First Snowdrop!

just what I was thinking Homebird!-- must go and look at mine....

Lovely Snowdrop . . . . .

lovely sight barbara :o))

That's a lovely sight Barbara :o))

Thank you for giving us a smile, B. :))

:-)) It certainly gives me one when I look at it!
It's extremely early.

Good heavens that is so early......lovely.

ooh how nice, nearly right...lol...

Only about 6 weeks early! ;-)

:))))

Lovely to see a Snowdrop so early but I'm afraid I've seen them even earlier than yours, Spritz - at the beginning of this month I saw my first Snowdrops in the front garden of a house I pass every time I need to go to town or to the allotment. I commented on it a couple of weeks back!

In my Mum's garden there was a clump of them that used to be in flower when I went around to take her the Christmas present on Christmas Day. I looked at the place a couple of weeks ago but I didn't see anything. I don't go past there very often now since Mum died almost 3 years ago.

Oh well - it's early in my garden. ;-)

There's a garden not far away that often has daffodils out just before Christmas - I must go and 'nose'. I bet they're in full bloom! :-))

Now THAT would be incredible! Daffs in December!!! As incredible as a white Petunia I've been seeing for the last few days in the garden of a house I pass going to/from town/allotment! I couldn't believe my eyes! I had to stop & look at it carefully to make sure I wasn't confusing it with some other flower, but, no, it really is a Petunia! It has no more protection than that afforded by a Cherry tree under which it is growing. The tree lost all its leaves more than a month ago.

There's one called 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation'. It flowers well before Christmas naturally. I'm after some bulbs, and I think I've found a stockist for next autumn. :-)

Happy New Year Spritz and everyone xx

Thank you - and to you! x

How lovely to see this plant, think its the one everyone looks forward to seeing at this time of year.

It is - and the Hellebore in the pot next to it is now in flower - with more Snowdrops! What a pleasure. :-)

I forgot to take the camera out today, and it's dark now. :-(

you dont think it was one of the November flowering species do you? you are known for your choice plant selection. :o)

I didn't know there were November flowering species of Snowdrops!

No, I haven't got any early snowdrops, Sbg. :-(( This is definitely G. elwesii.

This was early.......

Yes, it was! (It's finished now..) I have several clumps in flower though.

Ours have just started, I personally think they are in the wrong part of the garden,where it is very heavy wet and cold, we have several large clumps, will move them (in the green) and put them under the silver birch where the soil is a lot drier.... what do you think?

Mine are happiest under trees. I have a lot under the weeping ash.

@DD2: I wouldn't worry about them being too wet they don't seem to mind as I know of quite a few clumps that are growing alongside the river & when it overflows its banks they are "drowned" by the rising waters! When they go down again they continue as if nothing had happened!

I was able to see them from a footbridge over the river that I had to cross twice a day 5 days a week for 5 years! I took photos of them before, during & after being flooded. Just like the Nile, the river probably fertilized them, as when the waters receded there was mud all over them! I will post a couple of photos so you can see them!

I think you may be right, Balcony - we went to 'Snowdrop Valley' on Exmoor, and the snowdrops seemed extremely happy on the banks of the stream there.

I went down - I remembered! - to the bridge to take some photos of the Snowdrops but when I got there I couldn't see anything! The bank was totally covered in branches & leaves from the Weeping Willows that grow on that bank! In fact, much to my surprise, one had been blown over! So I've no idea if the Snowdrops are still there or not. I suspect they are just that they have been "buried" under the branches & leaves of the willows. If I remember I'll go back again in a couple of weeks to see what I can see!

Oh dear - I hope they survived under all the debris - I bet they did, though.

I wouldn't expect the debris to hurt them as they were probably below soil level when the tree came down & all the (very thin) branches & leaves came down. I'll try & remember to go back in a few weeks time as I'm intrigued to see if they are still thee. I saw no movement of soil, (well you couldn't see much anyway for the leaves & branches! LOL!), or anything that made me think they may have been disturbed.

I did follow them for 5 years every spring. Since losing my job at the factory I haven't had much occasion to go back that away that's why I have to make a deliberate effort to remember to go back there.

I'm sorry I didn't realise you'd lost your job. That was a nasty one. :-((

It was! Almost exactly 3 years have passed since I was made redundant, along with dozens more at the factory. Some had worked there 10 years or more. Nor was there any preference because a lot were also from the offices & even people you'd never imagined would be made redundant.

The company was very good to us offering us work in another of their factories, for me at least they were too difficult to get to without a car or they were jobs I couldn't do. We were offered time off to go to interviews, etc. They also had Job Seekers officials come in to talk to us about possible alternatives. I signed up to an IT course that would have let to some kind of certificate that was supposed to help me find a job in IT. I was getting on alright with the course till I had a back injury form playing with our granddaughter one day. I felt so bad for several months that I couldn't keep up with my studies & went off them completely.

I'm not surprised. That would put anyone off. :-((