Today's garden related activities have taken place under cover in the shelter of the greenhouse, where I've been tending to my collection of special named snowdrops. I can't remember exactly when my addiction started but it was somewhere before the turn of the century. Over the years the number of snowdrop varieties has slowly increased and now this collection gives me great pleasure during the bleakest month of the year. My bulbs have come from specialist nurseries, eBay and as swaps or gifts from kind friends including fellow bloggers. Bulbs can be alarmingly expensive especially the new varieties but if you are prepared to wait prices do come down over the years. My greenhouse is close to the house so even on the coldest or wettest days I can pop out and see what is going on. As well as being able to see the flower markings at close quarters, I can also lift the pots up to inhale their delicate but distinct scent.
Growing snowdrops in pots can be a challenge especially when it comes to overwintering them. Originally all the pots were outside all year round but I lost a substantial number of bulbs following the cold winter of 2010/2011. Since then the pots come inside the greenhouse for the winter usually sometime towards the middle or the back end of November. The greenhouse door is opened on all but the coldest days and a small electric fan heater prevents the temperature dropping down below zero. Watering takes place at least once a month sometimes more depending on the weather but is always done during relatively mild spells. The pots will be returned to the big outside world sometime in the spring.
This autumn has seen the snowdrops come into growth earlier than I can ever remember. Today was chance to check all the pots where there appeared to be no visible sign of life. I wanted to remove any definite no shows in case those pots were harbouring any disease that might spread to neighbours. I found the odd pot where bulbs had completely disappeared. The good news was there were all varieties which I have more than one either growing in another pot or in the garden. The long term plan is to establish as many varieties as I can out in the garden and reduce my potted collection to a top twenty. Apart from the fact that they take over the greenhouse in the winter, lifting the crates in and out of the greenhouse has become more and more of a Herculean effort each year.
Why not join in the fourth and last in 2017 of this seasonal challenge to share what's been going on in your garden or allotment right now. This is a special festive or hope edition so I have focused on what gives me a fix of hope every winter. If you want to join in you can either put together a blog post or post a photo on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #my gardenrightnow
A BIG thanks to the lovely Michelle over at Veg Plotting who came up with this inspirational idea.
I do love snowdrops but I don't think that I could choose just one type of flower to collect. I bet when they are all flowering it is a lovely sight.
ReplyDeleteThis is really great!Looking forward to seeing your collection in bloom!
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely that you devote so much care to keeping these little plants going Anna! They clearly give you a lot of pleasure. I am glad you mentioned that having the greenhouse near the house means you can pop in whatever the weather, as I am thinking about a greenhouse in the next year or so perhaps, and the position is still unclear.
ReplyDeleteI am just imagining you you out there in your greenhouse, Anna, inspecting every single pot - certainly easier at that height, though, than peering at the ground. With such an early start to their season I am going to try and resist prodding if I can, and just let them pop their noses through when the time is right for them. If you are rejecting some of your pots does this mean that you are examining the contents quite thoroughly to see if there are any signs of a bulb? There certainly seems to be a lot of little green spikes in this picture and I do hope you don't have many non-shows
ReplyDeleteThis must be one of the earliest snowdrop posts this season Anna :) I spotted that my ordinary ones are poking their heads above the soil, but when I came to photograph them, I found I'd covered them over with leaves when I was direct mulching the garden the other day. I had to make do with daffodils instead - so good to know things are stirring as we haead towards the darkest days of the year :)
ReplyDeletePS I've now put in a proper link to your post - thanks for leaving the details in my Comments :)
ReplyDeleteI do love a good cluster of snowdrops under the trees. I am still trying to get them established in my garden. I've tried bulbs and in the green, in various places but just don't seem to get the conditions quite right. Or maybe the squirrels have dug them up again! I'll keep trying until it works - they are such a delight.
ReplyDeleteWe all need some signs of hope Anna, your snowdrops and our gardens do help provide some.
ReplyDeleteYour gravel-topped pots look very organised Anna. I still haven't succumbed to the call of the special snowdrops but I did plant some ordinary ones in autumn 2015; they flowered last spring and two are already flowering now (I have no idea why they are so early except of course the hot, dry summer).
ReplyDeleteFurther to your good wishes on my post about the echiveria, for which, many thanks, l come over to post a message on your snowdrops nursery post, and I see that I followed a similar pattern to yours: a post looking both back and forwards with regards to a special item in the garden. Thanks for sharing your gardening passions...and may your hopes and dedication in the garden bring pleasures in the New Year.
ReplyDelete(I MUST sort out my potted bulbs)
ReplyDeleteHow exciting and what a great way to get through the darkest months. So what have you got in bloom right now?
ReplyDelete