Galanthomania in the US
Diane Whitehead (Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:09:13 PST)

Yes, I'm a galanthophile, but a cheap one, so I'm not a galanthomaniac.

Here in Victoria, pots of snowdrops in bloom sell for about $3 outside
supermarkets. There are four bulbs per pot, unnamed seedlings of
Galanthus elwesii, though in some years G woronowii and G nivalis have
been sold as well.

A friend and I go to the greenhouse that provides them and scrutinize
the hundreds of pots. We select ones that are a bit different and
usually buy a flat or two. (A flat of 18 pots costs $28). I
hybridize them and hope for a spectacular seedling (none so far).

A friend in England sends me seeds each year from his collection of
named snowdrops. None has flowered yet. (It takes six years) I also
buy seeds of various less well-known species.

I have a few named snowdrops that I brought home from England. They
were gifts from one of the National Collection Holders.
Every year one of the public gardens here has a hellebore and snowdrop
sale. One year I donated 14 pots of named snowdrops, one per pot, in
bloom, for $4 each. Only 7 pots sold. So galanthomania hasn't
happened here yet.

On 25-Feb-12, at 8:14 AM, James Waddick wrote: