There’s an American snowdrop event coming up, and I just assumed everyone knew about it simply because I knew about it. Funny how narrowly a person’s brain can work, and I’m sure it means something related to a spectrum or some other analyze-able thing, but of course I’m getting distracted again. What I want to say is David Culp’s snowdrop Gala is happening this weekend and I want you to know, and this year it’s not a matter of me throwing it in the faces of those too far away, it’s me letting you know that this year it will be available to anyone with access to Zoom (via internet or phone I suppose), and who has purchased their admission ticket (for information and $29 tickets click here). It’s not ideal of course. I’d rather be there in person, browsing and meeting, and hemming and hawing about just one more plant purchase, but at least it’s happening. Also it’s happening in a way that people across the world can join up with and participate in, and I think that’s something excellent in itself. Not everyone has the luxury of living in the midst of a plethora of snowdrop lovers.
The event runs Friday to Saturday with a string of speakers, mixed with Q&A segments, vendors, and a live auction. It should fill everyone’s snowdrop tank for the season 🙂
Of course my snowdrop tank doesn’t need filling. All the galanthus-love this weekend will surely just make it overflow with galanthus joy, and that’s fine with me! Yesterday the warm weather had me slogging through mud puddles and poking through snow piles looking for spring, and although I didn’t find it I did find some hopeful signs. Really hopeful, and between that and the strong sunshine and the turning of the calendar to March I’m inches away from quitting my job and becoming a full time poker around the garden.
Every hour meant more snow melt and a few more inches of open ground. Spring is just aching to grow! *please disregard the yet to be tidied mess*
Full time garden poker does not come with benefits, so I did indeed go to work this morning, but even with the thermometer at an icy 16F(-9C) as I pulled out of the driveway, the thought still sat in the back of my mind.
Here in the foundation beds along the front of the house, the snow had melted one day prior and the snowdrops had already been able to stretch out a bit.
My latest check of the weather shows beautiful sunshine and no temperatures too disgusting to worry about. I’m sure by the weekend I’ll be cleaning out beds and poking away to my heart’s content and I think it’s about time. There will still be melting snow to ignore but once snowdrop season starts I can ignore a lot.
Except for tornadoes and hail. That’s a snowdrop season I don’t ever have to repeat. Enjoy!
sorta like suburbia 
Amazing how fast your snow melted. We’re still working on ours.
Have fun this weekend!
Trust me there’s still plenty of snow. I think we are barely past the halfway mark as far as open ground goes… I just don’t like showing snow on my blog, especially those weeks old, icy lumps, that stick around way past their expiration date!
This week’s warm up should take care of those last patches!
“ just one more plant purchase” — as if. Funniest thing you’ve written in while! But seriously, the weather is finally turning, lounging around inside is about to be over — because the new plants will be piling up.
There’s nothing better than too many plants waiting to be planted 🙂 It seems like such a disaster when they’re all sitting there asking for water and space for their roots, but after a few weeks or months, and sometimes years, you suddenly look back and say wow, what a mess I’ve made… No wait, that’s me.
I can’t wait for this indoors thing to be over. I think we are going above freezing today, and if it’s sunny I’m throwing caution to the wind and cleaning up a few snow-free patches!
Hmph. We got more snow as the cold front moved in. Two steps forward, one step backward around here. And four more days of lows in the teens. But at the very end of the 10-day forecast, three days with highs in the 50s and even one night where the low stays above freezing! I can hardly wait!
I was hoping for a little above freezing weather this weekend, but I’m still waiting as I’m sure you are. Those highs in the 50’s are still there and Thursday changed into a 66F for down here in the tropics. There is hope!
Hmph here also. Very cold. Not even the dog wants to go outside. Question on the virtual gala: do you know how the vendor sale will work? I looked at David Culp’s event description but it didn’t say anything about it.
P.S. the tulip bulbs you mailed me with the many daffs are blooming now. Thank you so much. They are lovely, and we appreciate them indoors even more than the squirrels would, I’m sure.
Sorry, I hope by now you found out more about the vendor lists. I think it’s open to everyone and posted on the Gala facebook page. I just have to say I was very good, the lists are tempting, but I can always click away… unlike the dilemma of standing in front of a packed table holding a sweaty fistful of plant money and thinking if you should pull out the credit card 🙂
I only just now made the connection for the tulips you posted. They look awesome! Excellent job and perfect for the first week of March 🙂
Yes, I did. Sorry for putting that on you. Thanks!
I admire your enthusiasm and optimism! It never ceases to amaze me that plants are so resilient after they have been covered with snow for so long, I hope your snow soon goes and you can get into the swing of gardening once more.
If happy thoughts could melt snow things would be much better, but it will come. I can at least walk around again in search of sprouts… even if it’s still only half the garden that’s uncovered… but later in the week looks extremely promising!
I’m going to give it a skip! Distance and timing, poor internet connection, would be a bother and it is a little expensive. I’ve joined David Culp on a few Zoom talks….
You have quite a few more options in your neck of the woods, plus with a garden in need of mowing it does take a full day away!
Here my only other option is raking the snow and tending the first snowdrop patches which have finally escaped the snow cover. That’s the plan for today if it goes above freezing, which should happen by noon if we’re lucky.
And then in a week or two it will be too hot for snowdrops and we’ll be planting beans… or not… our season does seem to go extremely fast once it gets moving.
Not a lot of options here at present, to be honest, with Covid travel restrictions. There has, up to this year, been an annual snowdrop gala here in Ireland, based about an hour’s drive from home but I have never attended! It was delivered via Zoom this year – two talks – and I watched those.
And, I might add that I have joined David Culp on a number of his Zoom talks – I enjoyed his two book and was curious to get more of an insight into the man and the garden. I was taken aback/surprised at his Anglophilia and almost boasting that he was inspired by/copying the English garden style. I thought – “have you no style of your own?” Also, and I’m not sure whether this is a cultural or personal bias but seeing somebody presenting a gardening talk with a glass of whiskey not only in hand but flaunted jarred with me. Perhaps, I’m just getting old!
Sounds like you will have a pleasant weekend. You will have fun seeing and hearing about your great passion and it will be inspiration. Enjoy!
Thanks! It was fun, but nothing like the in person version. With Zoom I felt too much like a spectator rather than being in the midst of it all.
Hopefully next year!
Enjoy the snowdrop event and your own snowdrops Frank. The snow has gone here after a very rapid warm up, but winter is hanging on with icy nights. My garden surprises me constantly with early flowers and buds already appearing, and I am sure you will catch us up within a couple of weeks!
Let’s just hope it doesn’t all rush past once it gets going. I try and savor every minute of the first signs of life each spring, but then when you get caught up in the rush it always seems to fly by so quickly!
Lucky you to actually see green and snowdrops. No sign of them here yet but I am hopeful. I am already signed up for a local garden event this weekend which will help my budget. But I will anxiously await information on your purchases.
Not to cause budget troubles…. but the Galanthus Gala facebook page has links to the vendor lists and they’re open to everyone 🙂
I was relatively good, but others not so much. Let me know if you need the links!
… actually I just tried to find the links and it was quite a hassle. Check this one out *at your own risk of course*
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cPBOwajMbcvwgrEPPe7dTLstfXF2mL4j?usp=sharing
Oh and here’s another snowdrop list. prices are in the comments for the picture, bulbs will be sent dormant this summer.
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOPh-CaRLAxHU9bxazn_wXgdTbWhz2OvqoWkH1pkZkfFCrqt3GsU5R1badNVA1p_g?key=NVVfRS03Vm1DcHc1a0JNb0tYc2xfRUlxeUhrVmZ3
Ooh! Sounds so cold! The snowdrops are beautifully exciting. Enjoy your garden whenever you can.
Oh gosh, yesterday it didn’t just sound cold, it was cold! We haven’t gone above freezing since Friday and that was just barely. Fortunately the sun is awesome, and if the wind is absent it’s glorious to be out again 🙂
As always your energy and optimism are infectious, Frank, enjoy the event and the gardening weekend. Weather is gorgeous here too 🙂
Thanks 🙂 We dipped back down, but the end of the week looks promising again. It will be a burst of spring and I hope I’m ready!
You will be!!!