The past week the frost has disappeared and we have had quite a bit of sun. The prediction for the coming days is partly quite high temperatures. The Snowdrops often lie down with the big frost and then quickly rise again as soon as the weather becomes less cold. The Snowdrops are generally doing well at the moment, although they are slowly starting to blossom. Coming weekend they will still be in full bloom and probably also the rest of the week.

This week we will pay some attention to the fanatical Snowdrop fans, the Galanthophiles, who like to see / own as many different types of Snowdrops as possible. The Winter Aconites are clearly past their optimum, partly fully blossomed, partly over their peak.

At Hackfort they prepare for the opening of the forecourt of the castle next Sunday, where the Dutch crocus has spread over the whole area. The development of the flowers there is a bit ahead of the development in Friesland where the highlight of the bloom of the crocuses is certainly not there yet.

The Dutch crocus is still at the beginning of the development. Hackfort describes the situation at this moment in this way: The ‘party’ is about to start, the white of the snowdrops is now increasingly being pushed aside by the purple-white of the crocuses. From winter atmosphere and color to exuberant spring. The first bees have visited the crocuses.

Pastorietuin Easterein describes the situation as follows:

The late and heavy frost has left its mark in the  Garden. The bloom of the crocuses is much less exuberant than in other years. Normally, the flowering of the Snowdrops and the Tommasini’s crocus gives way to the bloom of the Dutch crocus, but this year the Snowdrops and Tommasini’s crocus have flowered earlier, the Dutch crocus and the Snowflakes are only limited just starting, and they seem to flourish much less this year.  The ‘Open garden weekend’ next Saturday and Sunday will therefore be canceled.

The Snowflakes are expected to reach their peak this week. There are at least two different varieties of this species in the wild. The Leucojum vernum var. vernum, the ‘ordinary’ Snowflake, usually has only one flower per stem, although two flowers on a stem also occur. At the bottom of the petals there are small green spots. It is a beautiful flower that is larger than the flower of the snowdrop and the plant has the peak of the bloom a bit later than the Snowdrop. These plants have a nice smell. In Germany the plant is found in forests in several places in the wild. Usually in places with limestone in the subsoil (Karst area). The plant  prefers soils with sufficient soil moisture. In Slovenia the Snowflakes grow in very humid places, while the Snowdrops are dominant in the somewhat drier, but still moist places.

In the past a variety of the Snowflake, the vagneri, was distinguished, which is somewhat larger than the ‘ordinary’ Snowflake. These plants have two and sometimes three flowers per stem with green spots. Nowadays, this species is no longer distinguished separately. The Snowflakes at Philppusfenne have two and sometimes three flowers per stem and green spots on the flowers. It  would still makes sense to describe this variety with vagneri.

The variety carpathicum of the Snowflake can be found in the Carpathian mountains in Hungary. This variety has yellow spots on the flowers instead of green ones. The dots of this species are in some years instead of pale yellow, pale green. This species often has two flowers on a stem. At the Pastorietuin Easterein 70% of the stems have one flower per stem and 30% two flowers. The spots are clearly a bit yellower than those of Philippusfenne. At Stinze Stiens there are several beautiful groups of Snowflakes, all with one flower per stem. Clumps close together differ in the colour of the spots, the one a bit yellower and the other a bit greener. Recently we have planted a few bulbs we bought and these plants have two flowers on a stem and resemble the variety carpathicum.

Flowering: start full peak decreasing
Present: here and there regular massive

Stinzenflora-monitor Calendar 2018 week 10. Scroll horizontally to view all plants. Learn more about a terrain or stinzenplant? Click on the name in the table.

Events *:

The participants in the Stinzenflora-monitor organize various activities during the Stinzenflora season.
The events that are now known are listed below.
‘Open gardens’ with private garden owners are often mentioned shortly before in this calendar and on the websites of the participants. Opening up depends on the flowering of the Stinzenplants and the weather.
For possibilities of (group) visits you can contact the relevant participant.

Data: see ESTATES

For your agenda *:

Events March:

Pastorietuin Easterein. The open garden weekend 10-11 March is cancelled. The heavy frost has left its mark in the Pastorie Garden. A very exuberant bloom of the crocuses is much less than other years.
Normally, the flowering of the Snowdrops and the Tomasini’s Crocus is followed by the Dutch Crocus, but this year the Snowdrops and Tomasini’s Crocus have blossomed earlier and just a few of the Dutch Crocus and Snowflakes are in bloom, and on top of that they appear to flower much less rich this year. The opening garden weekend next Saturday and Sunday will therefore be canceled.

Hackfort Vorden. Sunday 11 March from 11.00 am – 4.00 pm Hackfort opens up the front yard of the castle. A tapestry of Dutch crocuses are a feast for the eye.   https://www.facebook.com/events/558332484528468/

Events April:

Dekema State Jelsum. Museum weekend 14 and 15 April. Spring Fair 28 April: with a Stinzenplants search map you make a tour during these events. For prices, opening times and activities see the website. www.dekemastate.nl

Martenastate Koarnjum. Freely accessible. (www.martenastate.nl) Activities in the context of Leeuwarden-Fryslân 2018: Grien Festival, start Easter Monday 2 April, will last until 15 April. And further: excursions and courses Nature Photography Stinzenflora. For dates, prices and registration see the website http://www.martenastate.nl and It Fryske Gea. http://www.itfryskegea.nl/eropuit

Schierstins Feanwâlden. Museum weekend 14 en 15 April. Tours in the garden and the building. For prices, opening times and activities see the website. www.schierstins.nl 

Stinze Stiens, Martenastate (Koarnjum), Dekema State (Jelsum).  7 April 2018 ‘StinzenFloraTour’ with the Frisian horse-drawn tram in a fully arranged experience package.
Program:
A warm welcome with coffee and ‘Frisian orange cake’ at Pakhûs SOLO in Stiens. Here begins the StinzenFloraTour with a ‘chat’ about the cultural-historical background of the Stinzenplants and information about the garden at the Doctors house designed by the 19th century garden architect Gerrit Vlaskamp, followed by a walk through the garden. The journey continues with the horse tram to the Martenastate estate in Koarnjum where a walk through the park,  richly filled with Stinzenflora, with an expert guide. At the Túnmanswente a Frysian lunch is ready. At Dekema State in Jelsum, a centuries-old ‘State’ with beautiful garden and forest, the garden manager will be the tour guide. Tea/coffee at the tea house in the end. The horse-drawn tram will take you back to the starting location in Stiens in the afternoon. Costs all included: € 49.50 per person.

Reservations are necessary and can be done up to April 4 via https://stinze-stiens.nl/agenda/

Announcements:

Tourist brochure ‘Stinzenflora in Friesland’: For everyone who wants to go out in the spring, a new handy brochure ‘Stinzenflora in Friesland’ is also available at the tourist centers and affiliated organizations (VVV’s and TIP’s). It was developed in cooperation of the participants in the Stinzenflora-monitor and the tourist organizations Uytland / Destination Noardwest and the regions De Greidhoeke and Noardlike Fryske Wâlden. The folder provides information in Dutch and English and shows which locations are real thriving hotspots in Friesland.

App Stinzenflora (only for Android): The organization Nature2U has independently developed an app (only for Android) with information about Stinzenflora. In this Stinzenflora app all Dutch Stinzenplants and companions are described with country of origin and details. The app is composed with Stinzenplant specialist Heilien Tonckens and nature photographer Wil Leurs, supplemented with some photos of waarneming.nl . The plants are easy to find with flower color and shape or for florists by family classifying. In addition, there are also overviews of the Stinzenflora of the Vecht region and Friesland.
More information via www.nature2U.nl

The Pastorietuin ‘De Weem’ in Warffum (Groningen) wrote a ‘blog’ on this website last year in the MANAGEMENT section. De Weem reports us: Snowdrops open garden: 10-11 March 12.00 – 5.00 pm., Free access. Address: Grietha and Mijnard Scheers, Pastorieweg 24, 9989 BM Warffum (province of Groningen). g.e.scheers@hetnet.nl. (+31 0595 42 23 63)

For centuries, many varieties of Stinzenplants have been growing in this garden of 7,000 square meters: Winter akonite, Snowdrop, Bulbous Corydalis, Bird in a Bush, Squills, various types of Lords-and-Ladies, Salomon’s seal, Wild tulip and Star-of-Bethlehem. Due to the massive growth of the Stinzenplants, only the shell paths are used.

* Subject to change. Always consult the websites of the participants for the latest information.

 

• Volgende: Stinzenflora-monitor 2018: Calendar week 11
• Vorige: Stinzenflora-monitor 2018: Calendar week 9