Friday 3 February 2012

Galanthus - Snowdrop

This post is dedicated to my Aunt who died on the 21st  January 2012 in her 99th year.
The precursor of Spring and the promise of more flowers to come - photos taken in Painswick Rococo Garden 2nd February 2012.
last two images via wikipedia

14 comments:

  1. I love these posts on different flowers and plants. I really would love to cultivate more pants on our window boxes this spring.

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    1. Dear Roanna - that would be lovely. When baby is asleep you could pop a few bulbs and plants in the window boxes to enjoy later together.

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  2. Hello Rosemary:
    Bravo for the Snowdrop!!! These woodland drifts are so absolutely mesmerising, such brave flowers poking through the near frozen ground and so many different varieties. Truly a remarkable sight.

    A friend and gardener who grows a range of different Snowdrops used to arrange a Snowdrop Party each year to herald their appearance in February. It seems to us to be a lovely idea!

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    1. Hello Jane and Lance - Yes, indeed it is an amazing little plant. These woodland drifts are supposed to be the oldest, and largest natural collection in the UK.

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  3. Dear Rosemary, Oh, what a beautiful sight those lovely snowdrops are and naturalized in the woods! What perfect combination, the pretty dark leaves and those charming little flowers.

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    1. Dear Gina - they really are a joy to behold at this time of the year - and that is the way I felt on my return home yesterday after my visit.

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  4. Beautiful flowers :-) I have always had a great interest in the medicinal properties of the alkaloids extracted from this plant family (examined as part of my PhD thesis).

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    1. Dear Nat - that is very interesting. I understand, perhaps wrongly, that there is a possibility that the alkaloids found in certain snowdrops could belong to a group with potential applications in treating Alzheimer's disease!

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  5. Glorious, glorious. A sign of the lily of the valley to come -)

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    1. Yes Kate absolutely - is this a cryptic clue? Martagon by any chance?

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  6. Absolutely lovely. The snowdrops look so happy blooming amongst the trees ..
    Beautiful photos Rosemary.
    We dont get snowdrops here. Gosh a sight for sore eyes!

    val

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    1. Dear Val - The snowdrop blooms are a harbinger of Spring, they are the little messengers that tell us the Winter is hopefully coming to an end. I did not realise that they do not grow in Portugal, I wonder if it is too dry for them?

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  7. snowdrops are definitely one of favorites
    I plant them every year but they seem to vanish
    I had 4 flowers this year
    but than the snow came
    and the cold
    beautiful images, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Dear Patrice - That is very strange as they normally multiply each year. I wonder if an animal is digging them up! or whether they do not like your soil? We always plant ours in the 'green' i.e when they have leaves and even flowers, just leaving the leaves to die down naturally. The snow should not make an difference, as they are extremely hardy little souls.

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