Wildlife enthusiast Jeni Bell shares her passion for snow drops...

The grey blanket of winter is slowly beginning to lift revealing the welcomed signs of spring. Days are lengthening, birds are singing louder, and fresh green shoots of spring bulbs are beginning to emerge.

One of the most well-known, and possibly well-loved, of all the spring signs is also making an appearance across the UK right now.

The snowdrop.

With its delicately drooping head, this pretty white flower combined with its stem of vibrant green offers a welcome distraction from the depths of winter and relief that the long, harsh season is almost over.

Although not native to the UK, it has made its home here and thrives throughout the country. Often turning gardens, roadside verges, woodland, and grasslands into a carpet of white from late January to around mid-March. Flowering at this time of year, when the weather is unpredictable and often changing from sunny spells to harsh frosts, seems risky – but this petite plant is hardier than it looks. Snowdrops come equipped with their own, built in anti-freeze to fend off frosts, and snow. Even if they appear shrivelled and beaten by the cold, they will rise again as the temperatures begin to lift.

Their scientific name, Galanthus nivalus (this is the type of snowdrop we most commonly see with one stem per flower) means ‘milk flower of the snow’, and their pureness has been the inspiration for many artists and writers keen to catch the beauty for themselves. In fact, they are so popular that plenty of towns, villages, country homes and gardens host annual snowdrop festivals, where Galanthophoiles (snowdrop lovers, and collecters) can gather to pay homage to their favourite spring bulb.  

Studying them up close, you will notice that the flowers aren’t entirely white, and closer inspection will reveal a dainty green swash on the petals. A carpet of snowdrops is certainly a pleasant sight to see and a ramble through a vast carpet of these milk-white flowers is enough to raise anyone’s spirits. So where can you and your family head to find these magical flowers for yourselves?

Luckily there are plenty of places with fantastic snowdrop displays to take advantage of:

·       Kingston Lacy - Dorset

The grounds of this country house, near Wimborne Minster, are strewn with snowdrops from late January. Boasting a huge number of different varieties throughout the gardens at this National Trust property, there is sure to be a snowdrop to take your fancy.

·       Mottisfont Abbey – Hampshire

Another National Trust property with a spectacular snow drop display. A walk through the ground’s winter gardens, or along its riverside walk will offer fantastic views of this delicate bloom alongside other winter flowering plants.

·       Shaftesbury Town – Dorset

This Dorset town is on a mission to become Britain’s first snowdrop town. With the snow coloured flowers scattered throughout the walks in the town, and displayed in shop windows, it’s a fantastic location to immerse yourself in all things Galanthus.

·       The Woodford Valley – Wiltshire

A charming little valley situated between Salisbury and Amesbury offers a fantastic chance to witness natural displays of snowdrops. A good excuse to get your walking boots on and have a wander.

There are plenty of private gardens with fantastic snowdrop displays that are open to the public. To find one near you head over to the National Open Garden Scheme page here to discover snowdrops on your doorstep.

With these fragile flowers in abundance throughout the UK you don’t necessarily need to head to a property to find them. Snowdrops favour damp soil, and are often found within broadleaved woodland, along river-banks, road verges, parks and spookily in graveyards (probably due to the popular practice in Victorian times of planting the bulbs on loved ones graves). So, a short stroll in any of these locations and you are more than likely to be rewarded with a carpet of fine flowers. You can log your snowdrop findings with the Woodland Trust Nature’s Calendar ; a project aimed at monitoring nature’s yearly events to see how the changes in climate are affecting our natural world.

Perhaps, after spending all this time in the company of such a pretty, but tough little flower, you might be inspired to plant your own.

Snowdrops will make a great addition to the garden and a fantastic introduction to gardening for little ones. They can be planted ‘in the green’ or from bulbs (but be careful the bulbs are poisonous). Pease don’t remove snowdrops from the wild, leave them there for others to enjoy. Instead, why not head to your local garden centre to find out more about growing this beautiful flower within your own garden – most garden centres also have excellent coffee and cake facilities!

So, go on, get outside and experience this winter flower, filled with all the hope of spring, for yourselves.