North Green Snowdrops 2017 Catalogue

North Green Snowdrops 2 0 1 7 C AT A L O G U E

Front cover image: ‘Angelina’ (see page 22)

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North Green Snowdrops 2017 E S TA B L I S H E D 1 9 8 4

kkkkk N o rT h g r e e N o N ly, s To v e N, B e c c l e s , N r 3 4 8 D g . g r e aT B r i Ta i N . ©John Morley 2017

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h i s c aTa l o g u e is valid until 1st april 2017 and cancels all previous lists. as there are never enough snowdrops to meet the demand, especially of the recently named cultivars, please place your order as soon as possible aer receipt of your catalogue.

We regret we are no longer able to offer customers the option of “alternatives” as this causes problems, which are very time consuming to sort out. although there is no short list in this year’s catalogue several of the snowdrop varieties on offer are restricted to strictly one bulb per customer. however, despite these measures, we are afraid that every year there are customers who will be disappointed at not receiving their order in full.

We sell best quality snowdrop bulbs “in the green” dispatched aer flowering in March/april or sometimes earlier. Plants supplied are believed to be correctly named.

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Please send cash with order: credit/Debit card (see order form) or “limited cheque” (i.e. instead of filling in the exact amount on your cheque, write between crossed lines “amount not to exceed...” followed by the maximum amount of your order including the cost of postage and packing). We very much regret that we are no longer able to accept cheques made out for the full amount and orders accompanied with cheques made out in full will be returned.

Please add £4.50 to all orders towards the cost of First class postage and packing (eu and europe add £9.50). cheques should be made payable to North green snowdrops. you will be sent a detailed account and receipt. Please use the order form and print your name and address clearly. Please note that orders will be dealt with in strict rotation and may be delayed if these instructions are not followed.

Daffodil, snowdrop and Tulip yearbook 2016. Published in association with the royal horticultural society at £11.95. is authoritative, illustrated annual includes a very significant coverage of snowdrops. available as a special offer to snowdrop enthusiasts for £9.50 from Mr J. gibson, Dept. Ng, 14 Waverley road, Kettering. NN15 6NT cheques made payable to the royal horticultural society. We highly recommend this publication.

Back issues of our snowdrop catalogues together with secondhand and antiquarian gardening and botanical books, occasionally including the rare stern monograph and snowdrops, Bishop, M.,

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Davis, a. and grimshaw, J., sadly out of print as is the stern Monograph,

are available from Besley’s Books. Tel. 01502 675649. limited edition prints of the original cover paintings from our previous catalogues are published by Dot rouge ltd. is series of signed and numbered prints has been produced using archival materials and the very latest printing technology resulting in amazing quality and stunning colour reproduction. www.dotrouge.co.uk, e-mail steve@dotrouge.co.uk snowdrops like to grow in fairly deep, well-drained friable soil in sun or light shade. When planting, a good dusting of bone meal and a handful of extra coarse sharp sand around each bulb will help to keep away disease. if snowdrops are le undisturbed for too long they could begin to “go back” which means fewer bulbs will flower and they could be more prone to disease. in some cases, the whole clump may die out. ey should therefore be lied about every three years. More frequent liing is recommended where there is no sign of increase. clumps should be carefully teased apart and replanted. a surface dressing of bone meal should be given in early autumn and a thin mulch of garden or mushroom compost applied in December will help improve the look of the flowers. one of the great pleasures in gardening is viewing snowdrops on a warm day in winter; the sun at this time of year is very low in the sky and can be blindingly bright. remember therefore to plant your snowdrops so that you can look at them with the sun behind you.

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We are most grateful to Jim almond, Matt Bishop, ian christie, Brian ellis, hagen engelmann, Jon evans, eric Fisher, Doug Joyce, David King, Janet lecore, cyril lafong, rod and Jane leeds, Marianne Majerus, e National collection of Margaret and David Maclennan, Wol and sue staines, Paddy Tobin and carolyn Walker (carolyn’s shade gardens) for all their help and for generously allowing us to use their lovely photographs. a very big thank you to steve edwards who has designed the beautiful catalogue, Matt Bishop for proof reading and much good advice and rosie steele for all her wonderful and invaluable help with our catalogue over many years.

“For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.” song of solomon.

‘Blewbury Tart’ – curious but by no means without great charm.

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1 . S E R I E S Ga l a n t h u s : leaves greyish (semi-glaucous or glaucescent), flat against each other with their margins either flat (applanate), or folded or rolled back (explicative or revolute). ese species are mainly confined to Europe.

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G. nivalis: the common snowdrop naturalised in many parts of Britain and native to much of europe. e leaves are flat against each other (applanate) at the base and the edges are flat or almost so. We offer the following cultivars: ‘Anglesey Abbey’: this snowdrop was found by graham omas at anglesey abbey. e flowers show a strong tendency to “poculiform” which means that the inner segments have little or no green shading on them and are of a similar length to the outer ones, giving the whole flower a remarkably white appearance against the strong green leaves. (snowdrops, (2001) p.84)......... £10.00 ‘Blewbury Tart’: a delightful, rather upright snowdrop found by alan street in Blewbury, oxfordshire. e outward facing flowers hover like little green tartlets above the leaves. curious but by no means without great charm. (snowdrops, p.120) .............................. £10.00

‘cinderella’ – a very dainty green tipped flower

‘Cinderella’: a charming, small inverse poculiform snowdrop (where the outer segments are shaped and marked like inner segments) with a very dainty green-tipped flower reminding us of G. nivalis ‘Fée clochette’ although somewhat smaller in stature. Found growing in woodland near Dundee by ian christie and originally named G. nivalis ‘Tinkerbell’; a name already found to be in use and changed thenceforth! ..................................................................... £70.00 ‘Crème Anglaise’: a very robust, perfect poculiform snowdrop. e segments have a distinctly cream appearance, darkening towards the ovary rather than the usual purest white. a very lovely snowdrop. .................................................................... £35.00

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Poculiformis Group ‘Annielle’: a superb poculiform snowdrop, found by cyril lafong, needing time to settle before showing its truly wonderful qualities. ................................................................... £85.00 ‘cornwood’ – a plant of great quality

‘Cornwood’: amongst the green tipped snowdrops with apical markings this is conspicuous as a plant of great quality and one that flowers earlier than the others of this group. . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................. £15.00 ‘Courteenhall’: we inherited this historic snowdrop from the late richard Nutt who was almost certainly given it by oliver Wyatt from his garden at courteenhall. ere has been much controversy between this snowdrop and G. nivalis ‘Modern art‘ but according to richard it lacks the green marking at the base of the outer segment which is present in G. nivalis ‘Modern art’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................. £15.00

Poculiformis Group ‘Swan Lake’: a very beautiful and aptly named snowdrop, found by cyril lafong. it is both reliable and with most excellent qualities. very few to spare. ................................................................ £100.00 Sandersii Group ‘Chatton’: a very fine member of the golden sandersii group with the usual yellow ovary and markings on the inner segments but distinct from the others in that it reliably forms a handsome clump. is snowdrop is an exceptionally good doer! ................................................................... £75.00

y ‘Flocon de Neige’ – Quite enchanting

‘Flocon de Neige’: one of the most beguiling double-flowered snowdrops. Perfectly symmetrical flowers with six equally spaced, all-white outer segments. Quite enchanting and most memorable, especially when fully opened. Much loved at North green. (snowdrops, p.114) ............................... £40.00 –6–

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G. plicatus: a vigorous and variable species. e leaves have a prominent central channel and their edges are strongly folded or turned under (plicate). e markings on the inner segments are extremely variable. We offer the following cultivars: ‘Diggory’ – unique and instantly recognisable

‘amy Doncaster’ – a perfectly proportioned snowdrop

‘Amy Doncaster’ Pc 2014: described as one of the most beautiful forms of G. plicatus grown today. a perfectly proportioned snowdrop with distinct green shading on the outer segments. a strongly notched inner segment marking with a clean ribbon edge, gently shading towards the rounded ovary. given to us by the late amy Doncaster herself who, shortly before her hundredth birthday, requested that she be remembered by this, the best of her snowdrops. rare, choice and in very short supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................................. £40.00

‘Diggory’ aM 2009: perennially one of the most desirable of all snowdrops. e outer segments remain tucked under, even as the flower matures and expands, giving this snowdrop its unique and instantly recognisable shape. From rosie steele. (snowdrops, p.147) .............................. £25.00 ‘E. A. Bowles’ aM 2012: unique among snowdrops this is the first known poculiform G. plicatus, discovered by Michael Myers in the garden of the late e. a.

Bowles at Myddelton house and named aer him. above the broad, upright, glaucous-green leaves is the crowning glory of this magnificent snowdrop: a large, full flower with six immaculate, pure white segments all of equal length. an outstanding garden plant and it is scented! .......... £55.00

‘Baxendale’s Late’: a reliably late-flowering G. plicatus which blooms at the end of the season when most other snowdrops have finished. a fairly vigorous plant of good substance to extend the season. (snowdrops, p.142) ................................ £5.00 –7–

‘e.a. Bowles’ – a large, full flower with six immaculate, pure white segments

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‘Trymlet’: selected from seedlings of G. plicatus ‘Trym’ by the late Kathleen Beddington and named by sue and Wol staines. Both the inner and outer segments have beautiful pale-green markings. a much coveted snowdrop. e illustration is an historical photograph by Marianne Majerus of G. plicatus ‘Trymlet’ within the original clump in Kathleen Beddington’s garden! (snowdrops, p.163) ................................ £30.00

‘Priscilla Bacon’ – large flowers with very distinct puckering

‘Priscilla Bacon’: an outstanding lateflowering snowdrop found in the garden of the late Priscilla Bacon towards the end of the Millennium snowdrop season. is wonderful find is almost certainly a seedling from the “henham snowdrops” (which also included such treasures as G. plicatus ‘ree ships’ and G. plicatus ‘henham No. 1’) that grew in the deep leaf-litter under the now famous cork oak in the demolished garden at henham. large flowers with very distinct puckering to the outer segments form a delightful combination with the handsome plicate leaves. Fittingly named to commemorate a dedicated and much loved plantswoman. . . . . . . .................................. £45.00

‘Trymlet’ – a much coveted snowdrop

‘Vera Trum’: exceedingly wide veratrumlike leaves with very upright scapes bearing large puckered flowers. e inner segments are similar to those of G. plicatus ‘ree ships’ which is not surprising as they were found growing only a few feet apart. a plant of quality. One bulb per customer. (snowdrops, p.151) ............................. £35.00

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2 . S E R I E S l at i F o l i i : leaves emerging either flat against each other (applanate), or with the outer leaf rolled or wrapped round the inner leaf (supervolute or convolute). Where flat (applanate) leaves either grey (glaucous) or green, rarely inbetween. e species in this series are found mainly in turkey and the Caucasus and are divided into two subseries.

2 A . S E R I E S Gl au C a E F o l i i : leaves grey.

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G. elwesii: an extremely variable species with grey leaves, hooded at the top and rolled or wrapped around each other at the base (supervolute or convolute). is species now encompasses plants grown for many years in gardens as G. caucasicus (sic.). We offer the following cultivars:

‘Deer slot’ – a rare collector’s item

even when it is not “slotting”. is snowdrop does not respond well to twin-scaling. One bulb per customer. (snowdrops, p.173) .............................. £35.00 ‘Galadriel’: we are most grateful to Beth chatto for this very fine, later-flowering snowdrop. stately flowers with a unique strong-green y-mark extending halfway along the inner segment, shading to a bright yellowish-green towards the tail of the y. e leaves are distinctly pointed reminding us, somewhat, of G. elwesii ‘cedric’s Prolific’ to which it is most probably related. a quite outstanding snowdrop of real quality. ..... .............................................................. £15.00

‘Deer Slot’: a much coveted snowdrop originally from the garden of the late Primrose Warburg and somewhat eccentric in that the deer slot mark only appears on one of the inner segments and only when the bulb is fully matured. e remaining segments have u-shaped to heart-shaped markings in a rich deep green. a rare collector’s item and a stunning snowdrop

‘galadriel’ – stately flowers with a unique strong-green Y-mark –9–

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‘Godfrey Owen’ Fcc 2011: this outstanding snowdrop has been described as one of the most distinct snowdrop discoveries of recent times. it is remarkable in that it has a double row of outer and inner segments. When fully opened the symmetrical arrangement of the six outer segments is exquisite. Found by the late Margaret owen in the mid 1990s and named aer her late husband. (snowdrops, p.205).............................. £20.00

‘green eyes’ – another covetable treasure om anglesey abbey

‘Green Eyes’: of all the green-leaved cultivars this highly desirable and outstanding snowdrop is considered to be, by far, the best. e large elegantly shaped flowers on tall straight stems are held well above the arching green leaves. e usual green, v-shaped marking on the inner segment is accompanied by two large, round, very distinct green eyes. another covetable treasure from anglesey abbey.

One bulb per customer. ..................... £90.00

‘godfrey owen’ – the symmetrical arrangement of the six outer segments is exquisite.

Hiemalis Group ‘Kinn McIntosh’: this snowdrop was found in a garden near canterbury where the crime writer catherine aird (nom de plume Kinn hamilton Mcintosh) lived. one of the first of the G. elwesii hiemalis group to flower oen as early as mid-september. a compact, neat-growing snowdrop with broad, wildly splayed grey leaves and scented flowers. a welcome snowdrop to extend the season. ................................................................... £30.00

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‘Jonathan’: only limited information about this exceptional snowdrop was available when the great monograph ‘snowdrops’ was written in which it was, unfortunately, only briefly mentioned underneath the description for G. elwesii ‘grumpy’. unlike G. elwesii ‘grumpy’ the outer segments have green tips and the basal markings on the inner segments are fused rather than separate, but the apical heart-shaped marking is similar. however, the great glory of this snowdrop is that the usual white of the inner segments is transformed into a magnificent, golden-orange glow. is splendid snowdrop may need to be well settled before these characteristics appear. it was found in North yorkshire by Michael Myers in 2000. (snowdrops, p.202) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................. £25.00 ‘Jonathan’ – magnificent, golden orange glow

‘Jubilee Green’: found in the garden here at North green this snowdrop is distinct in having leaves of a striking lettuce-green. e flower has a well defined X-shaped marking.

‘Jubilee green’ was named to commemorate twenty five years of North green snowdrops. .................................................................. £35.00

‘Margaret owen’ – looks magnificent in a clump

‘Margaret Owen’: Margaret herself with her usual eagle-eye and ever exacting criteria for an outstanding plant, homed-in on a stand of this fine snowdrop during a visit to ray cobb’s Nottinghamshire garden. it was considered to be a seedling from the nearby clump of G. elwesii ‘Brian Mathew’ which has a similar inner segment marking with little or no sinus notch and a large very pronounced v- shaped green mark. however the most wonderful defining attribute of this mid to late-flowering snowdrop is that it looks magnificent in a clump and it was much admired and coveted by all who attended the farewell party for Margaret at “e Patch”, when it was in full bloom. One bulb per customer. .................................................................. £70.00

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‘Margaret’s Star’: given to us by the late Margaret owen towards the end of the 1990s around the same time as the not dissimilar, though smaller, G. elwesii ‘godfrey owen’. a newly planted bulb may produce either three, four or five outer segments, but once settled, it’s true potential is most evident when the five beautifully symmetric outer segments form a perfect star: a lovely combination with the bluegrey leaves. One bulb per customer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............................... £120.00 ‘Mrs Macnamara’ (syn. ‘Milkwood’): this excellent, early-flowering snowdrop originated from the mother-in-law of Dylan omas: Mrs Macnamara (please note correct spelling). a tall, stately plant flowering in December when there are few other large snowdrops in bloom. is is the favourite of all our early-flowering cultivars at North green. outstanding. (snowdrops, p.177) ............................. £12.50

‘Margaret’s star’ – five beautifully symmetric outer segments form a perfect star

‘Remember, Remember’ (syn. ‘November Merlin’): our beautiful November-flowering snowdrop probably derived from one of the hiemalis group with a deeply green shaded inner segment reminding us of G. ‘Merlin’. oen in flower by the 5th November. is snowdrop is best suited to a sheltered position in full sun. (snowdrops, p.192) ..... .............................................................. £30.00

‘remember, remember’ – our beautiful novemberflowering snowdrop

‘Mrs Macnamara’ – a tall stately plant

‘Reverend Hailstone’: a large and robust, early-flowering hybrid with exceptionally long flowers. e outer segments are particularly narrow and about twice the length of the inner segments which have distinct pale-green, v-shaped markings. a rather special snowdrop originating from anglesey abbey. One bulb per customer. ................................................................... £17.50 – 12 –

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‘Selborne Green Tips’: this delightful, early-January flowering snowdrop was found over thirty years ago by the late David and ruby Baker in the village of selborne, hampshire, but is still a surprisingly rare plant. e outer segment is green tipped and there are two separate bold green markings on the inner segment. With regular division and good cultivation this snowdrop will reliably produce two perfectly formed flowers from a single scape. e bulbs you receive from us may not show two heads, having only just been divided. as usual, patience is required! (snowdrops, p.198) ............................. £20.00 ‘Yvonne Hay’ (syn. G. elwesii ‘Maximus’): we are grateful to the late harry hay for this lovely snowdrop of huge proportions, which originated in his garden at Margery hall Pig Farm, surrey and which he later named aer his wife. e flowers are described as being “of respectable dimensions”; aaron Davis, described it as a “Monster”. it has very broad leaves and huge bulbs which do not respond well to twin scaling. in a warm room the outer segments rise up and reveal a large and perfect inverted heart-shaped mark on the inner segments. a very distinct snowdrop. (snowdrops, p.190). ............................ £30.00

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‘selbourne green Tips’ – surprisingly rare

G. ikariae: from the island of ikarios, now called Nikaria, off the west coast of Turkey. large glossy or dull, sometimes puckered, green leaves. large flowers with ovoid or conical ovary. large, squared u-shaped marking on the inner segment extending half-way or slightly more to the base. We offer the following cultivar: ‘Emerald Isle’ (syn. ‘Megan Morris’, ‘Meg’): originated at Drew’s court, co. limerick in the mid 1980s. e inner segment marking is almost entirely green except at the margins where, as there is a variable amount of green shading on the outer segments: the whole contrasts beautifully with the lovely green leaves. here at North green this snowdrop grows well under a conifer in the deep litter of a nearbye bamboo. We have a few of this delightful but somewhat capricious snowdrop to spare. ........... £30.00

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G. woronowii: broad glossy-green leaves emerging with outer leaf rolled or wrapped around the inner leaf (supervolute or convolute); oen forming large clumps. inner segment with single marking towards the apex which is distinctly smaller than that of G. ikariae. Flowering in main season.

We offer the following cultivars: ‘Cider with Rosie’: an interesting snowdrop found by Kevin Minchu, a cider maker, in his local garden centre near Tewksbury. is snowdrop has a good crescent shape marking around the apex of the outer segment and a well defined tooth-shaped mark around the sinus notch on the inner segment. one of only a few inverse poculiform G. woronowii cultivars to have been found so far. ................................ £45.00 ‘cider with rosie’ – one of only a few inverse poculiform G. woronowii

‘elizabeth harrison’– distinctly yellow marked

‘Elizabeth Harrison’aM 2012: ian christie’s relatively newly discovered and already much talked about snowdrop from scotland. is is the first ever G. woronowii to be found with distinctly yellow marked flowers and in 2011 realised the highest price then recorded for a snowdrop!

One bulb per customer. ..................... £90.00

Hybrids – Single ‘Acton Pigot No.1’: one of the late Margaret owen’s earliest discoveries from her former garden at acton Pigot with splayed, rather pale grey-green leaves and large beautifully shaped flowers with all green inner segments. oen producing twin scapes. ................................................................... £40.00 – 14 –

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‘Benhall Beauty’ (× valentinei): we are most grateful to the late Mrs amy Doncaster for this most beautiful snowdrop. originally one of two seedlings from the garden of “Jock” gray at Benhall, saxmundham, suffolk and named by e.a.Bowles, who was a close friend. e other snowdrop ‘Benhall seedling’ may no longer be in cultivation. in his book, “seven gardens or sixty years of gardening”, e.B.anderson gives the history of these two snowdrops together with G. ‘John gray’ and G. ‘Mighty atom’. a superb and very desirable plant. (snowdrops, p.250) ............................ £12.00 ‘Benhall Beauty’ – superb and very desirable ‘Bloomer’ – a very desirable snowdrop with a pale yellowish-green ovary

‘Bloomer’: a very distinct, double scaped snowdrop (when mature) found growing within a clump of G .‘Tubby Merlin’ in the garden at North green. one or two bulbs were distributed as G. ‘Tubby Merlin’ until the “bloomer” was discovered! a very desirable snowdrop with a pale yellowishgreen ovary and a large green mark on the inner segment, shading to yellowish-green. affectionately referred to in the garden here as “Frilly Knickers” due to the distinctly frilly margins of the inner segments. early-flowering. choice and scarce. One bulb per customer. ........ £30.00 – 15 –

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‘Castlegar’: a most delightful and welcome December-flowering snowdrop originating on the Mahon estate, castle galway on the west coast of ireland. e substantial flower is well presented on a longish pedicel and has a distinct, sharply defined v-shaped marking. e wonderful free-flowering nature and steady increase make this a very welcome edition to the pre-christmas snowdrops. a cheering sight in the garden here at North green. ........................... £20.00

‘cliff curtis’ – looks wonderful in a clump and is scented

‘Curly’(× valentinei): an intriguing hybrid found in the early 1960s by richard Nutt and herbert ransom in the garden at hyde lodge, gloucestershire. e narrow leaves are unique in that they are strongly recurved on first appearing and remain so giving this beautiful snowdrop its name. e very fragrant, green-tipped flowers have a particularly fine X-shaped mark with paler shading to the base. late-flowering. (snowdrops, p.277) ................................ £8.50

‘Ding Dong’ – a fine upstanding lateJanuary flowering snowdrop

‘castlegar’– a pre-Christmas snowdrop

‘Cliff Curtis’: this snowdrop has a very rounded flower with a delightful and delicate scent. e deep claw-shaped outer segment has particularly pronounced shoulders whilst the inner segment is deeply grooved with a large sinus notch and ‘teardrop’ mark on either side and very pale shading to the base. e snowdrop looks wonderful in a clump and is scented. a lovely selection from the garden of cliff curtis that was named in 2003. lateflowering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................. £30.00

‘Ding Dong’: a fine upstanding late January-flowering snowdrop with distinctively long, very slender outer segments; claw-like towards the tip. e two-tone inner segment markings and ovary are of a similar olive-green. is snowdrop can produce three wide glaucous-green leaves when well grown and oen two scapes. Named by alan street of avon Bulbs. (snowdrops, p.251) ................ £20.00

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‘Fly Fishing’: an early-flowering snowdrop originally selected by alan street of avon Bulbs. as described by alan it has one of the longest pedicels of any snowdrop giving it an extraordinary elegance that eclipses even that of G. ‘Magnet’ and G. ‘galatea’. ................................................................... £30.00

‘Dodo Norton’ – a diminutive hybrid

‘Dodo Norton’ (× valentinei): a diminutive hybrid which measures no more than 8.5cm high; a very dwarf G. ‘Mighty atom’ derivative with shouldered outer segments.

Discovered in the famous ditch at east lambrook Manor (the home and garden of the late Margery Fish) in the 1950s and named aer the wife of a previous owner. (snowdrops, p.231).............................. £20.00 ‘Early to Rize’: discovered in the garden here at North green. From the characteristics of its leaves, this snowdrop is possibly a hybrid of G. elwesii hiemalis group and G. rizehensis. is fine snowdrop is conspicuous for its early-flowering which consistently starts well before christmas and continues into the New year. (snowdrops, p.244) ............................. £25.00

‘Fly Fishing’ – one of the longest pedicels of any snowdrop

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early to rize’ – this

fine snowdrop is conspicuous for its early-flowering

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‘Foxton’: a touch of mystery surrounds this recently named snowdrop originally from sir Frederick stern’s garden at highdown and later given by his gardener to Donald sims of Foxton. at flowering time, the leaves lie flat on the ground. e flower has very long outer segments resembling the tail of a comet and thick inverted v-shaped markings on the inner segments. one of the latest to flower and a companion for G. nivalis ‘virescens’ perhaps? ................ £15.00 ‘Glenchantress’: the large flowers of this bewitching snowdrop have six strong lines towards the apex of the outer segments and the inner segments are of a startling densegreen colour. From sue and Wol staines, glenchantry. . . . . . . . . .................................. £45.00 ‘glenchantress’– six strong lines towards the apex of the outer segments

‘green comet’ – one of the very finest to have originated in the garden at north Green

‘Green Comet’: a huge snowdrop and probably one of the very finest to have originated in the garden at North green. it was found growing close to a clump of G. elwesii ‘comet’ and G. ×allenii; G. elwesii ‘Jubilee green’ was not far away. is stately snowdrop with a large weighty flower resembling G. elwesii ‘comet’, is held by a particularly long pedicel well above the strikingly tall, usually three, lettuce green leaves. unlike G. elwesii ‘comet’ it does not have green markings on the outer segments.

One bulb per customer. ..................... £40.00 ‘Green of Hearts’: this stunningly beautiful snowdrop occurred in the garden here in the late 1990s and closely resembles our award of Merit G. ‘Trumps’. e darker green and more obviously heart- shaped markings on the outer segments and the overall substance of the flowers (reminding us of G. ‘anne of geierstein’) dispell any confusion between this and G. ‘Trumps’. a rare, highly refined and scarce snowdrop which we have only offered in our catalogue a few times. One bulb per customer. (snowdrops, p.282) ............................. £65.00

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‘Hobson’s Choice’ (× valentinei): a robust, vigorous selection and probably an hybrid between G. plicatus and G. nivalis. Found in the grounds of anglesey abbey by richard ayres. a good snowdrop. ................... £10.00

background of paler green shading towards the base. e very fine inner segment marking is solid olive-green at the apex shading to a paler green at the base. (snowdrops, p.279) ............................. £15.00

‘John Gray’ Fcc 1996: a very beautiful early snowdrop. e flowers are about 40mm long, strongly marked with green on their inner segments. e.B. anderson in his book “seven gardens” tells of visiting the garden of the late “Jock” gray of Benhall, saxmundham “… i found two wood labels marked XXX against the remains of snowdrop foliage. i brought these bulbs back to lower slaughter and one bore an outstandingly large flower among the earlies and this i named ‘John gray’ in memory of a delightful friend. e late sir Frederick stern said it was the finest early snowdrop he had ever seen. i think the other one, but of this i am not quite sure, is the dwarf, large-flowered one that i named ‘Mighty atom’” (snowdrops, p.247) ................. £8.00

‘Mother goose’– a truly beautiful snowdrop

‘Kildare’ Pc 2005 (× valentinei): this largeflowered, almost straight-spathed and oen double-scaped snowdrop was found by the late David and ruby Baker in ireland in 1995. however, the wonderful so-green glow surrounding this snowdrop from the emerald isle, is its greatest charm. e long slim outer segments are marked with several thin green lines following the veins, with a

‘Mother Goose’: the most exciting snowdrop ever to have originated here in the garden at North green. e whiteness of the flowers is attractively complemented by the bluish-grey leaves. however the most remarkable feature of this truly beautiful snowdrop is the astonishingly radiant, eggyellow inner segment apical marking and strong-yellow shading towards the ovary. e silken pedicel together with the base of the ovary are wonderfully highlighted in gold. on first seeing G. ‘Mother goose’ one galanthophile visitor here was heard to ask for sunglasses! is is a golden treasure and was a fitting snowdrop with which to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of North green snowdrops. One bulb per customer. ................................................................... £90.00

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‘Sentinel’ (× valentinei): a strong-growing well proportioned, upright snowdrop found at sutton court, herefordshire, oen producing two scapes. e flowers have heavily ridged outer segments and are of good substance. e inner segment marking consists of distinct dark-green basal and apical marks. (snowdrops, p.270) ............................. £15.00 ‘Spindlestone Surprise’ (× valentinei) Fcc 2004: a lovely yellow hybrid which reminds us somewhat of G. ‘Primrose Warburg’ though quite distinct when they are grown near to each other. it is a stronger growing snowdrop and generally considered to be a better garden plant. (snowdrops, p.275) ............................ £20.00 ‘Trumps’– beautiful early-flowering snowdrop

‘Trumpolute’– an historic breakthrough

‘Trumpolute’ (× hybridus): the first significant hybrid between G. plicatus ‘Trym’ and G. elwesii to have convolute leaves and flowers reminding us of both G. ‘Trumps’ and G. plicatus ‘Trym’. e distinctly flattish outer segments have a bold v-shaped mark towards the apex and a paler ovalshaped mark towards the base but this mark can vary until the plant is established. an historic breakthrough which occurred in the garden at North green in 2001. an exceedingly rare snowdrop. One bulb per customer. ............................................... £60.00 ‘Trumps’ aM 2011: we are delighted to be able to offer bulbs of this beautiful earlyflowering snowdrop which was spotted in the garden here at North green by Matt Bishop in the late 1990s. charming heartshaped markings on both the inner and outer segments. it is closely related to G. 'green of hearts' but flowering a little earlier. (snowdrops, p.238) ................ £20.00

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‘Wasp’: probably the most aptly named snowdrop of all from veronica cross. swarm-like in the clump at a distance. e flowers hover on fine pedicels with long narrow wing-like outer segments and narrow tube-like inner segments with markings suggesting a striped thorax! Not necessarily considered a “classic beauty” but definitely a classic snowdrop and one with which we could certainly not live without here at North green. (snowdrops, p.271) ............................. £25.00

‘lady Fairhaven’ – the most beautiful of all the double snowdrops

‘Lady Fairhaven’ aM 2009: the most beautiful of all the double snowdrops that include G. elwesii in their ancestry. it appeared at anglesey abbey in 1994 and soon acquired the name G. ‘lady Fairhaven’. (snowdrops, p.304) ............................ £30.00

‘Wasp’– a most aptly named snowdrop

Hybrids – Double ‘Ballerina’: Phil cornish’s superb dwarf double snowdrop considered to be one of the loveliest of all the doubles. When fully mature the flowers appear so full of segments as to almost form a pompom. similar to, but distinct from, G. ‘Mrs Wrightson’s Double’. unfortunately this snowdrop is very slow to increase and we find that it does not respond to twin scaling. We offer a few bulbs from divisions from our clumps in the garden. scarce. One bulb per customer. (snowdrops, p.302)................................ £40.00

‘Mrs. Wrightson’s Double’: a very fullflowered, grey-leaved, weighty “double” from Washfield Nursery. a very desirable and much coveted snowdrop in short supply. (snowdrops, p.304)................ £20.00 ‘Richard Ayres’: a large and distinguished fully-double G. elwesii hybrid found in the grounds of anglesey abbey by richard Nutt in 1987 and later named aer the head gardener. (snowdrops, p.304)............ £10.00

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y

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R A R E S N OW D R O P S F O R S A L E BY T E N D E R EEEEEEEE

R E S E RVE P R I C E S S H OW N

G. nivalis ‘Angelina’: a rather splendid green marked snowdrop originating at the former Decora nursery in croatia. a large, strong-green inverted horse-shoe marking on the outer segment complements the acute, well defined strong green inner segment marking which follows the deep sinus notch. a highly desirable acquisition for the lovers of green snowdrops. .................................. £75.00 ‘angelina’– a splendid green marked snowdrop

‘Das gelbe vom ei’– “e yellow of the egg”

‘Das Gelbe vom Ei’: hagen englemann’s stunning and aptly named snowdrop: “e yellow of the egg”. Particularly short pedicels mean that the suffused cream flowers tend, at first, to be upward facing therebye revealing the brilliant egg-yokeyellow stamens. ere is an added bonus of good yellow markings on the inner segments. an outstanding late-flowering snowdrop. ............................................ £120.00 – 22 –

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‘Blue Trym’– most extraordinary blue leaves

G. plicatus ‘Blue Trym’: an outstanding G. plicatus ‘Trym’ seedling from the late Margaret owen which she herself named, with the most extraordinary blue leaves; this lovely snowdrop is both delightful and intriguing.

Much admired in the garden here at North green. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................ £100.00

‘Castle Green Dragon’ (syn. G. plicatus ‘anne’s green stripe’): described as a virescent G. plicatus seedling from Brechin castle in angus, scotland. e outer segments of the flower closely remind us of G. ‘cowhouse green’ whilst the inner segment marking is a solid green. it is named aer the green dragon on the castle’s flag. a highly desirable snowdrop. ................................................................ £100.00

‘castle green Dragon’ – the inner segment marking is a solid green

‘scrooge’ – the inner segment marking, of this aptly named snowdrop, reminds us of a miserable scrooge-like grimace

‘Scrooge’: an offspring of the legendary G. plicatus ‘ree ships’, showing many of its parents’ lovely characteristics including a generous gi of flowers for christmas. e inner segment marking, of this aptly named snowdrop, reminds us of a miserable scrooge-like grimace. ....................... £100.00 – 23 –

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‘chris Peer’– outer segments are flattened with a concave oval

G. gracilis ‘Ronald Mackenzie’ Pc 2009: found growing in ivy under trees in gloucestershire by ronald Mackenzie. a truly outstanding snowdrop; an essentially yellow version of G. gracilis ‘Daglingworth’ with the same distinct inner segment markings, though perhaps somewhat smaller in stature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................................... £85.00 ‘ronald Mackenzie’– truly outstanding

Hybrids ‘Chris Peer’ (× valentinei): a rather extraordinary G. plicatus ‘Trym’ seedling found by the late Margaret owen in her garden; always referred to as “e Patch”. she herself regarded this snowdrop highly and named it aer a gardener friend and helper at “e Patch”. it is of compact habit and small stature, the leaves are held at forty five degrees with a slight twist but the most intriguing and unusual feature of this snowdrop is that the outer segments are flattened with a concave oval in the centre containing the green mark. Margaret was most anxious that we should propagate this snowdrop and that it should be distributed. ................................................................ £100.00

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We have a few of the above rare snowdrops for sale. in order to give all our customers an opportunity to acquire these bulbs we are once again, selling them by tender. customers are invited to submit a bid for a single bulb of one or more of the seven varieties on the yellow bidding form enclosed. e reserve price is the lowest price at which we will sell any of the above snowdrops.

Please note, in most cases there are only five, or even less, bulbs of a particular variety for sale. should there be more than one bid of an equal amount, and only one bulb remaining, we shall accept the first bid opened.

Please put your bid or bids in a sealed envelope and mark the front with the name(s) of the bulb(s). in previous years, many customers have been very disappointed but it would appear that this is the fairest method we can devise to give all our customers an equal chance of acquiring these rarities.

No bids will be accepted aer 12 noon on Monday 20th February 2017. customers wishing to participate please note that bids, which must be made in pounds sterling, can only be accepted if payment is made by credit/debit card and no other form of payment. any snowdrops acquired through this new venture will be separately dispatched and the whole transaction treated separately from any other order you may have placed. as we cannot combine these snowdrops with your main order, there is a £4.50 flat rate postage and packing charge, which includes europe.

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‘Margaret Owen’ (see page 11)

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complete information on all the species and most of the cultivars listed in this catalogue can be found in the much acclaimed and indispensible book snowdrops, Bishop, M., Davis, a. and grimshaw, J. (2001). e griffin Press. reprinted 2006 (see page 3).

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY EEEEEEEE

allen, J. (1891). snowdrops. J. roy. hort. soc. 13: 172-188. artjushenko, Z.T. (1967). Taxonomy of the genus Galanthus l. r.h.s. Daffodil and Tulip year Book. 32: 62-82.

Bishop, M. (2011). e appearance and diversity of inverse poculiform snowdrops. r.h.s. Daffodil, snowdrop and Tulip yearbook: 43-47.

Bishop, M., Davis, a. and grimshaw, J. (2001) snowdrops. e griffin Press. Maidenhead.

Bowles, e.a. (1914). My garden in spring. london.

Brickell, c.D. (1984). Flora of Turkey. edinburgh.

Burbidge, F.W. (1891). snowdrops. J. roy. hort. soc. 13: 191-210.

Davis, a.P. (1999). e genus Galanthus. Timber Press. leeds, r. (2000). early Bulbs. David & charles. Devon.

Melville, D. (1891). snowdrops. J. roy. hort. soc. 13: 188-191.

Nutt, r. (1969). some thoughts on growing snowdrops. r.h.s. Daffodil and Tulip year Book 34: 80-86.

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Nutt, r. (1971). snowdrop freaks or natural variations. r.h.s. Daffodil and Tulip year Book 36: 165-174.

Nutt, r. (1993) encyclopaedia of alpines. Galanthus. vol. i ags Publications ltd., Pershore, Worcestershire. schwartz, o. (1963). Bulletin alpine garden soc. XXi: 131-141. stern, F.c. (1956). snowdrops and snowflakes. london. van Dijk, h. (2011). galanthomania. uitgeverij Terra lannoo-groep. arnhem.

Waldorf, g. (2012). snowdrops. Frances lincoln ltd. london.

Wyatt, o.e.P. (1967). Two snowdrop Problems. and “Double green” snowdrop. r.h.s. Daffodil and Tulip year Book. 32: 83-87 and 189.

‘Kildare’(× valentinei) (see page 19)

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‘Flocon de Neige’ (see page 6)

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S N OW D R O P S N A M E D BY N O RT H G R E E N S N OW D R O P S EEEEEEEE

G. nivalis

G. elwesii

hybrids

‘Bohemia Gold’

‘Comet’

‘Benton Magnet’

‘Chatterbox’

‘Jubilee Green’

‘Bloomer’

‘Dumpy Green’

‘Chelsworth Magnet’

‘Early to Rize’

‘Fanfare’

‘Margaret’s Star’

‘Green Beauty’

‘Golden Glow’

(‘Milkwood’) *‘Mrs Macnamara’

‘Green Comet’

‘Goldheart’ ‘Green Mist’ ‘La Bohème’ ‘Odd Sharlock’ ‘Prague Spring’

(‘November Merlin’) *‘Remember, Remember’ ‘Sibberto Magnet’

‘Green of Hearts’ ‘John Morley’ ‘Little Dorrit’ ‘Long Wasp’ ‘Mother Goose’

‘Stork’

G. reginae-olgae subsp. vernalis

‘Trotter’s Merlin’

‘Tall Prague Spring’

‘Blue John’

‘Trumpolute’

‘White Stag’

‘Blue Peter’

‘Trumps’

G. plicatus

G. gracilis

‘Amy Doncaster’

‘Ayes and Noes’

‘Eric Fisher’

‘Corkscrew’

‘Old January’

‘Denton’

‘ree Ships’ ‘Vera Trum’ ‘Winter Green’

e names in brackets are our original naming but for various reasons these have had to be changed to the name with an asterisk.

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I N D E X BY C U LT I VA R N A M E S EEEEEEEE

‘acton Pigot No 1’ .............. 14 ‘Deer slot’ ............................... 9 ‘lady Fairhaven’................... 21 ‘amy Doncaster’ . . .................. 7 ‘Diggory’ ................................. 7 ‘Margaret owen’ ................. 11 ‘angelina’. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 22 ‘Ding Dong’ ......................... 16 ‘Margaret’s star’ ................... 12 ‘anglesey abbey’ . .................. 5 ‘Dodo Norton’ ..................... 17 ‘Mother goose’ ................... 19 ‘annielle’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................. 6 ‘e. a. Bowles’ .......................... 7 ‘Mrs Macnamara’ ................. 12 ‘Ballerina’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 21 ‘early To rize’ ...................... 17 ‘Mrs Wrightson’s Double’ . 21 ‘Baxendale’s late’ . .................. 7 ‘elizabeth harrison’............ 14 ‘Priscilla Bacon’ ...................... 8 ‘Benhall Beauty’ . . ................ 15 ‘emerald isle’ ........................ 13 ‘remember, remember’ .... 12 ‘Blewbury Tart’ . . . . .................. 5 ‘Flocon de Neige’ ................... 6 ‘reverend hailstone’.......... 12 ‘Bloomer’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 15 ‘Fly Fishing’

......................... 17

‘richard ayres’ ..................... 21

‘Blue Trym’ . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 23 ‘Foxton’.................................. 18 ‘ronald Mackenzie’ ‘castlegar’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 16 ‘galadriel’

............................... 9

........... 24

‘scrooge’ ................................ 23

‘castle green Dragon’....... 23 ‘glenchantress’..................... 18 ‘sentinel’................................ 20 ‘chatton’

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .................. 6

‘godfrey owen’ .................. 10 ‘selborne green Tips’ ........ 13

‘cider with rosie’ ............... 14 ‘green comet’ ..................... 18 ‘spindlestone surprise’....... 20 ‘cinderella’ . . . . . . . . . . . .................. 5 ‘green eyes’

......................... 10

‘swan lake’ ............................. 6

‘cliff curtis’ . . . . . . . . . ................ 16 ‘green of hearts’ ................. 18 ‘Trumpolute’

....................... 20

‘cornwood’ . . . . . . . . . . .................. 6 ‘hobson’s choice’ ............... 19 ‘Trumps’ ................................ 20 ‘courteenhall’ . . . . . . .................. 6 ‘John gray’............................ 19 ‘Trymlet’ .................................. 8 ‘chris Peer’ . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 24 ‘Jonathan’

............................. 11

‘vera Trum’ ............................. 8

‘crème anglaise’ . .................. 5 ‘Jubilee green’ ..................... 11 ‘Wasp’ .................................... 21 ‘curly’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 16 ‘Kildare’ ................................. 19 ‘yvonne hay’........................ 13 ‘Das gelbe vom ei’ ............. 22 ‘Kinn Mcintosh’ .................. 10

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Back cover images: Top le: ‘Pricilla Bacon’ (see page 8) Top right: ‘Acton Pigot No 1’ (see page 14) Bottom le: ‘Cinderella’ (see page 5) Bottom right: ‘Das Gelbe vom Ei’

(see page 22)

Catalogue £4