Galanthus--TOW
Louise Parsons (Mon, 02 Feb 2004 14:18:35 PST)

Snowdrops are blooming in profusion here in western Oregon. To name favorites
is like trying to choose a favorite child --impossible! The snowdrop webpages
are wonderful. A trip to the UK in February ranks very high on my list.

I am curious to know what causes some of my very large population of G. elwesii
to have four outer petals.

On 2 Feb 2004 at 10:23, Kathy Stokmanis wrote:

G.elwesii will do just fine in your climate, especially if they have good shade
in summer. Pine needles aren't an insurmountable problem either, even if you
skip raking now and then. The only caution with erratic cleanup is that deep
duff can become a hiding-place for slugs. Newer slug-baits such as "Sluggo" are
a real boon though. The stuff even protects asarums that I previously had
severe problems with.

About moss in pots.... Here are a couple of ~partial solutions to the problem
that are non-chemical. Use a top-dressing of poultry grit or coarse sand when
sowing seed. Moss is the biggest problem on trilliums, erythronium, nomocharis,
and anything else that is kept in pots for several years, especially since
these are kept out of the sun. I found that I can carefully peel a layer of
moss off the top in late autumn, when tiny bulbs are dormant and have pulled
themselves down deep enough not to be disturbed. I then add a fresh layer of
sterile worm-castings or good soil, and pumice or more grit.

A bit of snowdrop humor: About fifteen years ago, our college-age daughter ran
into the house very excitedly to tell me that she had found "a bunch of yellow-
flowered snowdrops". I got very excited when she showed them to me, then caught
the little smirk on her face: she had picked some, dyed the flowers, and
artfully stuck them back in a neat cluster. We all had a good laugh!

Cheers, Louise
Willamette Valley in green, green Oregon
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