Snowdrops

looksee · 19-01-2021 11:49pm #1

I have just been googling 'snowdrops in the green' and discovering that 1. they are horrendously expensive and 2. hardly anyone is selling them. Future Forests have them but not yet, and their ordering situation is so limited (an hour or so after 7pm on Sundays!) that I don't have a great deal of confidence in being able to order, though it is too soon yet.

So, any suggestions of places that sell snowdrops (galanthus nivalis, the native, simple one) in the green, in Ireland?

(Plenty of places in the North and Britain but I am currently waiting for several deliveries of other things, and it doesn't seem likely that they would arrive in reasonable condition, or at all.)

Thanks!

Garlinge · 20-01-2021 8:03am

Once established they grow 'like weeds'..... maybe someone on here will offer you a clump?

fits · 20-01-2021 8:37am

Try altamont gardens. They have a snowdrop festival every year. Huge selection.

I don’t think they have an online shop but they could definitely help you over phone.
http://altamontplants.com/

looksee · 20-01-2021 10:16am

I will ring Altmount, not being able to travel is the issue with them, though that may change of course. There are a couple of addresses on line that are not shops. I just got a response from one place that does admittedly specialty snowdrops with prices of €10 (mostly) up to €55 and €70, but no indication of quantities. So I emailed and asked - that is the price per bulb! Anyway that is for named varieties, I just want the native one.

fits · 20-01-2021 10:19am

looksee wrote: »

I will ring Altmount, not being able to travel is the issue with them, though that may change of course. T.

Altamont may be able to post? I really dont know though.

Sure you cant travel anywhere really for them, near or far.

The Continental Op · 20-01-2021 5:28pm

Can't you do some exercise within you 5km and look over a few fences and see if any of your neighbors have them?

OK so you shouldn't be out in a neighbors garden doing any gardening but if you see some you could offer to divide up any big clumps a neighbor has and replant them in return for a percentage of the bulbs say 50%?

Alternatively you could ask if anyone here will post you some of theirs when they split their own up.

I did a lot of dividing up last year went mad at it so I don't think I have any clumps I'll be digging up this year but if I'll post back here of I have any big splitable clumps and see if we can arrange something.

billyhead · 20-01-2021 8:25pm

If snowdrop bulbs planted last September not grow to display in January come up the following year or are they a write off?

looksee · 20-01-2021 9:06pm

I haven't seen any snowdrops around this area, I am very rural and really there are not many gardens that you could 'see over the wall'. I'll maybe put a note in the swap thread at the top of the page. If anyone is splitting clumps though I would be happy to arrange to take a few!

The Continental Op · 21-01-2021 12:11am

I had a look again with a torch when I took the dogs out. Can't see any of large clumps the size I like to divide up but there are a couple of smaller ones that might do but after I've planted half of them again I might be able to find about 50 decent sized ones.

Post back here and remind me in about a month and I'll see if I can get some in the post to you.

I've also a neighbor who is away for the winter, I know they planted some about 6-7 years ago and if they survived I may "have" to divide them up for them.

looksee · 21-01-2021 9:48am

Thank you I will do that!

GreeBo · 21-01-2021 9:53am

Doh, I just dumped a bunch a the weekend, they had taken over a raised bed.
I thought I had cleared them all out before planting the bed last year but they were everywhere again this year, some bulbs were over 12 inches down!

Garlinge · 21-01-2021 1:57pm

My mother complains about them and then the bluebells being weeds...

The Continental Op · 21-01-2021 2:02pm

Garlinge wrote: »

My mother complains about them and then the bluebells being weeds...

I hate bluebells with a vengeance. Far too much boring foliage that hangs around for ages for very little display.

They are great in broadleaf woodland but in a garden nah dig em up

looksee · 21-01-2021 2:45pm

I absolutely agree about the foliage sticking around for too long, like the daffodils really, but no, I like the native bluebells, I have put a small number in and hope they will increase and multiply (I suspect they might!). I had a plague of the Spanish bluebells in my last garden and it was a full time job getting rid of them.

Garlinge · 23-01-2021 8:47pm

I am happy to report that a neighbour heard of my search for snowdrops and gave me a small pot of same. She has spotted them in a Supervalu supermarket that also sells plants. Another friend said he had bought a pot last spring and are now doing well in his garden. So I think I will locate in sunny part of garden and hope for best.

SouthWesterly · 25-01-2021 1:05pm

Planted 500 snowdrops and bluebell last autumn in my place.

Got them from bulbi.nl

looksee · 25-01-2021 1:07pm

Are you seeing the snowdrops coming through? Its a bit early for bluebells, though they will be showing soon, but snowdrops should be well on their way by now.

Princess Calla · 25-01-2021 1:15pm

looksee wrote: »

Are you seeing the snowdrops coming through? Its a bit early for bluebells, though they will be showing soon, but snowdrops should be well on their way by now.

I planted snowdrops in September, I bought them in woodies, think it was 3 packs for a tenner job, got tulips too.

They have started to come up, so far only 2, up about a week.
I'm hoping they spread like weeds where I've planted them...that was the plan....but I murder everything I touch so ....

looksee · 25-01-2021 2:01pm

If they once grow they should spread, its getting them to grow at all from dry bulbs that is the problem! If you have two showing you at least have a start.

Princess Calla · 25-01-2021 2:19pm

looksee wrote: »

If they once grow they should spread, its getting them to grow at all from dry bulbs that is the problem! If you have two showing you at least have a start.

I bought 2 potted last year, but the pots got blown over and they died fairly rapidly. I'm pretty certain I threw those bulbs into the patch too.

I love the fruits of gardening but the labour not so much.

I was always curious about this, do the bulbs divide in two ,abit like biology cell division , grow and divide ....then you need to dig them up and replant to spread them?

GreeBo · 25-01-2021 3:27pm

They will spread themselves, albeit slowly, however they dont suffer overcrowding like other bulbs so you can just ignore them for years.

billyhead · 25-01-2021 6:52pm

I planted bulbs last September and none of they have shown. Might they make an appearance next year instead or are they a write off?

SouthWesterly · 25-01-2021 7:28pm

Snowdrops

blackbox · 27-01-2021 2:36pm

Mine are starting to flower now. I also have some that I transplanted 2 years ago but they are behind. I hope to move some to my new garden this year.
I tried to post a picture but it was too big. Will retry later.

blackbox · 27-01-2021 2:52pm

blackbox wrote: »

Mine are starting to flower now. I also have some that I transplanted 2 years ago but they are behind. I hope to move some to my new garden this year.
I tried to post a picture but it was too big. Will retry later.

Here we go...

looksee · 27-01-2021 2:53pm

Oh, that's lovely!

The Continental Op · 27-01-2021 2:55pm

blackbox wrote: »

Here we go...

Massive amount there begging to be divided

But on the other hand they will be more flowers on bigger clumps of them next year if you do nothing.

blackbox · 04-02-2021 8:31pm

blackbox wrote: »

Mine are starting to flower now. I also have some that I transplanted 2 years ago but they are behind. I hope to move some to my new garden this year.
I tried to post a picture but it was too big. Will retry later.

For info, the transplanted ones are flowering nicely now but they haven't formed clumps yet.

blackbox · 18-03-2021 4:15pm

I planted out a couple of hundred snowdrops today that I had moved from our old house. Their division rate is incredible - about 30 plants in a single clump.

The Continental Op · 19-03-2021 1:14pm

blackbox wrote: »

I planted out a couple of hundred snowdrops today that I had moved from our old house. Their division rate is incredible - about 30 plants in a single clump.

If you really want to bulk them up then plant them out in a row in good well manured soil in a veg garden.

The Continental Op · 05-04-2022 10:02pm

A reminder .....

Another year over for snowdrops, I'm sure there was a thread I started ages ago about dividing them but can't find it?

Anyway now's the time to divide up any snowdrops you have. I've just done one large clump which amounted to nearly 100 bulbs and have my eye on another two clumps. No bulb is so forgiving of being dug up while still growing, transplants as well and will even go on to flower the following year (not all the bulbs but any that are big enough).

If you have snowdrops in the garden, have had them for more than say 5 years then you'll definitely have some clumps that are worth dividing.

Plant even the tiny pips, they won't flower the following year but will eventually. I replant singly depth of about about 90mm with spacings of 150mm and up. I replant the bulbs in the bar soil around shrubs and in long rough grass areas that only get mown twice a year. If I'm feeling really lazy I'll plant 3 or more bulbs to in a slit made with a spade. Basically get them back in the ground in the green and they will come up again and flower.

Snowdrops

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