Even when I was little I delighted in the “Fairy Ring” of snowdrops under the Crimson Bramley apple tree in Grandpa’s garden. There was something magical about them. When we lived in Kilternan our garden boasted only the common and common double snowdrops. One day when I visited the Kilternan Saturday market I spied a sturdy looking snowdrop in a pot and paid the seller the princely sum of 2 Euro. When he passed the pot to me he kept a firm hold on it while singing its praises and explaining how to look after it. It almost became and tug of war. I assured him I would take good care of it. I had just acquired my first named variety “Sam Arnott”. Of course it did not need cosseting. It is as tough as old boots and very reliable.
When we moved to the midlands we got to know the Lambs of Clara. Keith appeared before Christmas with a little snowdrop in his buttonhole. It was “Castlegar”. He explained how he and some friends had come across it in an old garden in the west of Ireland. He named it for the House it came from. It is of interest mainly because it is early. The first January we knew him, Keith brought me a “starter pack” of three different snowdrop bulbs, “Scharlockii” with its distinctive donkeys ears (a split spath), “Hill Poe” a lovely double named for Rev. Hill Poe in Tipperary and Icariae which has bright green leaves. The three were so distinctive that even I could not mix them up. Little did we know it but that was the start of my growing obsession with snowdrops. Each year Keith added to my little collection, “byzantinus”, which he had collected at Brittas House in the Slieve Blooms, “gracilis” which has twisted leaves and easy to identify.
At some point in the early 1990’s the Lambs introduced us to Corona North of Altamont. We became great friends with her and stayed at Altamont several times. Every January she used to phone me and say “the snowdrops are up, come to lunch”. We loved those snowdrop lunches wandering around her garden admiring her snowdrop collection. We always bought two or three snowdrops from her garden centre. She was keen that I should collect Irish snowdrops. From her I got “Brenda Troyle” and “Cool Ballintaggart” which may be identical to “Straffen” but the jury is out on that. She had one snowdrop that I really wanted “Green Lantern” but it was out of my price range. Also a very tall one called “Skyward” but it never seems to be available to buy. Three weeks before she died she rang me with the usual clarion call of “the snowdrops are up, come to lunch”. We knew she was ill and I had the flu so we postponed our visit. By the time I was better, she had died.
I swapped three snowdrops with the nurseryman Jan Ravensberg. I gave him “Lady Beatrix Stanley”, “Ophelia” and “Bill Bishop”. He gave me generous clumps of “Cecily Hall”, “Merlin” and a beautifully proportioned elwesii that he had been given by Keith Lamb. It has been hard to get a definitive i.d. but at the moment I am calling it “Helen Tomlinson? ”
When Angela Jupe started renovating Belfield in Shinrone we visited her on several occasions (I had been at U.C.D. with her) We attended her plant sales and especially enjoyed her snowdrop lunches. She was a great hostess and always made us feel very welcome. She had some excellent speakers, like Assumpta Bloomfield and Mary O’Brien. They gave a talk entitled “Frilly Knickers” about some of the more interesting double snowdrops. At Angela’s one day I first saw “Lowick” that most delectable yellow snowdrop. From then on I tried to collect as many yellow snowdrops as I could find or afford.
I remember one of the plant sales I went to at Angela’s. I bought a snowdrop called “Limetree” but over the years I realized the labelling was incorrect and now I have labelled it “maybe Magnet”? Incorrect labelling has been the bane of my snowdrop collecting life. By this stage I can probably recognize an impostor quickly but I would beg plant buyers not to replace labels in different pots. I am sure it is mostly by mistake but it drives me potty. Having said that, last year I bought a snowdrop at Belfield and when I got home realized it was not as labelled. In fact it was a much more exciting snowdrop called “Flacon de Neige”. So that was a happy accident.
In the spring before she died Angela showed us a huge snowdrop that someone had given her. She was on her way to England to consult Matt Bishop to get it identified. It had green markings on the outer perianth segments. I suggested she should name it Green Giant. That was the last time we saw her.
I am on my way to having 200 named varieties in my collection and am thankful to all of those snowdrop Guru’s who have helped and encouraged me. Articles on Irish snowdrops by Paddy Tobin filled in many gaps. Friends often cut out newspaper articles for me about snowdrops too. My snowdrop season extends from end of November to end of March.
My favourite snowdrop has to be Mrs. McNamara. It is early (late November). It is reliable and very attractive. It was named for the mother in law of Dylan Thomas, my favoured poet.
Happy snowdropping.
Alison Badrian
RHSI,
Laurelmere Cottage,
Marlay Park,
Grange Road,
Rathfarnham,
Dubin 16,
D16 H9T4,
Ireland.
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