Six on Saturday – a celebration of snowdrops in my garden- 29th February 2020

/ karen

We had beautiful sunny weather for precisely ten minutes today. I ran out, opened the summerhouse doors, took some deep breaths of lovely fresh air. And then it snowed. That was the end of my time in the garden. Me and the cat ran back inside.

I’m sharing six photos of snowdrops, as this is the last day for them here. The snow will finish the snowdrop season in my garden, but it has been a lovely long spell. Snowdrops opened early in the mild temperatures, and they’ve stood up well to the rain, being under flood water several times in the past few weeks.

My favourite snowdrop Galanthus Madeleine has been stunning again this year. I bought it three years ago from Thenford Gardens. I shared a pot of six bulbs with a friend. It’s the most I’ve ever paid for a pot of snowdrops, but it was worth it. This year, I had nine flowers and plenty of extra leaves which shows it is happy and spreading. Pictured above are some of them on show in the potting shed. I love the way the petals fold around each other like the wings of a bee. So delicate.

Here is Madeleine fully open on the potting shed windowsill. It’s a very pretty snowdrop at all stages. The yellow markings are brighter in sunnier situations, and bulbs don’t like to be too wet.

Viridapice is another snowdrop I love. It has such pretty delicate lime green markings. Another good do-er. It is spreading nicely under the ash trees in the wild garden.

Living on the boundary between Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, I felt I had to have Galanthus Robin Hood. I’ve been many times to Sherwood Forest where Robin and his merry men are said to have lived. This snowdrop got its name from the crossbow X- shape green markings. It’s a very tall snowdrop and I have it at the top of the garden so you’ll pass by on the way to the back fields footpath. I have Galanthus Little John nearby, and I’m searching for a snowdrop called Maid Marian to complete the trio. They make me smile every time I see them.

Regular readers will know that I’m a bit lackadaisical with labelling. Sadly I’ve lost the name of this beauty. Maybe a reader will know what it’s called. Isn’t it striking though, with three petals spreading out like wings.

Quite honestly, I’m just as happy with our native snowdrop Galanthus nivalis. Plain and simple. It’s gorgeous.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this weekend snowdrop tour. I also hope you are having better weather than us at the moment. We’ve had a week with 12 Environment Agency flood alerts in one day. The greenhouse has flooded more times than I can count. I just keep sweeping the mud and water out of the door. I’ve never known a winter like it.

Please leave a message below to let me know what your gardens look like right now. How are you coping with the deluge?

Thank you for reading and please feel free to share on any social media platform as it all helps. I don’t pay for any promotions of any kind. I simply rely on your kindness in commenting and spreading the word.  Scroll down for the comments box, right at the bottom of the blog post.

Links: snowdrops from Easton https://www.visiteaston.co.uk/visit/opening-times-and-prices

Madeleine, https://jacquesamandintl.com/product/plicatus-madeleine/

Viridapice https://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/galanthus-nivalis-viridapice/classid.2000008237/

Robin Hood https://www.harveysgardenplants.co.uk/product/galanthus-robin-hood/

Sherwood Forest https://www.visitsherwood.co.uk/about-robin-hood/

36 thoughts on “Six on Saturday – a celebration of snowdrops in my garden- 29th February 2020”

  2. Your snowdrops are lovely Karen, and your sunshine too! We are waiting for spring to arrive ‘properly’ here too. The wind is still so cold and working outdoors is quite unpleasant. I need a polytunnel like yours! 😉

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    • Thank you Cathy. I’m sweeping out the poly tunnel this week and setting it up for early crops. Looking at the shops, I think I’ll be needing much more fresh food that’s home grown. People are panic buying everything. I’m panic sowing seeds instead and trying to avoid the shops where there’s lots of bad tempered people grabbing stuff off the shelves. It’s a nightmare.

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      • They announced school closures on Friday here, with the hint at further steps to follow and our first thought was to fill the trailer up with potting compost for the spring pots and seeds! Our shops are closing Wednesday, except for essentials like supermarkets and chemists. This will be a blow for many small businesses such as the nurseries and garden centres. 😃

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    • Thank you Gary. I’ve just managed to get one called Polar Bear, half price at Dobbies! It’s just coming into flower now. Mum and I visited a garden with 250 varieties on Sunday, but you know, I’m just as happy with my little patches of small treasures. Doesn’t Gardening make you happy 😊 x

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  5. Lovely photos of your snowdrops, are yours earlier than usual, mine are nearly finished now. We actually had a sunny day yesterday with hardly any rain for a change, the garden is absolutely sodden and will take weeks to dry out, but the bulbs don’t seem to mind so far, thank goodness.

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    • Thank you Pauline. Mine were a few weeks earlier than usual, and they have lasted longer, coping well with the floods. Luckily the called trees didn’t squash them either, good luck with your garden and thanks for reading.

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    • Thank you. I’ve just bought one called Polar Bear from Dobbies. I had to wait until it was half price – and then I used my discount card to make more savings. It’s a very unusual snowdrop and very late flowering. I buy a lot from NGS gardens where they are reasonably priced and funds go to good causes. Thanks for reading 👍🙂

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  7. So many lovely snowdrops. There are a few SoSers who really love the different types & I’m learning so much about the varieties. I admit, tho, that Robin Hood’s crossbow looks more like a pair of scissors to me. Great 6. Too bad the snow’s going to dash them away.

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  9. I am seriously craving rain about now. It does not seem fair that those who are getting so much don’t even want it! It has been more than a month without rain here. There has been none in February. There is a slight chance of rain at the end of the week, so we will be watching closely. weirdly, the bloom of many plants has not been accelerated as much as one might expect from so much warm weather. I suspect that expect more rain, but are unable to tell me about it.

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  10. I love snowdrops and dream of a garden carpeted with snowdrops but they do not do well in mine. I cannot get enough in the garden. Strange as it may seem, I never thought to grow them outdoors in pots as you have and they look lovely like that. I must try that. Amelia

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  12. Viridipace is also one of my favourites. Your pictures with the clear bright petals are great. Watched Countryfile all about the snowdrops around Shaftesbury this morning on catch up as I missed the festival at Shepton Mallett this year on account of the dreadful weather. Still the little beauties will carry on and reappear next year.

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  14. Lovely! I exchanges a bit of Textile Art for some special snow drops from Deene Park in Norhtamptomshire a few years ago. I gave them to a friend to plant who was gardening for me at the time. She planted them and then brought me the labels. Ack! I need to find labels, look them up and then reliable them quickly. I don’t want to plant on top of them just yet…

    How do you more subtly makr bulbs. Or do you have a garden plan that you annotate?

    Suella

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  16. No deluge here, of course. In fact we’d like one!
    Your snowdrops are lovely and the photos really do them justice. I planted a nivalis a few years ago, but last spring it didn’t flower, I think because of excessive heat, although I do have it planted in one of my few shady spots.

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