Day 9: Connecting with nature to improve my wellbeing in the dark darks of winter – by discovering the first snowdrop!
The Thrill of the First Snowdrop
I love snowdrops. What resilient little plants they are, with a fantastic strategy to flower when very few plants are flowering! I get such a massive thrill from seeing my first snowdrop. It is a small sign that we are about to turn the corner of the dark days and are heading towards Spring. I normally see my first snowdrops in January. However, here we are on the 9th December still a way off from the midwinter solstice and we have a little glimpse that Spring 2025 is slowly on its’ way – horray!
Do All Snowdrops Flower in the Winter
Snowdrops all belong to a small group of plants called Galanthus. Galanthus means Milk Flower. Most of the snowdrops flower in January and February. There are a small number of later flowering varieties. Snowdrops like to grow in shady areas. I have tried to plant bulbs in the shaded areas of my back garden – but my heavy clay soil has hampered these efforts. I also tried to plant bulbs into the soil of the front garden and this also yielded no snowdrops. Last year, I planted some in pots and these were more successful. In the autumn this year I planted some more pots up with snowdrop bulbs. I have my fingers crossed that these all flower too.
The Best Way To Establish Snowdrops in Your Garden
The top tip for getting snowdrops to spread and naturalise in your garden – I got from Monty Don on Gardener’s World last year. The best way of establing snowdrops in your garden is to plant a clump from a fellow gardener or failing that from a garden centre. You can split up and plant up snowdrops whilst they are flowering. If you know someone with a well established carpet of snowdrops – ask them for a clump. These snowdrops will naturalise and spread better than planting bulbs.