Snowdrop signals first hint of spring
Snowdrop signals first hint of spring
Snowdrops have long been loved by
gardeners but as Michael Edwards
discovered, this year they are
decidedly fashionable flowers…
ITS cold, dreary and lifeless in the garden at this time of year. The borders are bare and the rockery is, well, just that – rocks and little else… unless you are a galanthafile – passionate about snowdrops. Their pearl-like blooms are the latest garden fashion and apparently, its just not cool to be without snowdrops.
"Their popularity has increased tremendously over the past 10 years," says Daphne Chapel who runs a snowdrop group for The Cottage Garden Society. "Keen gardeners like to have something in flower throughout the year and snowdrops are just the thing to lift the spirit in the cold, dark days of late winter."
It seems miraculous that such a tiny, and apparently tender little plant can brave the worst winter weather. The first light at the end of winter invariably comes from the shining white bells of snowdrops. They flaunt their flowers consistently in spite of whatever the climate forces on them and if ever a flower had courage, then it is the snowdrop. The ground may be frozen, but its seemingly fragile stems and leaves stand in defiance to Jack Frost.
Many farm gardens will nurture a few clumps of G nivalis the commonest, self-naturalising type. But it comes of something of a shock to discover that there are well over 500 varieties of galanthus as they are properly known. They are good for open gardens. Ideally, they do best in a fairly rich, free-draining soil, in partial shade.
They will thrive along the edges of borders and among deciduous shrubs and herbaceous plants, though heavy shade should be avoided.
Snowdrops will benefit from being divided every three or four years, thus increasing the effect if growing in a woodland edge or orchard situation, where they can look extremely attractive.
Some growers divide their clumps (into 6-12 bulbs) the moment they come into flower. It doesnt do plants any harm and they quickly settle down and open their flowers as though nothing had happened.
Snowdrops are ideal for modern gardens, too, and being self-naturalising will soon increase in size over the years, generally by 2.5cm (1in) a year from seed. Although snowdrops come from a bulb, they are best bought "in the green" and planted between January and March even when in flower.
They look especially attractive in a woodland setting as large drifts undulating between tree trunks, rising from a russet carpet of fallen leaves. Planting "in the green" here would be very expensive so the alternative is to sow fresh, ripe seed as soon as the pods turn gold.
Not so fragile
flowers: Galanthus Trotters Merlin (main picture) is one of over 500 varieties of snowdrop.
Left: Galanthus Caucasicus.
Below: Galanthus Wonston Double.