Snowdrop Nivalis

27.06.2023 - 08:49 / aberdeengardening.co.uk

The Snowdrops are blooming

Last year the Snowdrops in our garden did not come in to full bloom until the first week of March.  What a difference a year makes, the mild Winter with no sign of snow in the city has the snowdrops blooming in February 16th.

These ones are in the raised border in the front garden amongst the naked stems of the Roses.  There are about nine clumps of them, it is the common form of Nivalis, I look forward to seeing them every year coming into bloom much the same time as the Iris Reticulata.

I am no expert on Snowdrops, I just know you can depend on them to lighten up your garden every Winter without fail.  These ones planted 26 years ago have not received one iota of attention, in fact this is going to be the first year in which I will be dividing them.    There are so many varieties of Snowdrops, Galanthus to give them their proper title.  No doubt you are well aware that you should plant them in the green, you know, buy little pot grown ones  in Winter or early Spring, and there you go instant effect.  However I have heard on a couple of occasions recently that planting the dry bulbs has been found to be quite acceptable, not so very sure about this though.  Don’t you at times just wonder how they manage to survive the very severe frost, how very often do we find ourselves with a mild spell in Winter, the Snowdrops open and a couple of days later the temperature drops to minus 10c.  Well fear not I am informed that the petals have their own built in antifreeze which gives the required protection.  Is this really the case? as I say I am no expert, but I know a lady who is.  Well she is not on this side of the Atlantic, but all which she knows is more than likely to comply with the