Photo-a-Day  (Saturday, 10th February, 2024)

Such beauty and a welcoming sign of Spring is not too far away.
I love snow drops, they are the first to show and next to follow is Crocuses and Daffodils.
Thank Dennis.

Beautiful Dennis, cheered me up no end on this dark & dismal morning.

Ahh Snowdrops are lovely to see in Winter, and a reminder that Spring is almost here.
I can also hear the garden birds singing early morning songs.
I love it!

The Fair Maids of February. How pure and beautiful they are We went to Holmfirth on Wednesday to see Compo and Clegg's graves.....it was a beautiful day and I saw my first daffodils and snowdrops of the year.

Just lovely Dennis.

Oh! I’m jealous of these Snowdrops in your garden Dennis. They don’t do well at all in my garden. I don’t know why everything else does. I must email Donty Mon and ask him why.

Hope you're right about spring coming round Dennis, sick of all bad weather recently, can't get out of the house, nice pic pal.

Veronica the name is Monty Don.

Could be poor soil or clay, Veronica try feeding them or dig them up and relocate them.

One of the very best displays of Snowdrops I have ever seen is around the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth. In fact I took a tiny clump from one of the trails to the hills but they didn’t ‘take’ …perhaps that’s why they don’t grow in my garden.

So delicate and beautiful. They lift your heart after such a dismal week. Thank you Dennis.

There’s none left to dig up Monty. I’ll still ask my favourite gardener Donty Mon for his advice he’s so very obliging. He doesn’t mind me calling him Donty Mon.

Lovely pic Dennis

So that's why they don't do well Veronica if there's none there.
Mummy logical I would say.

Snowdrops don't like waterlogged soil.
Brilliant display yours Dennis, and so is mine. thanks.

Veronica, there's a discussion on Gardener's World about Snowdrops disappearing or not growing, it is a Forum though with members answering, so no advice from the experts such as Monty Don or Calvin's mother Carol Klein. https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1049078/disappeared-snowdrops

there is advice on this site too, and different varieties listed, and it seems there's money to be made from some Snowdrops much the same as there was at one time with Tulips, http://www.edmondsandhoward.co.uk/blog/?p=146

Brian's Stanley Nook Farm Stables at Aspull must have had thousands of Snowdrops growing along on both sides of the driveway, hopefully they are still growing there, I remember when I would go to there, many years ago now, that driving along there every February they always looked superb.

Every time I’ve planted them ‘in the green’ Cyril time after time they just don’t do well. I have wild Polyanthus popping up everywhere so many I have to keep them down. This house was built on farm land so I don’t understand why. Daffs, Tulips, Crocus and Muscari all do well and my rock plants. It’s a bugger! I do listen to Garden World on the radio. Donty used to have a gardening page in the Mail supplement on a Saturday that was good as well.

Here in Norfolk ''where we dew different'' to others. There are umpteen places to see Snowdrops, signs are put up ''Snowdrops here next week" sort of thing...its quite an event, droves of people turn up in the middle of nowhere to look at them & have a piece of cake & cup of tea.
I hasten to add, I am not originally from Norfolk....
to become a local takes about 50 yrs....we have only done 25 but we have caught the Snowdrop bug , big time !

I would say there’s no Snowdrops left Smarty because they’re being eaten by slugs every time i’ve planted them. Planting them in ‘the green’ I’ve been told Cyril is the, best way but it’s not worked for me…or the Snowdrops!

Might be that the bulbs are being dug up by the plague of squirrels roaming the country, I have given up on planting bulbs in my pots or garden.

Get along to Bank Hall on the banks of the Douglas at Bretherton on Sundays and Wednesdays for a great snowdrop display. Admission for adults is £4 - u-16s free.
Between the 1920s and 1938 the Hall was tenanted by Sir Norman Seddon-Brown - one of the Brown family who lived in Oak Mere at Boars Head. Two of his brothers were killed in WW1, and his sister Evelyn ran Woodlands III VAD Hospital in The Beeches in Standish for most of the war.

The grass verges on School Lane in Standish are full of yellow crocus. Aren't these a bit earlier than usual?

DerekB, yes they are early like everything else. My Daffodils are almost in flower, they should be due in March. (but I'm not complaining, Spring can come early for me)

According to Google, there are more than 500 named varieties of snowdrop. In Wales we call them Lily Wen Fach - little white lily. A very uplifting time of year when crocus, daffs and snowdrops make an appearance.

Thanks for that confirmation Garry. Like you, I can'r wait for spring. This last autumn and winter have seemed to be going on for ever.