Page 21 - Garden News

Six superb

snowdrops

Galanthus nivalis ‘Walrus’ G. plicatus ‘Diggory’
The tusk-like petals and large flowers make The seersucker texture and unique, flat-
it very different to look at and this is one of bottomed shape of this plicate snowdrop will
the easier ‘spikies’ to grow. glow in any garden.

The diminutive
beauty of the
snowdrops can be
marvelled at from
the house, along
with focal features ‘Primrose Warburg’ G. nivalis ‘Viridapice’
such as the castor The upright stems carry single flowers Easy to grow, with green and emerald tips to
oil plant-shaped marked with yellow on the inners. Always the petals. The erect habit and curved spathe
water fountain give yellow snowdrops a brighter position. are very distinctive. Bulks up well.

of her snowdrops from Louise
Vockins of Foxgrove Plants, near
Newbury (www.foxgroveplants.
co.uk), adores a pixie-hatted
snowdrop called ‘Trym’, while
‘Three Ships’, another favourite,
always flowers at Christmas.
Once the snowdrops have
finished there’s a green tapestry
of hardy ferns that keeps the
show going. “I tend to go for
dryopteris because they survive ‘Mrs Thompson’ ‘Straffan’
in our light, sandy soil.” Their A showy and tall snowdrop with flyaway An Irish snowdrop that’s always said to have
new fiddle-back fronds emerge skirts, this sometimes has five outer petals, a ‘Chinese bridge’ mark on the inners. Very
in early May, covering up any although this can vary from year to year. elegant and pure. Clumps up well.
fading snowdrop foliage and
the attractive brown knuckles
shine in winter.
Margaret’s also fond of the Top tips from Margaret
glossy, finely cut fronds of the
Japanese lace fern, Polystichum If you choose snowdrop great care not to damage the ferns, the black, strappy leaves
polyblepharum. There are also 1 varieties carefully it’s tiny roots. of ophiopogon and
Oriental hellebores (H. hybridus), possible to have them in flower Fork in bonemeal as the autumn-flowering Cyclamen
erythroniums, omphalodes and from October until March. 3 snowdrops finish flowering hederifolium all work well.
pulmonarias and these flower in ‘Autumn Magic’ is first to flower to provide a beneficial Use winter-warming
March and April. and ‘Polar Bear’ the last. slow-release feed. We also 6 evergreens to create
This garden has hours of care Always label them. enrich the soil with compost. structure in your garden,
lavished on it because Margaret Use a gentle touch when Use foliage plants to set off because these come into
spends every spare minute on 2 dividing snowdrops, take 4 your snowdrops. Hardy their own in winter.
her ‘labour of love’.

Subscribe and get 4 issues for just £1! Go to www.greatmagazines.co.uk/gn January 27 2018 / Garden News21