I’ve always thought it’s funny that one of the first blooms we see in spring is white. With blankets of snow covering the dull colors of winter, we are ready for some color by March! Of course, the bashful white blooms on Snowdrops are still welcome. The latin name is Galanthus = with milk white flowers, nivalis = snowy. I was pleased to find a colony of green shoots popping out of the ground in my garden the other day.
It’s interesting to be in a new home with an unfamiliar yard. I’m excited to see what will emerge from the ground, and yet I also miss my old garden. This spring will birth another cycle of bulbs with Scilla, Crocus, Grape Hyacinth, and Striped Squill beginning the parade, followed by all kinds of daffodils, including miniature ones like ‘Hewera’. Next are species Tulips, Darwin Hybrids and, of course Alliums, like ‘Globemaster’ and ‘Purple Sensation’. I now realize how much the joy of gardening involves the anticipation of what’s coming next. It will take a few years to cultivate that in a new place, but it will be done with new discoveries.
In the photo above, the Snowdrops are coming up amongst Pachysandra terminalis. My appreciation for this ground cover has grown this winter as each time the snow melted, it held a steadfast carpet of green. It still looks great, and steals all the attention with the brown and grey around it.
Back to those Snowdrops, if you’re unfamiliar with them, they’re purchased as a small bulb and planted in fall. They need decent drainage and dappled shade. The nodding flowers really do look like they are dripping snow. Once established, they’ll freely multiply each year. I’m curious what happened to this one, standing all on it’s own.
Was there a lot of digging in this area? Did it get too wet, and was unable to thrive? The coming year of gardening may provide some answers.
Here is a sketch I did of Snowdrops to show how they look when blooming. It’s snowing outside my house right now, so the blooms are suspended between winter and spring… like the rest of us.
