Snowdrops

[Jeanied]

Well, folks - I am obsessed with them: so much so that I spent £80 on buying bulbs in the green last year. What I want to know is - how best to establish them - and also whose Snowdrops start to flower the first? I'd love to know when the first ones start to pop up - hopefully in the next couple of weeks!

[northepaul]

I also adore them. No sign of my millions I plated last autumn yet...signs of my tulips though

[Pumpkin Becki]

I love snowdrops too, I've got the ones with the little green hearts on the inside set of petals. I've always fancied some of those with the huge heads, but I've never seen them in the garden centre, and alwayd forget to look online.

[BFG]

Another snowdrop and bluebell fan here. I guerilla gardened some in a little bit of woodland walk near me last year. I'm hoping that in 10 years, it'll be covered in them, but I may be a bit too optimistic!

[rustylady]

Mine are just starting to show their leaves. Common or garden snowdrops, quite hard to start from dry bulbs but they've been in the garden for around five years now and increase quite well. They seem to love it in the shady bit near the brick wall.

[leah]

is it too late to plant them?

My Gran gave me a huge bag of them, must be over 300 of them!

Some have sprouted already in the bag... hope they will be ok!

I've got to run chicken wire along my fence soon, so could plant them out at the same time maybe?

[BFG]

Get them in, it's not too late. Bulbs are quite forgiving normally. If you put them in late, they tend to just flower late the 1st year and then normally after that.

[allotment sue]

I went for a look round the garden yesterday and saw our first snowdrops of the year - still buds but definitely there. We have also got a primrose flowering! I can't believe it, the snow has only just melted.
The allotment looks a bit sad. Broad beans have some black leaves here and there but I think they will pick up. PSB looks good in spite of weather/pigeons! Some parsnips have been partly nibbled (rodents?) but ok apart from a bit of canker here and there. Brought some home - I use the 'extra legs' for soup and roast the chunky bits.
I went to buy seed potatoes yesterday from the Garden Centre in Taunton - they have loads of varieties and you can buy them individually so I got some Charlotte, Lady Christl, Marfona and Rooster (grew L. Christl and Marfona last year, v. nice) and there were some snowdrops, in flower, growing in pots. Also bought some onion sets which I have just put in trays of slightly moist compost. I tried this last year and they grew on well and none of them rotted off early despite the wet weather. Now what else can I do....

[Jeanied]

How much were they asking for the pot of Snowdrops, Allotment Sue? I got 1000 for my £80 - but there were way more than that in the box so I am hoping I made a wise buy. Fortunately I was able to split the cost with a friend so I got loads of them for my money - planted last spring and just noticed my first one peeking through!

And Leah, they are sold for transplanting at this time of year so it is well worth trying planting that bagfull asap!

[allotment sue]

Can't remember exactly but I don't think they were very much and there were several in the pot. At least this way you know you are growing something that is alive. They spread really quickly once established. I split mine every two or three years and give some away. Mine came from my brother's old garden years ago so I have no idea what they are - they were in a bit of woodland so almost certainly not a rare/expensive type!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Just poked my head out of the front door (not far, because my neighbours don't deserve to see me in my dressing gown with no makeup on!!)...and I've just seen Snowdrops!!

They're only about 3cm tall, but I can see leaf and white flower bud too!! Yay!!

[Jeanied]

Me too PB - I discovered this morning that I have one patch of bulbs that have been thoroughly dug over by no 1 Cat, but the other patches are popping up nicely! Excitement!!

[HeyWayne]

Noticed a clump of snowdrops in my 'trough' at the back of the garden yesterday - loads of other bulb type plants showing their leaves, no idea which ones are which, but I know there are Grape Hyacinth among them and some daffs/narcs of some type. Adds to the excitement not knowing.

[Madasafish]

We planted about 100 snowdrop bulbs 27 years ago when we moved. We now have several hundred. They start to flower in early January.

We also have zillions of bluebells from about 50 bulbs at the same time..

[Pumpkin Becki]

I've got three clumps popped up in my new garden - I only planted the bulbs in November - the little darlings!