In the Garden
I would like to tell you about a wonderful plant that blooms in late winter and very early spring. It is one of the most beautiful plants in a garden, and it comes up at a time when there is nothing but remnants of snow and mud. It’s called snowdrops (Galanthus). Let me tell you about them.
With their nodding white blooms and fresh green foliage, snowdrops herald the end of winter. Planted en masse, they light up the early garden. There are several species and many hundreds of cultivars of snowdrops. You can tell them apart by their green and yellow markings. You can create a wonderful display with widely available, affordable types of Galanthus purchased at your local garden center.
Snowdrops are perennial, so they will flower year after year. Once established, they are low maintenance and mostly trouble free. They do need the right growing conditions to thrive. The bulbs can be planted in autumn at the same time as daffodils. You can also plant container-grown snowdrops in late winter if they are available at the garden center.
Plant them in moist but well-drained soil. A position in part shade is ideal as they will receive some sunlight and rain in spring but have cover in summer. A spot under a canopy of a deciduous tree is perfect. They look fantastic in large drifts and naturalize well.
To increase your number of plants for an impressive display, lift clumps of snowdrops just after flowering, and before the foliage turns yellow. Divide the clumps into smaller groups and replant them right away at the same depth, further apart. You can also let them set seed automatically. Once established, Galanthus need little care. After flowering, let the foliage die back on its own (same as you do with daffodils). I hope you get to add this excellent perennial bulb to your late winter, early spring plant collection. You will be very happy you did.