Monday 28 January 2008

Snowdrops

One of the things I love about my garden is the fact that I have something flowering in it every month of the year. It is an easy misconception that gardens are a 'summer' pastime, but nature doesn't stop working just because the season has changed.
From spring bulbs, through summer flowers, and on into autumn and winter. And don't the birds just love the late flowering spikes of the Mahonia in December.

But it all starts in January with the Snowdrops. Small, delicate flowers with the toughness of old boots. I have no idea which specific variety populates my garden, but I suspect it is just a basic common type. (If you know, drop me a line).


I always see small green shoots breaking through the surface of the ground around Xmas time, and by the first week in January buds are well formed. By mid-month, many are opening and by the last week of the month, they are in much abundance. They will last at least until the middle of February, and sometimes even longer.


This is where another of my hobbies comes into its own, as I rush off to fetch my camera to make a permanent record of what these little chaps are up to. I said "as tough as old boots" and I'm not exagerating. They grow pretty much anywhere .... in the shade of a large Apple tree, in a small gap between shrubs, in a rocky crevice and even by forcing their way through a gravel pathway. Even my Gnomes can appreciate the early beauty that Snowdrops bring to the winter garden.

4 comments:

  1. Your snowdrops are lovely John.. one day I hope to have a wander through your garden. The snippets I get make me feel as if I am out in the countryside.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wish I had a garden like that.. Nice pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I see we have the love for nature in common :-) I still have to plant some snowdrops in my little city garden, have only been here for 2 years and the garden was void of anything when I came, now it is a jungle ( under control), but I must plant some snowdrops !

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm blessed with my Snowdrops Jane as I suspect they are all wild and self-set. They were in the garden when I bought the property 14 years ago and they seem to spread further every year. They are popping up in all manner of places now. Nature's great. ;)

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are very much appreciated and I value every one. Thank you