you.  My secretary mentioned that she didn’t care for snowdrops because they “seeded themselves everywhere.”  Having planted about 300-400 bulbs and seen about 20 blooming flowers, they are not nearly as obliging for me.  I’ll keep planting them, I just love their dangling white bells with the tips of green.  I love green flowers, and these are by far the earliest bloomers here on the prairie.

The tulips, hyacinths and daffodils are peeking their heads out, and a johnny jump up is blooming in the bed along the driveway– I know that spring is slowly creeping its way northward- a friend in Tennessee said last week that his tulips were in full bloom– it’s coming, that tempestuous Wisconsin spring, I can feel it.  (Notice how I overlook the snow in this week’s forecast?)

Common snowdrops

Galanthus nivalis, or Garden Snowdrops, the most commonly cultivated, are another of my favorite winter bloomers. They are slowly naturalizing throughout my garden beds. 

Their tiny white, nodding bell-like flowers look like drops of milk, left by fairies, hanging on green leafless stems.

If you live in Bellingham or Whatcom County, you might not be able to see the snowdrops hidden beneath the receding snow, but they are there, ready to show their dainty heads soon.

They create a harmonious and delightful effect planted in large naturalized groups. They grow best in rock gardens, along woodland paths and under trees and shrubs in sun-dappled areas.

They prefer moist organic-rich soils, which is perfect for our Northwest climate in Bellingham and deer and other rodents normally avoid them!

There are hundreds of varieties. 

Jane

I am a member of the Victoria Horticultural Society and as a member have the opportunity to go to events they sponsor.  The presentation that was put on in November was by Dr. John Grimshaw, the Garden Adviser to the Colesbourne Park gardens  in Glouchestershire in Great Britain.  Colesbourne Park was the ancestral home of John Elwes (1846-1922), the discoverer of the Snowdrop(Galanthus elwesii) which is named after him. He was a notable plant collector who was supposed to go on a trip to Cyprus in 1874 but had to change plans at the last moment. Instead he ended up going to Turkey. In Turkey he visited  a mountainous area near Smyna (modern day Izmir) in April where he discovered Galanthus elwesii, a little garden gem.  This Galanthus is called the ‘Greater’ or ‘Giant Snowdrop’ and is the first Snowdrop to bloom in the Victoria area.

 a

Galanthus elwesii blooming.

I was surprised when photographing Galanthus this week that this was the form that bloomed first, I had assumed the Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) was the first. G elwesii is the most robust of the Snowdrops which are commonly seen in yards, naturalized along roadways and in the lawns of older homes here.

Naturalized along a country road.

This species is larger in all parts; it’s leaves are wider and more notably glaucous, and the  broad petaled flowers are larger in all ways. It is an attractive glistening jewel ranging in height between 5 to 9 in (12-25cm) and  here it tends to the taller side. Everyone knows the dainty hanging 3 petaled blossoms with the noticeable green markings on the tepals or inner petals.

Fully opened Ganathus elwesii

The other species commonly found here is the more delicate G. nivalis (Common Snowdrop) which appears to bloom about a week later. It has much narrower and greener leaves and stands only up to 6 in (15cm). at the most. It is originally found in a wide area of Europe from Spain through to the Ukraine and has naturalized in many areas in between. Being that it comes originally form Europe is was the first Snowdrop to be written about by John Gerard  in 1597 in his famous ‘Great Herbal’.

Naturalized Common Snowdrops

There are in all 19 named species found in Europe and western Asia which happily cross with each other. This has given us an astounding 250 cultivars, hybrids and clones. Many of these are extremely rare and expensive to obtain. Many plants in the Victorian age had passionate followers and Galanthus was no exception, mad Galantophiles collected and wrote about the plants. Surprisingly these dainty plants pack a potent honey scent , so they would make an enjoyable small bouquet.

Could this be a cross between Galanthus nivalis and elwesii?

Fortunately for us these are easy plants to grow. Snowdrops like rich humus soil which is moist but well drained. They like open sunny positions mush like areas they would naturally grow. Snowdrops do tolerate cool shady places especially if they are grown in a very hot climate. Galanthus can have problems with botytis and gray mold if they are kept in a too damp location,(I have never seen this here). They will quickly multiply and produce clumps which can be lifted and divided when the flowers are spent and leaves are starting to yellow.  This is easily accomplished by replanting the bulbs singly at the same depth they grew in. these dainty plants can fit into almost any garden scheme, rock gardens,  early spring ground cover, early spring color and any niches that need filling. By carefully selecting where and what kinds of galanthus to plant, flowering will start in january and continue though March and into early April. Galanthus are hardy to -20c -Zones 4-8 but prefer cool winters.

Links for the Week.

Colesbourne Park

http://www.greatbritishgardens.co.uk/colesbourne_park.htm

Henry John Elwes, an interesting and important man in garden history. Look under the History link.

http://www.snowdrop.org.uk/

Galanthus elwesii

http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/bulbs/Galanthus_elwesii.html

Galanthus nivalis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galanthus_nivalis

Until we meet again, same place, same time.

Hamrånge, halvmulet/sol, några grader varmt. Tjälen har sedan ett tag gått ur marken.

I trädgården

Snödroppar (Galanthus nivalis, Amaryllidaceae) och vitsippor (Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculaceae) är de mest framträdande växterna som blommar.

Många blad gör sig dock påminda, här några exempel. Smultron (Fragaria sp., Rosaceae) i stora mängder längs en stengärdesgård och runt odlade land, flera groblad/kämpar (Plantago spp., Plantaginaceae) på alla de slags olika platser, skilla (Scilla sp., Hyacinthaceae; kanske S. siberica?) i närheten av gamla odlingsland, små daggkåpor (Alchemilla sp., Rosaceae) enkilda och växande i cirkel, vallört (Symphytum sp., Boraginaceae) längs stengärdesgården nämnd tidigare, ett exemplar av klöver (Trifolium sp., Fabaceae), några bäbisnässlor (Urtica sp., Urticaceae) och väldigt små maskrosor (Taraxacum sp., Asteraceae). Svartvinbärsbuskar (Ribes nigrum, Grossulariaceae) har börjat spricka ut.

Och mycket annat, så spännande, jag vill undersöka mer, och kolla upp noggrannare vad allt kallas och används till.

Längs vägkanten

En del tussilagor (Tussilago farfara, Asteraceae).

Enligt Den virtuella floran kallas skillorna på svenska blåstjärnor, blådruvor eller scillor, de två tidigare namnen är mig obekanta men förståeliga.

Bilden ovan är Anemone nemorosa och den nedan en Symphytum-art.

Wegens tijdgebrek was het mij de voorbije weken nog niet gelukt om sneeuwklokjes te fotograferen. Ik wist dat er in het Arenbergpark in Heverlee altijd veel staan, maar ik was er niet zeker van of ze al over hun piek heen zouden zijn of niet. Dus, ik dinsdagochtend naar het Abdijpark…

En ja hoor. Er stonden er nog veel maar sommigen waren echter duidelijk al over hun piek heen. Gelukkig stonden er ook nog mooie exemplaren, mooi bedauwd én daarenboven zat het licht ook nog eens mee. Mooie foto’s gegarandeerd, toch?

Wel, het was de eerste keer dat ik ze bewust fotografeerde en echt waar… Moeilijke bloemen om mooi in beeld te brengen! Wit en zonlicht gaat nu eenmaal niet zo goed samen. Op zulke momenten is fotograferen in RAW voor mij een hele opluchting. Achteraf valt er naar mijn gevoel gewoon meer uit te halen.

Voor een eerste keer ben ik wel nog tevreden. Het zijn vooral de klassiekere sneeuwklokjes- foto’s geworden, maar bij gebrek aan echte macrolens denk ik dat ik voorlopig niet veel meer kan verwachten. Volgend jaar probeer ik het zeker opnieuw, misschien dan wel met een echte macrolens…

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Am fost surprins să văd ghiocei la începutul lui februarie!

Încă o dovadă a Încălzirii Globale ))))))))

În cazul de faţă, omul este “vinovat”, deoarece el a plantat ghioceii. Cât despre cazul încălzirii globale…

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I was suprised to see snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) at the beginning of February. It is just another proof of global warming! LOL )) Well, in this case the man should be held responsible because he planted the flowers. As for the global warming… he is not the one to blame. Think about it!