North Green Snowdrops

Catalogue £4

North Green Snowdrops

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Front cover image: G.nivalis ‘Grüner Splitter’(see page 38)

Back cover images:G.elwessi ‘Mandarin’ (see page 21)G.John Morley (see page 27)

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North Green Snowdrops 2021

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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 2021

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N O R T H G R E E N S N O W D R O P S 2 0 2 1

th i S c ata l o G u e is valid until 1st april 2021 and cancelsall previous lists. To all our friends and customers within

the European Union we are sending you a copy of our 2021catalogue, but sadly: for interest only. We very much regret thatdue to the new regulations we are no longer able to sendsnowdrops to countries within the EU and can only acceptorders from customers with an address within the UnitedKingdom.

We sell best quality snowdrop bulbs “in the green” dispatched aerflowering in March/april or sometimes earlier. Plants supplied arebelieved to be correctly named. as there are never enoughsnowdrops to meet the demand, especially of the recently namedcultivars, please place your order as soon as possible aer receiptof your catalogue.

Method of paymentDue to the intransigence of major banks who will no longer cash“limited” cheques, we can now only accept payment by credit ordebit card. having tried unsuccessfully, over several months, toretain the right to use this old and long established method ofpayment it is with much regret that we have had to make thischange.

Please add £6.00 to all orders towards the cost of First classpostage and packing. to assist the safe delivery of your orderswould customers please include a telephone number, and an emailaddress, if you have one, on your order form. you will be sent adetailed account and receipt.


Please note that orders will be dealt with in strict rotation and maybe delayed if these instructions are not followed.

Please note that there is no telephone number for North GreenSnowdrops.

e Plant Lovers Guide to SnowdropsWe highly recommend this delightful and informative book byNaomi Slade. Published by e timber Press in association withKew royal Botanic Gardens. iSBN 978-1-61469-435-2.

Daffodil, Snowdrop and Tulip Yearbook 2020Published in association with the royal horticultural Society at£11.95. is authoritative, illustrated annual includes a verysignificant coverage of snowdrops. available as a special offer tosnowdrop enthusiasts for £10.00, including postage, from Mr JohnGibson, Dept. NG, 14 Waverley road, Kettering. NN15 6Nt:cheques made payable to the royal horticultural Society. For eu and overseas customers or to pay via PayPal please email:[email protected]. We highly recommend this publication.

North Green Snowdrops. Surplus copies of our archive snowdropcatalogues are now available on ebay.co.uk. From seller: sudaby2

Snowdrops like to grow in well-drained friable soil in sun or lightshade. When planting, a good dusting of bone meal and a handful of extra coarse sharp sand around each bulb will help tokeep away disease.

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if snowdrops are le undisturbed for too long they could begin to“go back” which means fewer bulbs will flower and they could bemore prone to disease. in some cases, the whole clump may die out.ey should therefore be lied about every three years. Morefrequent liing is recommended where there is no sign of increase.clumps should be carefully teased apart and replanted. a surfacedressing of bone meal should be given in early autumn and a thinmulch of garden or mushroom compost applied in December willhelp improve the look of the flowers.

one of the great pleasures in gardening is viewing snowdrops ona warm day in winter; the sun at this time of year is very low in thesky and can be blindingly bright. remember therefore to plant yoursnowdrops so that you can look at them with the sun behind you.

We are most grateful to Martin allen, Jim almond, Karen andrichard austin, richard Bashford, Matt Bishop, richard Bloom, valBourne, andy Byfield, ian christie, hagen engelmann, Jon evans,eric Fisher, Debbie hall, Doug Joyce, David King, Janet lacore, cyrillafong, rod and Jane leeds, Marianne Majerus, e Nationalcollection of Margaret and David Maclennan, aaron Mckernan,Joe Sharman, Bennet Smith, Wol and Sue Staines, Paddy tobin, Gert-Jan van der Kolk and carolyn Walker (carolyn’s Shade Gardens) forall their help and for generously allowing us to use their lovelyphotographs. a very big thank you to Steve edwards who hasdesigned the beautiful catalogue, Matt Bishop and Brian ellis forproof reading and much good advice, Debbie Monique Jolliff whoover the last two seasons has built up a photographic archive of allthe snowdrops at North Green and rosie Steele for all her wonderfuland invaluable help with our catalogue over many years.

“For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear onthe earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.” Song of Solomon.


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 marginseither flat (applanate), or folded or rolledback (explicative or revolute). ese species aremainly confined to Europe.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

G. nivalis: the common Snowdropnaturalised in many parts of Britain andnative to much of europe. e leaves are flatagainst each other (applanate) at the baseand the edges are flat or almost so. We offerthe following cultivars:

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‘Courteenhall’: we inherited this historicsnowdrop from the late richard Nutt whowas almost certainly given it by oliver Wyattfrom his garden at courteenhall. ere hasbeen much controversy about this snowdropand G. nivalis ‘Modern art’ but according torichard it lacks the green marking at the baseof the outer segment which is present in G.nivalis ‘Modern art’.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£15.00

‘Green Whisp’: a stunningly exciting greensnowdrop given to us by the late veronicacross, who in turn had been given it by JohanMens. one of the greenest snowdrops weknow: the barely opening flower on it’sparticularly long pedicel resembles an oldfashioned tear-glass bottle streaked all overwith green, both inside and out. anexceptional, good-tempered and desirableplant for the connoisseur.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£105.00

‘courteenhall’

‘Green Whisp’



‘Odd Scharlock’: recognised by the lateMargaret owen as distinct from the G.nivalis ‘Scharlockii’ in her Shropshiregarden and subsequently named by her. issnowdrop is extraordinary in that its verylong pedicel is held at a distinct right angleand has an equally long spathe. Bothsegment markings are of a more solid green.a most curious sight growing in a clumpwith all the horizontally attached flowersseemingly emerging at the wrong angle.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £30.00Sandersii Group ‘Grake’s Yellow’: a distinctand very good yellow snowdrop sent to usby valentin Wijnen from his ‘Grakes Series’of snowdrops. e ovary is of a very fineyellow matching the sometimes dividedinner segment marking: the wholecomplemented by a surprisingly greenspathe and the somewhat yellow-informedscape and pale green leaves. rarely offeredfor sale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £65.00

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‘Hugh Mackenzie’ Pc 2007: a most lovelyclassic green snowdrop found originally byruby and David Baker. e beautifullymarked green outer segments, composed ofeight or so substantial apple-green lines,extend well over half the length. e innersegment marking reminds us of the laughingcavalier’s moustache. a late-floweringsnowdrop best planted in a cool position: a real joy.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£55.00

‘Margery Fish’: originally one of the mostdistinct snowdrops when found in 1987 inthe famous ditch at east lambrook Manorand named aer the renowned plants-woman who created the gardens there. asnowdrop with an exceptionally long pediceland spathe; large green markings on both thespoon-shaped outer and the flattened innersegments. a much coveted snowdrop for thecollector and becoming rather scarce. .....................................................................£30.00

‘hugh Mackenzie’



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‘Margery Fish’

‘odd Scharlock’ ‘Grake’s yellow’


‘Stork’: another of our selected seedlingsfrom seed given to us by a friend in Prague.a rather extraordinary snowdrop that wehave grown for many years, which sadly, isvery slow to increase. Shortish pedicelswhen emerging from the scape result inflowers with stork-like beaks which clatter inall directions within the clump. . . . . . £105.00

‘Walrus’: oliver Wyatt's intriguing doublesnowdrop dating from the 1960s. e threevery long, tusk like, outer segments arestained and streaked with green. Muchcoveted by lovers of the curious and a greatfavourite in the garden here. . . . . . . . . . . . . . £20.00

‘Wolfgang’: a distinct and consistently late-flowering green-tipped snowdrop. ere is alarge green, near-horizontal apical markingon the inner segment with many veryobvious corrugations. e outer segment isnoticeably quilled towards the tip with amark composed of five or so very bold greenlines. First introduced by Wolfgang Kletzingbut subsequently lost, with somecontroversy over subsequent distributions.is is the true plant which we have grownhere for many years, and were delighted tobe able to return to Wolfgang. a verydesirable plant of great substance andcharacter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £85.00

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‘Stork’


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‘Walrus’

‘Wolfgang’



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‘Madelaine’: we are grateful to Joe Sharmanfor this excellent cultivar. closely related toG. plicatus 'Wendy’s Gold' with similar paleyellow colouring but differing in having aslightly smaller marking on the innersegment. however, the outstanding feature of this snowdrop is its vigour and very strongconstitution; the strongest of the group.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £25.00

‘Eric Fisher’: a stunning large 4×4 found byeric Fisher in the garden here at North Greenin 2010. certainly a very large G. plicatuswith long, broad leaves, reliably producingflowers with four generous outer segmentsand good green bold markings on the innersegments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £60.00

‘e. a. Bowles’ ‘eric Fisher’

‘E. A. Bowles’ aM 2018: unique amongsnowdrops this is one of the first knownpoculiform G. plicatus. Discovered byMichael Myers in the garden of the late e. a.Bowles at Myddelton house and namedaer him. above the broad, upright,glaucous-green leaves is the crowning gloryof this magnificent snowdrop: a large, fullflower with six immaculate, pure whitesegments all of equal length. an outstandinggarden plant and it is scented! . . . . . . . . . . £45.00

G. plicatus: a vigorous and variable species.e leaves have a prominent central channeland their edges are strongly folded or turnedunder (plicate). e markings on the innersegments are extremely variable. We offerthe following cultivars:



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‘Madelaine’


‘Sarah Dumont’

‘Priscilla Bacon’: an outstanding late-flowering snowdrop found in the garden ofthe late Priscilla, lady Bacon, towards theend of the Millennium snowdrop season.is wonderful find is almost certainly aseedling 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 thedemolished garden at henham. largeflowers with very distinct puckering to theouter segments form a delightfulcombination with the handsome plicateleaves. Fittingly named to commemorate adedicated and much loved plantswoman.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £30.00

‘Priscilla Bacon’

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‘Sarah Dumont’: a delightful lime-yellowsnowdrop from Joe Sharman reminding usof another fine yellow snowdrop G. plicatus‘Madelaine’ to which it is related. espoon-shaped outer segments are widelyspaced giving way to a view of the broad,heart-shaped mark which occupies agenerous third of the inner segment. eovary, pedicel and the tips of the spathe allshare the same lovely lime-yellow colourdarkening, but a little, where ovary andpedicel meet. all contrasting well with widebluish-green plicate leaves making for adelightful addition to any collection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £25.00



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‘Walker, Canada’: there is a touch ofmystery about this rather special snowdropfrom the garden of the late richard Nutt.e well-proportioned flower has an X-shaped mark on the inner segment curiouslybroader towards the long, narrow conicalovary. e flower is borne above plicateleaves on a short scape which slowlylengthens as the season progresses, resultingin a large, distinct and eye-catchingsnowdrop. is is, in our opinion, the bestsnowdrop inherited from the late richardNutt’s garden at Great Barfield and has beenvery much admired by all his friends. anearby faded and barely legible label withthe name “Walker, canada” is all that isknown about this lovely snowdrop.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £30.00


‘Walker, canada’

‘trimmer’

‘Trimmer’: an outstanding G. plicatus‘trym’ seedling discovered by rannweigWallis. e large tricorn-shaped outersegments are of very heavy substance withfine green markings, whilst the innersegments are almost entirely green, exceptfor a white band next to the ovary and adistinct ribbon of white at the apex. an altogether very desirable plant.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £30.00


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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 orwrapped round the inner leaf (supervolute orconvolute). Where flat (applanate) leaveseither grey (glaucous) or green, rarely in-between. e species in this series are foundmainly in turkey and the Caucasus and aredivided into two subseries.

2A. SUBSERiES GlauCaEFolii:

leaves grey.

‘Corkscrew’: an instantly recognisableselection with long, exceptionally twistedleaves and first introduced by North GreenSnowdrops in the 1997 catalogue. a much-prized, very distinct and charmingsnowdrop for a free-draining site. . . . . £20.00

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

G. gracilis: a charming species which is widelygrown and a parent of many attractive hybrids.e flat greyish leaves are quite narrow, oentwisted and unhooded. e inner segments haveseparate markings at the tip and base. We offerthe following cultivar:

‘corkscrew’


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G. elwesii: an extremely variable species withgrey leaves, hooded at the tips and rolled orwrapped around each other at the base(supervolute or convolute). is species nowencompasses plants grown for many years ingardens as G. caucasicus (sic.). We offer thefollowing cultivars:

‘Beany’: a tall, shapely, large floweredsnowdrop of good substance. e outersegments have green tips composed ofbetween ten and twelve lines converging to asomewhat pinched tip. e bold, greenmark covers more than half the innersegment and neatly follows the contours.although slow to increase; much admiredand undoubtedly one of the very best green-tipped G. elwesii snowdrops. . . . . . . . . . . . £35.00

‘Fly Fishing’

‘Beany’

‘Fly Fishing’: an early-flowering snowdroporiginally selected by alan Street of avonBulbs. as described by alan it has one of thelongest pedicels of any snowdrop, giving itan extraordinary elegance that eclipses eventhat of G. ‘Magnet’ and G. ‘Galatea’. in someyears the outer segments have green tips... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£20.00


‘Godfrey Owen’ aGM 2017: thisoutstanding snowdrop has been described asone of the most distinct snowdropdiscoveries of recent times. it is remarkablein that it has a double row of outer andinner segments. When fully opened thesymmetrical arrangement of the six outersegments is exquisite. Found by the lateMargaret owen in the mid 1990s andnamed aer her late husband. (snowdrops, (2001) p.205). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £20.00

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‘Godfrey owen’

‘Green Eyes’: of all the green-leavedcultivars this highly desirable andoutstanding snowdrop is considered to beby far the best. e large elegantly shapedflowers on tall straight stems are held wellabove the arching leaves. e usual green, v-shaped marking on the inner segment isaccompanied by two large, round, verydistinct green eyes. another covetabletreasure from anglesey abbey . . . . . . . . . . .£35.00


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‘Green eyes’

hiemalis Group ‘Hoggets Narrow’:considered here to be by far the finest andmost desirable of all the autumn-floweringsnowdrops in the hiemalis Group. einner segments have a good green, rounded,inverted v-shaped marking and measure justa third of the length of the very striking,exceptionally long and narrow outersegments. When the flower is mature, theanthers shine through giving a delightful

so-orange glowing bar between theinverted v-shaped mark and the longnarrowly-conical pointed ovary; a show-stopper even at the height of the season!hoggets was the name of the garden of thelate terry Jones at Zeal Monachorum,Devon (home of both G. ‘hoggets round’G. terry Jones and Nerine ‘Zeal Giant’).. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £45.00



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‘hoggets Narrow’



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hiemalis Group ‘Peter Gatehouse’: oenappearing in November and one of theearlier flowering forms of G. elwesii.a distinctly upright, olive- green snowdropwith a narrowly condensed, elongated X-shaped marking. originating from thegarden of the late Peter Gatehouse oftenterden, Kent, who gave bulbs toWashfield Nursery in about 1994.(snowdrops, (2001) p.187) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £10.00

‘John Owen’: another fine snowdrop fromthe late Margaret owen and named aer herson. e inner segment marking is a verystrong green, somewhat broad X-shape andalmost like two hearts fused together. aswith other snowdrops from Margaret this is avery “good doer” and makes a most lovelyand generous display in the garden.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £20.00

‘Peter Gatehouse’

‘John owen’



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‘Jubilee Green’: found in the garden here atNorth Green, this snowdrop is distinct inhaving leaves of a striking lettuce-green. eflower has a well defined X-shaped marking.G. elwesii ‘Jubilee Green’ was named tocommemorate twenty five years of NorthGreen Snowdrops. a lovely snowdrop.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £15.00

‘Louise Ann Bromley’: an earlyishflowering G. elwesii hybrid with tallglaucous leaves and a very large, substantialflower (at one time it was the record holderfor the largest flower of any snowdrop; theouter segment can measure 50mm!). einner segment has a wide bridge-shapedmark. a very desirable and much admiredplant from the garden of David Bromleyand named aer his late sister. . . . . . . . . £20.00

‘Jubilee Green’

‘louise ann Bromley’



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‘Mandarin’ (syn. ‘coolie’ ‘Mandarin’shat’): a splendid, smaller snowdrop in thegarden here at North Green. a distinct andoverlooked treasure originally discovered inGloucestershire by Phil cornish and namedby him for the delightful way in which theouter segments never fail to rise up, hat like,in the warm sunshine: a magnificent sightindeed. a pair of so, beguiling lime-greeneyes between the strong apical v-shapedmark and the similarly coloured ovary makefor a very fine contrast with the bluish-greenupright leaves. one of the most striking ofall the G. elwesii cultivars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £35.00

‘Margaret’s Star’: given to us by the lateMargaret owen towards the end of the1990s around the same time as the notdissimilar, though smaller, G. elwesii‘Godfrey owen’. a newly planted bulb mayproduce either three, four or five outersegments, but once settled, it’s true potentialis most evident when the five beautifullysymmetric outer segments form a perfectstar: a lovely combination with the blue-grey leaves. Please show patience while yourtreasured bulb builds up to full maturity toshow its true beauty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £85.00

‘Mandarin’

‘Margaret’s Star’



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‘Mrs Macnamara’ (syn. 'Milkwood'), aGM2017: this excellent, early-floweringsnowdrop originated from the mother-in-law of Dylan omas: Mrs Macnamara. atall, stately plant flowering in Decemberwhen there are few other large snowdrops inbloom. is is the favourite of all our early-flowering cultivars at North Green.outstanding. (Snowdrops, (2001) p.177). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £15.00

‘Natalie Garton’:a beautiful, larger, broad-leaved snowdrop with a perfectheart-shaped mark on the inner segment. a splendid snowdrop which can produceone or two additional inner segments. ismost lovely early-flowering plant was namedaer, and distributed by, the late NatalieGarton of ramsden in oxfordshire.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£10.00

‘Mrs Macnamara’

‘Natalie Garton’



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Hybrids – Single

×allenii: a flower of good substance withcharacteristic strong scent of bitter almonds.unlike any other snowdrop, the leaves arepewter-coloured, the outer leaf beingwrapped round the inner at the base andrather short at flowering time. it thrives herein a damp situation. a robust plant if it likesyou but slow to increase. Now considered a hybrid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £10.00

G. ikariae: from the island of ikarios, nowcalled Nikaria, off the west coast of turkey.large glossy or dull, sometimes puckered,green leaves. Sizeable flowers with ovoid orconical ovary. Substantial, squared u-shaped marking on the inner segmentextending half-way or slightly more to thebase. We offer the following cultivar:

‘Emerald isle’ (syn. ‘Megan Morris’, ‘Meg’):originated at Drew’s court, co. limerick inthe mid 1980s. e inner segment markingis almost entirely green except at themargins where, as there is a variable amountof green shading on the outer segments thewhole contrasts beautifully with the lovelygreen leaves. here at North Green thissnowdrop grows well under a conifer in thedeep litter of a nearby bamboo. We have afew of this delightful but somewhatcapricious snowdrop to spare. £35.00

‘emerald isle’

×allenii



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‘Chameleon’: the flowers of this joyful newsnowdrop are of good substance with theouter segments having unusual yellow-flushed tips. on the apex of the innersegment there is a lovely yellow heart-shaped mark, whilst a golden collar at thebase delineates the ovary. e blue-greenprostrate leaves, the golden pedicel (towardsthe ovary) and the chameleon-likebehaviour of this plant all remind ussomewhat of another colour change

snowdrop: G. ‘Mother Goose’. very slow toincrease and well named in that its charactermay change from year to year depending onthe weather and size of the bulb. Mature bulbswill have markings that start light-greenbefore becoming yellow with yellow tips,whilst a sister bulb can be bright yellow,whereas those of younger bulbs are curiously,oen bright yellow. We are most grateful torichard Bashford for another treasure thatoriginated in his garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £90.00

‘chameleon’



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‘Early to Rize’: discovered in the gardenhere at North Green. From thecharacteristics of its leaves, it is possibly ahybrid of G. elwesii hiemalis Group and G. rizehensis. is extremely fine snowdropis conspicuous for its early-flowering which,with the change in seasons, now starts mid-November and continues into the Newyear. (snowdrops, (2001) p.244) . . . . . . . £20.00

‘Dragonfly’(x valentinei): another veryhandsome, long pedicelled snowdrop fromthe garden of the late veronica cross; thehome also of G. ‘Wasp’. a diffuse green,somewhat waisted, inner segment markingand very long outer “wings”: perhapscontributing to its name! a truly, verydesirable, heavyweight snowdrop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £40.00

‘Dragonfly’

‘early to rize’



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‘Green comet’ ‘hilary’s coquette’

‘Hilary’s Coquette’: an extraordinarysnowdrop reminding us somewhat of G.‘South hayes’ and other pagoda-shapedsnowdrops. e outer segments markedwith green, appear to be flying away fromthe dark green, turban-shaped ovary. eachinner segment has a large distinct molar-shaped mark. is was given to us by thelate Margaret owen shortly before she diedand from which our stock originates. it wasnamed aer one of her many gardenvolunteers at e Patch, her garden inShropshire.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £75.00

‘Green Comet’: a huge snowdrop andprobably one of the very finest to haveoriginated in the garden at North Green. itwas found growing close to a clump of G.elwesii ‘comet’ and G. ×allenii; G. elwesii‘Jubilee Green’ was not far away. is statelysnowdrop with a large weighty flowerresembling G. elwesii ‘comet’ is held by aparticularly long pedicel well above thestrikingly tall, usually three, lettuce-greenleaves. unlike G. elwesii ‘comet’ it does nothave green markings on the outer segments.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £20.00



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‘John Morley’ ‘James Backhouse’

‘John Morley’: originally thought to be G. plicatus subsp. byzantinus or even of G. gracilis origin but now considered to bean hybrid. First noticed in the garden hereat North Green as being one of the mostfloriferous of snowdrops. Not a tall growingplant but one which, when well grown, hasdisproportionately large flowers with analmost divided basal and v-shaped greenapical marking, with an occasional yellowishhaze. originally reminding us, somewhat, ofG. ‘Mary ann Gibbs’. a snowdrop muchdependant on the season but always verydear to the heart. and, to our surprise, amuch acclaimed plant! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £110.00

‘James Backhouse’ (syn. ‘atkinsii ofBackhouse’): generally this is a large androbust snowdrop, which makes a wonderfuldisplay due to its amazing constitution.Being prolific, it bulks up extremely welland slowly colonizes. Sometimes, however,the segments of this form of G. ‘atkinsii’ areaberrant in the most bizarre andextraordinary way; a source of much interestto the collectors of curiosities. (Snowdrops,(2001) p.226). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£4.00


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‘Mother Goose’(×valentinei): the mostexciting snowdrop ever to have originatedhere in the garden at North Green. ewhiteness of the flowers is attractivelycomplemented by the bluish-grey leaves.however the most remarkable feature ofthis truly beautiful snowdrop is theastonishingly radiant egg-yellow innersegment apical marking and strong yellowshading towards the ovary. e silkenpedicel together with the base of the ovaryare wonderfully highlighted in gold. onfirst seeing G. 'Mother Goose' onegalanthophile visitor here was heard to ask

‘Robin Hood’: a James allen seedlingmentioned a hundred and thirty years agoand first offered for sale by North GreenSnowdrops thirty four years ago, though ouroriginal stock was kindly given to us byelizabeth Parker-Jervis in 1984; the year ofour first catalogue. an instantly recognisabletall, upright snowdrop with well shapedflowers and distinctly pointed outer segments.e narrow green, crossed inner segmentmarkings are reminiscent of an age of archeryand Sherwood Forest. a very delightfulsnowdrop still held in high regard.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £10.00

‘Mother Goose’ ‘robin hood’

‘Long Wasp’: as the name implies; this is asnowdrop not dissimilar to G. ‘Wasp’ butwith a particularly long flower. Foundseveral years ago in the garden here at NorthGreen. a very desirable snowdrop. ................................................................. . £35.00

for sunglasses! expect only an established,mature bulb of this colour change snowdropto show these characteristics. is is agolden treasure and was a fitting snowdropwith which to celebrate the thirtiethanniversary of North Green Snowdrops.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £60.00



– 29 –

‘Ruby Baker’: first noticed and muchadmired by the late ruby and David Bakerin the garden of robin hall at Primrosehill, lucan, ireland and subsequentlynamed by robin hall aer ruby. asubstantial plant with broad upright foliageand large flowers with wide outer segmentsand inner segments marked at the base withtwo merging ‘eyes’ and a pair of tear-shapedmarks at the apex. a really lovely plant anda most fitting tribute to someone who wasso dedicated to the study of snowdrops;“e pillar of the Snowdrop World” (seededication in North Green Snowdrops2015 catalogue). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £40.00

‘ruby Baker’

‘ronald Mackenzie’

‘Ronald Mackenzie’ (gracilis ×plicatus):found growing in ivy under trees inGloucestershire by ronald Mackenzie. a truly outstanding snowdrop, a more orless yellow version of G. ‘Daglingworth’with the same distinct inner segmentmarkings, though perhaps somewhatsmaller in stature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £80.00



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‘trumps’

‘trumpolute’

‘Trumps’ (×hybridus), aGM 2017: we aredelighted to be able to offer bulbs of thisbeautiful early-flowering snowdrop which wasspotted in the garden here at North Green byMatt Bishop in the late 1990s. ere arecharming heart-shaped markings on both theinner and outer segments. it is closely relatedto G. ‘Green of hearts’ but flowering a littleearlier. (snowdrops, (2001) p.283). . . . . £15.00

‘Trumpolute’ (×hybridus): the firstsignificant hybrid between G. plicatus‘trym’ and G. elwesii to have convoluteleaves and flowers reminding us of both G.‘trumps’ and G. plicatus ‘trym’. edistinctly flattish outer segments have a boldv-shaped mark towards the apex and a paleroval-shaped mark towards the base but thismark can vary until the plant is established.an historic breakthrough which occurred inthe garden at North Green in 2001. anexceedingly desirable snowdrop: even aer adecade of other outstanding discoveries.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £45.00



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‘celia’s Double’

‘Betty hansell’

Hybrids – Double

‘Betty Hansell’: a fine regular doublesnowdrop with a neat rosette; oenproducing twin scapes when established.Small green apical marks and slightpinching on the outer segments and bold,strongly waisted, inner segment markings.Found by robert Marshall in Norfolk in1994 and named aer his aunt. a lovelysnowdrop. (snowdrops, (2001) p.298). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £20.00

‘Celia’s Double’ (×valentinei): an excitingnew double snowdrop from the garden ofcelia Sawyer that was found within a clumpof G. plicatus ‘Diggory’ growing close to apatch of an unnamed Greatorex double. a

beautifully rounded, neat, well-filled flower.e inner segment marks consist of a basalblotch and an apical heart-shape. We aremost grateful to richard Bashford for thisvery good snowdrop..............................£40.00


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a D D i t i o Na l S N oWD ro P S

customers may be interested in the following snowdrops we also have for sale,several of which, though not all, have been offered before in our catalogues (see dates in brackets).

G. elwesii‘Brian Mathew’ (2016) £20.00‘Bumble Green’ (2016) £30.00‘charles Wingfield’ £30.00‘Discovery’ £15.00‘helen tomlinson’ £15.00‘Kite’ £15.00‘Margaret owen’ (2018) £25.00‘Meteor’ £85.00‘Michael holcro’ £45.00‘North Green Wasp’ £50.00

Galanthus elwesii Hiemalis Group‘Barnes’ (2015) £10.00‘Donald Sims’ early’ (2015) £10.00‘Dorothy Foreman’ (2019) £25.00‘Dot underhill’ £30.00‘Gabriel’ (2016) £15.00‘howard Wheeler’ £10.00‘Sybil Stern’ £15.00

Hybrids-Single‘David Bromley early' £20.00‘Melanie Broughton’ (2015) £10.00‘treasure island’ (×valentinei) £95.00


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‘Brian Mathew’ ‘Bumble Green’

‘charles Wingfield’ ‘Discovery’


– 34 –


‘helen tomlinson’

‘Margaret owen’ ‘Meteor’


– 35 –


‘Michael holcro’ ‘North Green Wasp’

‘Barnes’ ‘Donald Sims’ early’


– 36 –


‘Dot underhill’

‘Gabriel’ ‘howard Wheeler’


– 37 –


‘Sybil Stern’ ‘David Bromley early’

‘Melanie Broughton’ ‘treasure island’


G. nivalis

‘Grüner Splitter’: a very beautiful greensnowdrop from hagen engelmann with fiveor more long “splinters” of green on theelongated outer segments, emanating fromthe strong-green ovary and fallingsomewhat short of the tips. a dark-greenmarking almost entirely fills the innersegment. a very choice and rare snowdrop.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £100.00

‘Papageno’: we are most grateful to Gert-Jan van der Kolk for this snowdrop.another enchanting little treasure from thewoodland in which the legendary G. nivalis‘Green tear’ was also found and from whichit is not dissimilar though barely only halfthe size! e charming small scale of thisdiminutive snowdrop is unfortunately notapparent in the photograph. Naturally asmall bulb and somewhat slow to increase,but a very desirable, enchantingly namedlittle snowdrop and a joy to behold. offeredhere for the first time.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£150.00

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 Rv E P R i C E S S H OW N

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‘Grüner Splitter’

‘Papageno’


‘Pepys’ G. elwesii (syn. ‘Not Sparkler’): acuriously intriguing snowdrop with a touchof mystery about its history. it was kindlygiven to us by the late Margaret owen at

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‘Green Lantern’: a large handsome G.plicatus with a very rounded flower. edistinctly pinched tips of the outer segmentshave wide green brush-like markings. einner segment marking consist of an apicalv-shape and a separate bar-shape towardsthe ovary. a very desirable snowdrop,originally from ireland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £75.00

one of her legendary snowdrop parties ate Patch, her garden in Shropshire.Spotted by a path was a magnificent clumpof snowdrops with strong upright growing,very white flowers, contrasting well with thebluish-green leaves. a stray label read “G.elwesii ‘Sparkler’ ” which was not correctand later rejected. e somewhat weightyouter segments are of a large scale comparedto the very small inner segment markings,consisting of small, splayed, heart-shapedmarks and (contributing to the nameperhaps) a pair of diminutive yet stronglycoloured yellow-green eyes which neatly sita third of the way up from the ovary. ereis also a seriousness underlying the touch ofhumour about the conflicting scale of thisfine and charming snowdrop. . . . . . . . . . .£120.00‘Green lantern’

G. plicatus

G. elwesii

‘Pepys’


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We have a few of the above rare snowdrops for sale. in order togive all our customers an opportunity to acquire these bulbs weare once again, selling them by tender. customers are invited tosubmit a bid for a single bulb of one or more of the four varietieson the yellow bidding form enclosed. e reserve price is thelowest price at which we will sell any of the above snowdrops.Please note, in most cases there are only five, or even less, bulbs ofa particular variety for sale. Should there be more than one bid ofan equal amount, and only one bulb remaining, we shall acceptthe first bid opened.

Please put your bid or bids in a sealed envelope and mark the frontwith the name(s) of the bulb(s). in previous years, many customershave been very disappointed but it would appear that this is thefairest method we can devise to give all our customers an equalchance of acquiring these rarities. No bids will be accepted aer12 noon on Monday 22nd February 2021.

customers wishing to participate please note that bids, whichmust be made in whole pounds sterling, can only be accepted ifpayment is made by credit/debit card and no other form ofpayment. any snowdrops acquired through this newish venturewill be separately dispatched and the whole transaction treatedseparately from any other order you may have placed.

as we cannot combine these snowdrops with your main order,please add £6 to all orders towards the cost of First class postageand packing.


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allen, J. (1891). Snowdrops. J. roy. hort. Soc. 13: 172-188.

artyushenko, 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.

S E L E C T B i B L i O G R A P H YEEEEEEEE

complete information on all the species and many of the cultivarslisted in this catalogue can be found in the book Snowdrops, Bishop,

M., Davis, a. and Grimshaw, J. (2001). e Griffin Press. Maiden-head. regrettably, we have been informed that this invaluable book is

out of print and unlikely to be reprinted.


– 42 –


Nutt, r. (1969). Some thoughts on growing Snowdrops.r.h.S. Daffodil and tulip year Book 34: 80-86.

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.

Kilpatrick, i. and harmer, J. (2018). e Galanthophiles. orphans Publishing. leominster.

repnow, anne c (2020). Some Snowdrops. a Photographic ramble. Davidia Press.

Schwartz, o. (1963). Bulletin alpine Garden Soc.XXi: 131-141.

Slade, N. (2014) e Plant lover’s Guide to Snowdrops. etimber Press, inc. Portland, oregon.

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.


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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

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

G. nivalis‘Bohemia Gold’

‘Chatterbox’‘Dumpy Green’‘Fanfare’ (lost)‘Golden Glow’

‘Golden Swordfish’‘Goldheart’‘Gold Dust’

‘Green Whisp’‘La Bohème’

‘Prague Spring’‘Stork’

‘Tall Prague Spring’‘Tramlines’

‘White Stag’ (lost)

G. plicatus‘Amy Doncaster’

‘Blue Moon’‘Eric Fisher’

‘Old January’‘ree Ships’‘vera Trum’

‘Winter Green’

G. elwesii‘Comet’

‘Jubilee Green’‘Chelsworth Magnet’

‘Margaret’s Star’*‘Mrs Macnamara’

(‘Milkwood’)*‘Remember, Remember’

(‘November Merlin’)‘Sibberto Magnet’

G. reginae-olgaesubsp. vernalis

‘Blue John’‘Blue Peter’

G. gracilis‘Ayes and Noes’

‘Corkscrew’‘Denton’

hybrids‘Benton Magnet’

‘Bloomer’‘Early to Rize’‘Green Beauty’‘Green Comet’

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

‘Mother Goose’‘North Green Wasp’

‘Trotter’s Merlin’‘Trumpolute’

‘Trumps’


i N D E X BY C U LT i vA R N A M E S

EEEEEEEE

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×allenii 23‘Barnes’ 35‘Beany’ 15‘Betty hansell’ 31‘Brian Mathew’ 33‘Bumble Green’ 33‘celia’s Double’ 31‘chameleon’ 24‘charles Wingfield’ 33‘corkscrew’ 14‘courteenhall’ 5‘David Bromley early’ 37‘Discovery’ 33‘Donald Sims’ early’ 35‘Dorothy Foreman’ 32‘Dot underhill’ 36‘Dragonfly’ 25‘e. a. Bowles’ 10‘early to rize’ 25‘emerald isle’ 23‘eric Fisher’ 10‘Fly Fishing’ 15‘Gabriel’ 36‘Godfrey owen’ 16

‘Grake’s yellow’ 6‘Green comet’ 26‘Green eyes’ 16‘Green lantern’ 39‘Green Whisp’ 5‘Grüner Splitter’ 38‘helen tomlinson’ 34‘hoggets Narrow’ 17‘hilary’s coquette’ 26‘howard Wheeler’ 36‘hugh Mackenzie’ 6‘James Backhouse’ 27‘John Morley’ 27‘John owen’ 19‘Jubilee Green’ 20‘Kite’ 32‘long Wasp’ 28‘louise ann Bromley’ 20‘Madelaine’ 10‘Mandarin’ 21‘Margaret owen’ 34‘Margaret’s Star’ 21‘Margery Fish’ 6‘Melanie Broughton’ 37

‘Meteor’ 34‘Michael holcro’ 34‘Mother Goose’ 28‘Mrs Macnamara’ 22‘Natalie Garton’ 22‘North Green Wasp’ 35‘odd Scharlock’ 6‘Papageno’ 38‘Pepys’ 39‘Peter Gatehouse’ 19‘Priscilla Bacon’ 12‘robin hood’ 28‘ronald Mackenzie’ 29‘ruby Baker’ 29‘Sarah Dumont’ 12‘Stork’ 8‘Sybil Stern’ 37‘treasure island’ 37‘trimmer’ 13‘trumpolute’ 30‘trumps’ 30‘Walker, canada’ 13‘Walrus’ 8‘Wolfgang’ 8


Front cover image: G.nivalis ‘Grüner Splitter’(see page 38)

Back cover images:G.elwessi ‘Mandarin’ (see page 21)G.John Morley (see page 27)

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