To a snowdrop

What is it about the snowdrop that so excites the gardener, probably the fact that it flowers in the depth of winter and yet is so delicate and beautiful a flower that you just prize it for its presence. When I moved to my current house it was the flower that I was most excited to see poking out of the ground that first winter, I'd never had any of my own before! I don't know what variety it is but it seems to like where it is as its spreading.

They are gaining some notoriety now for some of the mania around the different cultivars which maybe to the untrained eye can be different to tell apart. It seems that certain features get people very excited, such as those with some yellow rather than green at the top of the flower and green tips. I can certainly see the attraction and would like to know more. A phenonomenum has been spawned of Galanthophilia, but this is not a new term as I first thought it was, E.A.Bowles (1865-1954) the gardener and writer was said to have coined the term when writing to a fellow snowdrop admirer. Snowdrops do tend to capture the imagination of the media and there has been much in the news recently due to the record bidding wars for rare bulbs. Last year Thompson & Morgan, the seed company, paid £725 for Galanthus woronowii ‘Elizabeth Harrison’. This has a striking golden yellow ovary and yellow markings on the petals. The previous record was £360 for a single rare bulb of Galanthus ‘Green Tear’. Just thought I would have a quick look on ebay and you can snap up a bulb of  Galanthus 'Green Tear' for a bargain price of £227.22 though it ends in 22 minutes so be quick*.

Snowdrops are a favourite topic for garden bloggers at the moment and who can blame them there are not many plants to highlight at this time of year. Anyway every year I say I'm going to visit a snowdrop garden and every year so far the time has passed and I've missed out but this year I had the opportunity to visit Hodsock Priory, near Retford. What a treat on a most glorious sunny day and its certainly popular amongst visitors who flocked there in their thousands to view this humble flower.

Here they really gear the whole visitor experience to the snowdrop, with themed events, guided walks but there is also a food and drink fairs and a cafe. Plus importantly a plant sale so you can buy some of the plants that you see in the garden. Though it was busy you could escape from the crowds if you got there early and headed for the woods.

A carpet of snowdrops there for all to see, snuggled up in a duvet of beech leaves, you have to be quick to take photos and avoid taking shots of people scrabbling on the ground taking closeups! Never seen so many bottoms in the air! This garden was more about the mass of snowdrops rather than individual varieties and specific cultivars, there were relatively few labels on plants which I quite liked as sometimes they can be too intrusive and take away from the actual beauty of a garden. So its not a snowdrop garden for the real cultivar enthusiasts but maybe I just didn't see all the different varieties.
There is an open-air cafe in the glade when you can get a good cup of tea and a cake and sit round a bonfire to keep warm. It was a cold day but was a clear blue sky and sunshine and gave me a much needed boost.
Moving on from the woodland and you head to the more formal garden which has some amazing winter flowers.

Above is the Fan lawn where they also have events in the summer like theatre productions, all garden now seem to have to diversify to keep going.
It was also a good time to see that other highly prized winter flower, the aconite.

A stunning Witch Hazel.

 Hellebores and Irises.

Cyclamen and snowflake.

 A huge Garrya ellipta, with long long tassels next to a row of sweet smelling Christmas box, Sarcococca confusa.

A lovely specimen tree of Parrotia persica (Persian Ironwood) with dark red Witch Hazel like flowers on the bare stems.

The whole garden was a delight from start to finish and I think it is developing all the time. It will be interesting to visit at another time of year and see how its looks as a garden. I think the snowdrops are followed by bluebells later in the year.

This part of the world is actually where my mums family are from and all my brother and sisters have really strong memories of visiting my mums sister, my Aunty Lily (here is a fact about my mums sisters they are all names after flowers, Daisy (my mum), Lily, Iris and Violet. How great is that, its no wonder that I'm mad about plants and gardening, its in my genes). Aunty Lily lived near a farm and had a gorgeous garden, had chickens even a goat at one time and I have oh so many happy memories of visiting her and my Uncle Wilf. So while I was here I went to see her old house, sadly they are no longer with us, but it didn't look the same, though it was good to reminisce. Lily is buried at Babworth Church so I went to visit her grave is in a corner plot which backs onto fields almost overlooking where she used to live so a lovely spot.
The churchyard itself was full of snowdrops and in a few weeks time it will be a mass of daffodils.

Finally, William Wordsworth - To a snowdrop.

Lone flower, hemmed in with snows and white as they

But hardier far, once more I see thee bend

Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend,

Like an unbidden guest. Though day by day,

Storms, sallying from the mountain-tops, waylay

The rising sun, and on the plains descend;

Yet art thou welcome, welcome as a friend

Whose zeal outruns his promise! Blue-eyed May

Shall soon behold this border thickly set

With bright jonquils, their odours lavishing

On the soft west-wind and his frolic peers;

Nor will I then thy modest grace forget,

Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring,

And pensive monitor of fleeting years!

* Actually I took so long writing the post that the sale finished, the bulb went for £330.01!