We are now past the peak of the snowdrop season. Most of the earlier specials have finished flowering, but they are now joined with the ones that flower a little later. Also joining in are the wild singles and doubles which are spreading beautifully all by themselves. For those who don’t share my enthusiasm for snowdrops, just click the delete button!
Galanthus Sentinel.
G. Galadriel.
G. Blonde Inge kindly sent to me by Anna of Green Tapestry blog.
G. Alison Hilary, this one has suddenly multiplied ever so well.
G. Viridapice, this unfortunately doesn’t look happy where I have it, maybe it ought to be moved to somewhere better. This was the first one I had with green on the outer petals.
Dainty G. St. Anne’s showing her inner markings in the warmer weather.
I’ve never seen G. Diggory showing its inner markings so well before. The seersucker texture of the petals shows up well in the sunlight.
This was supposed to be a photo of yellow Spindlestone Surprise, but Trumps has muscled in at the front!
Sally Pasmore needs a bit of TLC I think, she hasn’t increased in 10 yrs.
Deer Slot, looking like a perfect hoofprint of a deer.
Wasp with Iris reticulata in the woodland.
G. Wareham which is a late flowering snowdrop, just opening now.
G. Green Man, this was new last year so I’m hoping that it will be happy in the woodland.
Wendy’s Gold is showing that she is happy again by putting up 2 flower stalks from nearly every bulb, good old Wendy!
G. George Elwes isn’t increasing as much as I would like, so I think another to be moved to the woodland.
I’ll finish with a few general views of the snowdrop borders.
Wild singles.
Mainly wild doubles.
By the archway into the woodland.
G. woronowii spreading in front with wild singles at the back.
A wilding has seeded itself amongst the carpet of cyclamen hederifolium.
Snowdrop Hill, improving all the time as more flowers open.
Now that the wild singles and doubles have joined in, we can see sheets of white from the house, which tempt me out to have my daily fix on my wander round the more shady half the garden. There are still some late flowering snowdrops who have yet to put in an appearance, but by the time they flower, lots of other woodland bulbs will be joining in and they tend to get forgotten. Snowdrops certainly keep the gardeners interest going from Christmas or even earlier, until the rest of the spring bulbs take over. I certainly wouldn’t be without them as they flower when nothing else is and they tempt me out into the garden in the cold and wet when nothing else would.
I would think this will be my last Snowdrop post of the year, only 9 months to wait until it all starts over again. But already my eyes are turning to the snakeshead fritillary foliage which is growing day by day, buds are already forming, so it won’t be long before my posts are all about these beautiful flowers!
Hi Pauline, I love this post – your affection and pride in these little plants shines through! I’ve got a few and I’m quite fond of them, although I wouldn’t know what kind of Galanthus they are, but I think they do need to be in sheets covering a reasonably sized area like you have them, to be really appreciated.
Thank you Catmint, I’m so glad you liked the snowdrops! It doesn’t take long to form sheets of snowdrops, by splitting them when they finish flowering, each large clump will make approx. 20 small ones! It’s back breaking, but worth it.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/feb/22/snowdrops-something-at-last-to-cheer-about – here’s another piece on snowdrops that I think you’ll like.
Thank you so much for this link, I really enjoyed reading it. Snowdrops in the wild seem to manage to increase without any help from us!
A great collection of snowdrops. You’ve clearly got the bug. “Sally Pasmore” has stayed pretty much a solitary bloomer in our garden. Sometimes a move is required. You, of course, have more room to spread than I have. “Wendy’s Gold” is a good spreader and the equal of many very expensive yellows. “Blonde Inge” was nobbled by narcissus fly I believe, along with a couple of lovely varieties in a big pot. It makes you think about parting with large sums. A great read, by the way.
I’m afraid there is no hope for me Ian, the bug got me many years ago! I try not to spend very much on my new bulbs, but occasionally get carried away for a special one. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Mmm. Last year I had “Elizabeth Harrison” flowering wonderfully, this year no sign. She was my most expensive snowdrop ever. There is no reason whatsoever for the loss. The snowdrop was in a pot full of varieties that have done well this year. I have not as yet sold snowdrops on eBay. Now I feel that should I replace it I’ll have to salve my conscience by selling surplus bulbs. It puts things into perspective when I see sales for absurd figures. Luckily my purchase was not anywhere near the height of the market, but still ….
It is so annoying and frustrating Ian when snowdrops fail to show. When I first started adding to my wild ones, I had a few losses but not any more for some time, thank goodness. Like you, I have never sold any on eBay, I’m too busy splitting them to make larger clumps!
What a lovely selection you have Pauline and such good photos showing off their differences. And, as you say Pauline, snowdrops really do form an important part of the gardening year. Here my first ones are just starting to flower mainly because they face south and grow adjacent to the house wall so get a little protection. I think I’ll have to extend my little collection to tempt me out of the house!
Glad you like them Denise and that you appreciate all the differences! They certainly do form a big part of the year, just as much as the summer flowers for those of us who don’t have months of snow. Your snowdrops should soon increase and then you will be able to plant some further away from the house, to tempt you out to admire them!
Wonderful snowdrops! In Germany in my garden the season is beginning, not over. You can be very lucky about this.
How old is the place with Wendys Gold?
Sigrun
Thank you Sigrun, how wonderful that yours are starting as mine are finishing, you have all that pleasure to come!
Wendy’s Gold is on a little slope at the end of our small bit of woodland. The trees around the snowdrops must be at least 200 or even300 years old, going by the size of their trunks, but it has only been a garden for 30 years when the house was built.
Loved reading this, Pauline, and reading how your different snowdrops are faring. I have noticed fritillary foliage here, but no buds yet…
Thanks Cathy, glad you enjoyed it. We have lots of buds on the snakeshead fritillarys now so I’ve put rusty pheasant in place hoping he will do his guard duty when Mr P comes strutting through!
Even though I’m not passionate about the snowdrops i do enjoy seeing all your specials Pauline, you have an amazing collection.
My collection is small compared to a lot of people Christina and I’m rapidly running out of space in the woodland! I think we all have our own passions where plants are concerned and long may it continue.
Oh I read your post and gazed on your photos with much enthusiasm Pauline. I’m so glad to see that ‘Blonde Inge’ is thriving is with you – she has clumped up well here. I wonder why your ‘Sally Passmore’ is sulking. It’s intriguing how some snowdrops stutter and others spread quickly.
So glad you enjoyed it Anna, “Blonde Inge” had 4 flowers so I think she is happy where I’ve put her. Poor Sally Pasmore was planted right at the start of my snowdrop collecting and probably didn’t have the soil improved like later ones did, she deserves better!
I am a snowdrop fan so loved seeing your selection. I am in love with all the yellow ones. You can’t beat a carpet of snowdrops in the winter! Lovely.xxx
Glad you like them all Dina, so much has been happening in the garden while you’ve been away! The yellow ones are certainly different and I’ll be splitting my wild ones soon, trying to make that “carpet of snowdrops” under the deciduous shrubs.