This week a snowdrop special with up close pictures of 6 beautiful collector’s snowdrops. Forget Netflix everyone – there’s a new form of online entertainment in town – Ebay watching. This week I watched in growing excitement as a single snowdrop bulb sold for £635. As the bids came in thick and fast and the price leapt up, I had a rush of adrenalin that is surely a rarity in lockdown Britain. And I wasn’t even bidding!
Ebay is a great way for snowdrop breeders to know that a bulb has found its natural price and there was no shortage of people seeking to buy this bulb of Galanthus ‘Dryad Demeter’, a pretty variety with a strong green marking. There are many out there who scoff at the hobby of snowdrop collection but if it’s your thing then it’s your thing. This was only the second time this bulb had been offered for sale, which explains the price.
I have a small collection of special snowdrops – some in pots and some out in the garden. Right now they are my pride and joy and I’m delighted every day to have something to peer at and marvel in. If some of the ones here pique your fancy then you can read what I’ve learned about where to buy collector’s snowdrops here. With the snowdrop day calendar decimated by Covid, the action is currently online.
Here are six photographed yesterday. I’d moved them to the shelter of the greenhouse whilst the rain drummed down. Genuinely happy times for me.
Galanthus elwesii ‘Godfrey Owen’
This is a variety with six outer sepals, and they dangle daintily from the stem, almost like a downturned crocus. Each petal is ridged and the purest of whites. Tip Godfrey up and he has green-marked slightly ruffled inners.
Galanthus elwesii ‘Anglesey Orange Tip’
New patterns and colourings keep snowdrop collectors on their toes and with an ever expanding wish list. Snowdrops with apricot colourings began to emerge in the 1990s with an elwesii clone named ‘Joy Cozens’, but her orange tones tended to disappear as the flower matured and opened. I’m told that ‘Anglesey Orange Tip’ retains the colouring even when open. It wasn’t quite ready to oblige me by opening yesterday so that I could see for myself.
Galanthus elwesii ‘Yashmak’
I saw this variety when I visited a national collection holder last year as part of the National Garden Scheme openings. Allot of snowdrops do look the same but this one jumped out at me. Why? It’s stature was part of the appeal as it was fairly short with neat, fairly thick glaucous leaves. The colouring was also appealing though, with yellowish inners and pure white outers.
The name derives from the fact that the two olive yellow dots on the inners look like bashful eyes peering out from behind a veil. Naming snowdrops must be an interesting process. My son thinks it looks like the Star Wars character Jar Jar Binks and if it was down to him it would be named as such. 
I bought three dormant bulbs last summer from Avon Bulbs and each has sent up two flowers. They look lovely in this pot but I’ll be transplanting at least one of these into the rock garden. Its short stature should suit this setting well.
Galanthus plicatus ‘Trymming’
There are quite a few snowdrops with this interesting shape and strong green markings. Based on my Ebay watching, I’d say they’re pretty popular. I think it looks like a tricorn hat but many describe them as having a shape like a pagoda.
Galanthus plicatus ‘Diggory’
This is a very popular snowdrop as there aren’t many that look like it. This picture doesn’t really show it off as one of the outers is a bit tucked under but hopefully you can see the beautiful shape of the outer – like a billowing sail. This, together with the puckered texture make it a must have for many collectors.
Its name is also an attraction to me. You can forget Angel Clare and Gabriel Oak, my favourite Thomas Hardy character is the reddleman, Diggory Venn. He’s the understated hero of the novel ‘Return of the Native.’
Galanthus ‘Primrose Warburg’
I’ve only got two yellow snowdrops – one called Fiona’s Gold is fending for itself in the wilds of the garden and is only just emerging. Meanwhile pretty Primrose is faring a little better.
This seasonal diary is part of a weekly link-up of garden bloggers from around the world, called Six on Saturday. For more information and links to other blogs crammed with gardening activity, check the blog of host The Propagator.
Wow. What a selection of snow drops. Trymming is very pretty and I’m looking forward to seeing ‘Anglesey Orange Tip’ when it opens.
Hi Graeme – nice to hear you like Trymming. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to share the orange tip open next week…
Beautiful snowdrop, Katherine! Don’t they bring such pleasure at this time of the year! I have never gone to E-bay either simply to view nor to buy. It represents, to me, the crazier side of the snowdrop world, a place of hype and commercialism. I feel it such a pity that this craze of snowdrops infects newcomers so much that they part with nonsensical amounts of money for what is being touted as the latest and greatest introduction yet might not have the long-established and valued varieties growing at all – ‘S. Arnott’, ‘Magnet’, ‘Atkinsii’, ‘Galatea’, the Greatorex doubles etc etc. The reason is simple in a way – those who market and sell snowdrops know that a single sale of the most recently introduced variety will bring a huge profit because of the inflated price they may charge while the likes of ‘S. Arnott’ will bring little profit for the same work. Thankfully, there is also the good side of the snowdrop world, that where the gifting and exchanging of bulbs goes on without a thought to price.
Your comment above, “A lot of snowdrops do look the same but this one jumped out at me.” is surely the best guide to what you should buy – the ones that jump out at you! I attend a snowdrop guided walk in Altamont Gardens each year and invariably the people attending will all gasp with admiration when they see a spread of G. ‘Helen Thomlinson’. It is a fine big snowdrop, a big, well-held flower and the most striking silvery foliage. And, it’s cheap and the best value!
‘Diggory’ “reappeared” in the garden here only yesterday after vanishing for a few years! I was thrilled. It’s a beautiful thing. ‘Godfrey Owen’ is simply fabulous!
You’re right Paddy – the ones you list are such fabulous varieties and so garden-worthy. I’m due to plant Helen Tomlinson out in the garden once my potted ones finish flowering. It’s interesting what you say about the snowdrop prices. Watching Ebay I had thought that the people paying the highest prices were proper collectors rather than newbies but who knows? I’ve certainly benefitted from some swaps and gifts too and it’s a lovely thing about the gardening community – just how generous people are.
Superb choice of snowdrops this week in your Six. Here in France there is not much variety… Only one or two available because it’s not common.
In addition, I’d to find a nice place in the garden (or in pots like you would be a better solution). Where I had some, gardeners will soon come to cut down 3 or 4 trees and they will be crushed so I will plant again more again next year.
I had to have some tree work and and pointed out where all the snowdrops were planted and it was a miracle – not a single one was trampled! I wonder why the UK has so many snowdrop collectors. I do know there are lots in Europe though as there’s been disruption to export because of Brexit and fewer nurseries are prepared to ship abroad. Hopefully things will open up again at some point.
Beautiful snowdrops. I wouldn’t pay that much, we laugh at the ridiculous prices paid for tulip bulbs in the 18th, or was it the 19th, century in Holland, this seems as strange to me.
Hi Granny, this is a major hobby for some people and even a cottage industry for some. A snowdrop collector told me that some collectors sell spares of some of their bulbs to raise money for new ones and some will take a rarer bulb and propagate it for sale in a couple of years time. I’m not in that league!
Thank you for your snowdrop entry this week. I love collecting snowdrops, but never manage to keep track of their names. Lovely photos as well.
Yes the labelling is vital but very difficult in the garden where the labels definitely wander…
Nice! I have been thinking about getting a Diggory for a while now, resistance might be futile.
Gill, we all need a Diggory in our lives…
Wow, 635 pounds, must have been the Van Gogh of snowdrops! It’s nice to have an obsession. And I like your son’s imaginative naming: Jar Jar Binks!
Hi Sel, it does seem allot of money for one bulb but I sort of understand how real enthusiasts might get carried away. I’m watching another auction now – a snowdrop I saw and loved two years ago. It’s already up to £221 with a few hours to go…
I know that I’m going to cave in and buy some different varieties one day. It will start with the more common ones and go down (or up) hill from there!