It’s Friday so it’s Looking Good in the Garden. We are right in the middle of a storm. It’s been blowing a gale overnight and now even thought the sun is shining there’s a roaring above my garden studio as the wind whips through the bare branches of the oak trees. But Snowdrops are out in full force in our Bluebell Wood nodding their tiny heads in the high speed gusts.
The first snowdrops flower in our garden in early January. It’s officially mid winter but to me the great white rafts of tiny snowdrops announce that winter is on the way out and spring is just around the corner. Snowdrops are a welcome sight during dull grey winter days. Especially today when it is blowing a gale! There are several distinct patches of them, all the same species as far as I can tell… it’s the common snowdrop Galanthus nivalis. In our garden the snowdrops in full sun always flower first and those in shady places flower later.
Galanthus nivalis
The common snowdrop is widely grown throughout gardens and parks in the UK. It’s a hardy plant producing tiny nodding white flowers in early January and February.
Snowdrops are easy and quick to establish – especially if you plant them whilst they have visible foliage. That’s known as “in the green” when good results are most likely. Dry bulbs are more difficult to get going… but not impossible.
Snowdrops grow best in moist soil with some shade. They need plenty of sunshine for a couple of months after flowering so that the leaves can return nutrients to the bulbs for flowering next year.
Each bulb produces a single white flower. Look closely and you’ll see pale green markings and narrow grey-green leaves.
Height 15cm / 6 inches Spread 10cm /4 inches
Planting suggestions:
- Grow them with hostas and ferns in a woodland garden.
- Plant a row under a deciduous hedge such as Hawthorn, Beech or Hornbeam)
- Naturalise in grass under fruit trees with daffodils.
- Plant them with primroses around tall deciduous shrubs in a mixed border.
- Grow them with dark hellebores to highlight their blooms
We had just a few snowdrops when we first moved here. Since then they have multiplied and I’ve helped them on their way. Each year after flowering I dig up congested clumps and gently break them apart. Most books tell you to replant the bulbs individually but I prefer to plant a group of five or six together. It’s much quicker and they establish good clumps quickly too.
In spite of storm Gertrude our Snowdrops are Looking Good in the Garden.
What’s looking good in your garden today?
If you would like to join in with Looking Good in the Garden this week I would be delighted to see what’s happening in your part of the world.
- First please leave a link to this post in your post.
- Leave a comment here with a link to your Looking Good post on your own blog.
Happy Gardening Gillian 🙂