Dreaming of spring (Snowdrop)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Snowdrop
Date:	17/01/04 (230 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: first sign of spring

Disadvantages: none

Snowdrop gailanthus

Dreaming of spring. Where I live we have not really suffered much with winter weather a few frosty mornings a small snowfall Saturday.
Walking in the garden (still a bit of a builders yard) I was looking forward to the next year seeing the first spring bulbs. how I would love to have a large grassy bank by a lake covered with snowdrops nodding their white heads above the grass. Or an orchard whose floor is a carpet of snowdrops. I have a small area with a few snowdrops naturalised, a few by the pond, a few under an apple tree but not enough to make a grand display.
Still I can dream.

I love to walk in the garden in February when it is still winter and the snow is covering the ground, where there are a few patches of thin snow I might spot a white snowdrop flower on its slender green stalk piercing the snow defying winter searching for the sun,
Or on those occasional bright sunny days still cold I spot a clump of slender
Snowdrops flower between the end of January beginning February till march when they will droop and die

Snowdrop Bulbs are originally from Asia Minor and Europe.
The name galiathus means milk flower in Greek


There are 75 species and varieties of snowdrop grow 4-6 inches high plant 3to 4 inches deep in the ground in autumn.
The snowdrop flower is white some species look more green. There are single or double flowers.

The snowdrop is a flower held above a stem. It has 3 white outer petals and 3 smaller inner petals .The inner petal is white with a small amount of green, the green markings attract bees to pollinate. Each bulb only carries 1 flower. A double flower has 4 or 5 outer petals and up to 20 inner petals, these are a much more showy flowers. They are a beautiful delicate flower.
On a warm sunny winters day the flowers open their petals wide and smell very sweet.
Snowdrop bulbs multiply each year the new bulblets taking a couple of years to
flower. After a few years it may be a good idea to divide a clump. Do this when the flowers have died down but the leaves are still green.

Snowdrops like moist soil to grow in not wet but moist, too wet and they will rot. Too dry and the bulb will not develop, as it will be unable to take nutrients from the soil.
Snowdrops can either be planted as bulbs in the autumn or can be planted in the green. The snowdrops in the green usually planted February just after they flower. I have seen snowdrops in the green sold for about £ 9 per 50 bulbs. I have seen bulbs 50 for £8.
Thanks for reading lets hope we get some beautiful spring days .

Summary: