The sunshine today has been amazing. Sitting in the conservatory after lunch, I was getting too hot, no heating, just the sunshine coming through the glass. I went for a wander round the woodland to cool off! Thank goodness the icy wind that we have had for so long has stopped, and all the snowdrops have opened up and are dancing in the gentle breeze.
First outside the back door is G. Acton Piggot no 3 where the inside petals are nearly all green. This was new last year and is doing well so far.
Next to it and also new last year was G Trumps, I think 2 flowers is ok for just one year, I hope it continues to increase like this.
Just into the woodland is G Excelsis showing the almost all green inner markings.
G. Angelique enjoys its spot near the alpine scree. The markings are sometimes two dots or a very thin bridge between them.
Galanthus Elwesii is showing its lovely variable markings with a faint green mark on the outer petals as well as the striking inner petals.
Galanthus gracillis, the one with the twisty grey leaves, is enjoying the sunshine and has a fly for company , top right. While in the woodland I could hear plenty of buzzing as the bees were making merry with all the open flowers.
Galanthus Merlin has opened just enough to have a peek at its all green inner petals. This one is an old variety, but still I think one of the best, along with the next two.
Almost flying away, the outer petals of G. Atkinsii look like little propellers.
G. Magnet has the same fly away look, crouching down to take the photo, I realised just how warm it was in that spot.
The sunshine had also persuaded little Crocus tommasinianus to open up. More are opening each day and look lovely dotted through the snowdrops.
G. Mrs Thompson was another that was new last year. When she is happy, apparently she will have 4 or 6 outer petals, obviously she isn’t happy enough yet!
Increasing very well indeed is G. Wasp. The stripes on the inner petals are supposed to look like the markings of a wasp and when they dance in the breeze, with a bit of imagination, yes they do!
With a touch of green on the extra long outer petals, G Modern Art is also increasing well.
The sunshine today has been wonderful after so many weeks of an ice cold wind. The forecast for the week is that it should be warmer during the day but with frost still at night, I think that will appeal to me and my little flowers.
I hope you have all been able to have a sunny Sunday too!
Hi Pauline,
Lovely snow drops, I really will get myself some ‘wasp’ some time. I think I’d love to see love of them dancing in the breeze. Our snowdrops have opened today too, even though the snow hasn’t quite fully melted off the grass yet.
I also spotted ‘flore pleno’. I have no idea when it popped up, but I swear it wasn’t there only a few days ago! Not sure where the others are, but I do hope they show up eventually.
I hope your snow soon goes Liz and that you have a few days of sunshine like us, it makes such a difference to me and the flowers! G. Wasp is multiplying really well so I would certainly recommend it if you can find it. I have a few G. Flora Pleno popping up where I know I haven’t planted them, coming up as a single bulb so they must be seeding about, therefore they must be happy ! I hope yours put in an appearance soon!
I’m carefully noting every one of your comments and names Pauline. I’m off to the early bulb show in a couple of weeks – good to have some of your recommendations that might help me make up my mind on what to buy.
Glad to read you had a lovely sunny day – about time, eh?
I envy you your visit soon to a bulb show,I know I would spend far too much, I would just have to take a certain amount of cash and no more! I hope my descriptions help you with your choice of snowdrops.
We are really enjoying the sunshine, along with the flowers, the bees are out too which is nice to hear, I hope it lasts for a while.
Lovely to see all of these Pauline – you have several that I haven’t! We too have had a sunny day, our solar panels generating more energy than any other day so far this year, and I inspected my ‘drops hoping that more would be opening up fully, but even though it was sunny temps were only about 4 or 5 and they were in the shade by then anyway. Hey ho! No sign of any crocus yet, so it was good to see yours.
The sunshine is wonderful isn’t it Cathy, becoming quite warm too when I’m out of the wind, so I’m sure your crocus will be showing themselves soon. I’ve just visited the woodland and the outer petals on the snowdrops are really fly-away in the sunshine.
Thanks for the Sunday snowdrop tour Pauline – some familiar faces there and one or two that I would like to welcome to my garden at some point in the future. It seems to have been sunny almost everywhere today except here in the north west. I woke up to fog which did not clear until late morning, which was then followed by dreary, cold greyness for the remainder of the day. All in all though despite being colder it’s been a more pleasant winter than last year.
I’m sure your garden Anna, would be just the place for some little snowdrops, peeping out from under your shrubs! I’m so sorry the sunshine missed your corner of the country, maybe it will get to you soon, I hope so.
February was so awful for lots of people last year, I’m sure no-one wants another winter like that for a long time. Hope your weather picks up soon.
Heavenly!!! I can just imagine how the crocus look amongst all those sweet little snowdrops….I never think about them seeding themselves about, there’s hope for my little clump then. Wonderful that you got to sit in the greenhouse and actually felt too hot, I have forgotten what that feels like! xxx
The crocus do look so pretty with the snowdrops but it has to be a bit warmer for them to open properly, even the sunshine today only has them partly open. A couple of times I have had to shed my coat while working in the sun, I haven’t had to do that for a long time!
Great minds think alike Pauline. I have been writing about snowdrops today. You have some beauties. I love Wasp and Angelique. And you have Trumps! Wonderful! I have a young twinscaled one from a friend which should bloom next year. I think it is a gorgeous.
We have had a lovely day today, what a joy to be able to get on outside.
The sun makes all the difference doesn’t it Chloris, the flowers open up and I walk around with a silly smile on my face! I must work my way through all the messages that are waiting for me so that I can read about your snowdrops.
What a joy to see them all thriving in the woodland. One day my wood will look like this! It has been a gorgeous day. I felt very guilty sloping off to the coast when I should have been gardening. Hey ho.
We can’t garden all day, every day, Jessica, I’m sure you had a wonderful day at the coast, it was just the weather for it.
I look forward to seeing your wood with it’s white carpet!
I have just seen Chloris’s post on snowdrops too and think I might have become a galanthophile if I had made my garden in England instead of here! Your snowdrops are all lovely and the thought of bees flying around already is heart-warming!
Yes Cathy, the bees are certainly enjoying the sunshine, just like I am! I too think that you would be hunting new snowdrops if you lived here, they are addictive!
Your garden is humming with new life. So many of your images remind me of beautiful little flying bugs, like angel bees! It must be so much fun examining each one and noting their differences.
What a lovely description – angel bees, I like that Debs! I could spend ours looking at them and their differences, especially in the sunshine.
Lovely post. I have just bookmarked yours and Chloris’s posts on these lovely snowdrops. I am trying to resist falling for too many, but I would like just one or two unusual ones for the garden. I really like G. Atkinsii with its little propellers.
Once you start on the downward slope Annette, you are hooked and there is no hope for you! So glad you like the snowdrops and will be trying a few.Some of the old ones are really good snowdrops, increasing easily, and they tend to be a lot cheaper than the newer ones.
I’m so glad you were able to get out in some sunshine yesterday and enjoy the woodland, the snowdrops seem to love it as well!
That’s my favorite kind of spring day, when the sun warms things up and the wind dies down and you suddenly know that winter is on its way out. Your new drops seem to be doing well and I’m looking forward to pictures of the ‘regulars’ 🙂
The weather has certainly brightened up here Frank, we saw on the news yesterday that you are having another very cold spell, I hope it doesn’t last long for you. The snowdrops and crocus are certainly enjoying the sunshine, then of course the bumble bees arrive to enjoy the nectar, it’s lovely hearing them buzzing about.
Seems Sunday was lovely everywhere Pauline it was warm and sunny here too. Thank you for sharing your lovelies, it is great to be able to enjoy your snowdrops when I haven’t managed to grow any.
We are having more sunny days now Christina and it does make such a difference. When I think back to last year, it was this month when we had all the floods with villages cut off, thank goodness this year is much better. More snowdrops open each day, soon the late ones will open to finish the season, then it will all be over for another year!
Great post with wonderful spring spirit in it. I absolutely adore snowdrops dancing in the wind! I could watch them for ever. Currently I have only my indoor blooms to enjoy, though we had a really warm day here today (+8 C’) as well. Snow melted a bit, but not enough for snowdrops.
I hope the snow soon goes for you Tistou, then you can enjoy your snowdrops properly. I don’t think we have been + 8C yet, that must have seemed nice and warm for you!
They really are like friends, coming out, dancing and saying hello. I love the way you talk about them, too, knowing them all by name. Enjoy the sunshine.
I love this time of year Catmint, seeing what has come out each day, there always seems to be something new.