26 SNOWDROPS FROM EAST LAMBROOK
1 Galanthus ‘Ivy Cottage Corporal’ Dark-green corporal’s stripes near the ovary gave rise to the plant’s name. It is a robust plant with long, elegant flowers. 30cm. RHS H5†.
2 G. ‘Jade’ Found by Alan Street of Avon Bulbs in 2005, the wash of green on the outside petals make this a particularly special specimen. 12cm. 3 G. plicatus ‘Sarah Dumont’ A galanthophile’s Galanthus. Golden ovary and markings and a clean-cut, white bell. It seems fabulously vigorous unlike many other yellow snowdrops. 17cm.
4 G. elwesii ‘Rosemary Burnham’ You would think someone had brushed the petals with green watercolour – and the inner green is strong too. This makes it sought after and expensive. Discovered in the 1960s in Canada. 13cm. 5 G. plicatus ‘Walter Fish’ Discovered in the Ditch at East Lambrook, growing close to ‘Margery Fish’ (although a different species) and named in 1988. Seriously green on the outer segments with a long, upright spathe that can be split in two. 20cm.
6 G. plicatus ‘Lambrook Greensleeves’ Another G. plicatus found growing in the Ditch at East Lambrook. It has apple-green leaves, bright and devoid of glaucescence; rounded flowers with a broad mark are fresh as clean laundry. 10cm.
7 G. plicatus ‘Phil Cornish’ Stunning selection from the Gloucestershire garden of Phil Cornish. Very dark green inners and pale green outers, it appears to be related to G. plicatus ‘Trym’, with similar distinctive outer petals that form a curved, pixie hat. 12cm. 8 G. elwesii ‘Godfrey Owen’ Very distinctive and unusual snowdrop, with six outer and six inner petals. It’s early flowering and bulks up well. It was found in the Shropshire garden of the well-known gardener Margaret Owen, in around
1996 and named by her after her late husband. 15cm. AGM*. RHS H5. 9 G. elwesii Discovered in western Turkey, in 1874, by the plant collector Henry John Elwes, this tall and handsome species can also be found throughout the Balkans. The joy of Elwes’s snowdrop is that it multiplies exponentially with broad, glaucous leaves and nodding, solitary white flowers in late winter. 20cm. AGM. RHS H5. 10 G. nivalis ‘Green Tear’ Reliable, robust and very green, this superb new discovery from the Netherlands is one of the most strongly virescent and best ‘green’ snowdrops known. It’s also one of the more expensive. 12cm. 11 G. elwesii ‘Grumpy’ A discovery of Monksilver Nursery’s Joe Sharman with markings that resemble two eyes and a turned-down mouth. Sure to make anyone who sees it smile. 17cm. 12 G. ‘Sprite’ Aptly named and curiously strange; it is a tiny dancer with green lines along the veins of the outer segments but apparently easy to grow and increase. 15cm. 26 snowdrops from East Lambrook continues over the next three pages