{"id":4493,"date":"2022-01-26T11:10:01","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T10:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gardensillustrated.com\/?p=15464"},"modified":"2022-01-27T12:15:12","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T11:15:12","slug":"top-snowdrops-for-your-garden","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/top-snowdrops-for-your-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"Top snowdrops for your garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Daisy Bowie-Sell\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 26 January 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The garden of John Sales, former chief gardens adviser for the National Trust, is a snowdrop-lover\u2019s dream, although he likes it to look good all year. His shady woodland with irises in the grass, his special meadows<\/a> studded with orchids, his borders, his slim box hedges, well-grown veg and unusual plants are all managed with the same high spirits and humour that earned him so many fans in his NT days.<\/p>\n

John thinks the reason many snowdrops get diseased, is partly because in borders they share a rich diet with other plants, which they hate. He also thinks that old narcissi cultivars, such as the early Backhouse cultivars \u2018Empress\u2019 and \u2018Emperor\u2019, which are often grown with snowdrops in spring displays, were carriers of viruses. Congested clumps are less likely when bulbs are grown naturally and he rarely divides his snowdrops unless they are in very tight clumps. \u201cPutting them in grass stops disease,\u201d he says firmly.<\/p>\n

Here are John Sales\u2019s favourite snowdrops for naturalising.<\/p>\n

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1<\/span>

Galanthus<\/em> \u2018Bess\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus \u2018Bess\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

An early, easy and strong snowdrop with good green markings on the inner segments. 12cm.<\/p>

2<\/span>

Galanthus<\/em> \u2018Lyn\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus \u2018Lyn\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

John admires this snowdrop for its early flowering and for the fact that his wife Lyn found this Galanthus<\/em>\u00a0\u2018Atkinsii\u2019 variant locally. John is particularly attached to a plant with provenance. 20cm.<\/p>\n

Buy Galanthus <\/em>\u2018Lyn\u2019 from Broadleigh Bulbs<\/span><\/a><\/p>

3<\/span>

Galanthus<\/em> \u2018Richard Ayres\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>

A handsome, early flowering double form snowdrop that is named after the head gardener at Anglesey Abbey, from where so many good snowdrops have originated. 30cm.<\/p>

4<\/span>

Galanthus nivalis<\/em> \u2018Anglesey Abbey\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus nivalis \u2018Anglesey Abbey\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

A snowdrop much loved by John for its provenance as well as for its broad, deep-green leaves and elegant flowers. Once known as Galanthus lagodechianus<\/em>, it is now firmly identified as an unusual variant of Galanthus nivalis.<\/em> These snowdrops reproduce freely from seed. 12cm.<\/p>

5<\/span>

Galanthus<\/em> \u2018S. Arnott\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus \u2018S. Arnott\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Scented, elegant, easy to cultivate and long lived snowdrop. If you grow only one snowdrop this should be it. 30cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 4a-8b.Buy Galanthus <\/em>\u2018S. Arnott\u2019 from Crocus<\/span><\/a><\/p>

6<\/span>

Galanthus nivalis<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus nivalis<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

This snowdrop looks lovely everywhere, but especially in huge naturalised drifts. There are early and late-flowering versions of this beauty, which is best seen with the sun behind you.\n10cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b.Buy Galanthus nivalis <\/em> from Crocus<\/span><\/a><\/p>

7<\/span>

Galanthus<\/em> \u2018Dionysus\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>

Arguably the best of the Greatorex doubles, early crosses (from Galanthus nivalis<\/em> f. pleniflorus<\/em> \u2018Flore Pleno\u2019 and Galanthus plicatus<\/em>). This snowdrop was crossed in the 1960s by Heyrick Greatorex, an eccentric recluse, they were welcomed with much excitement. 14cm.<\/p>

8<\/span>

Galanthus<\/em> \u2018Daglingworth\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>

A beautiful bell-shaped, single snowdrop found in local woods by Ruth Birchall of Cotswold Farm. It seeds into large colonies and in the secret site, near Daglingworth, there are large patches under trees that have been there for years. 20cm.<\/p>

9<\/span>

Galanthus<\/em> \u2018Galatea\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus \u2018Galatea\u2019<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

A beautiful snowdrop, with a long pedicel (but less exaggerated than Galanthus<\/em> \u2018Magnet\u2019), which increases easily. This snowdrop is an old hybrid that dates from the end of the 19th century, it clumps up well and grows undisturbed in my garden at the back of summer flowers near a yew hedge. 25cm.<\/p>

10<\/span>

Galanthus elwesii<\/em> \u2018Mrs Macnamara\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>

One of the earliest snowdrops to flower, usually in January but sometimes before Christmas. This is a tall, graceful plant with narrow, blue-green leaves. It increases quickly into large colonies. 25-30cm. RHS H5.<\/p>

11<\/span>

Galanthus nivalis<\/em> from Prior Park<\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus nivalis<\/em> from Prior Park<\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

John identified this as distinct on a routine visit to the National Trust garden in Somerset. 12cm.<\/p>

12<\/span>

Galanthus woronowii<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>
\""Snowdrops:\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Snowdrops: Galanthus Woronowii<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption> \u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

John says these are hard to name precisely, as they can be confused with other snowdrops (ikariae and platyphyllus are often grouped under the same heading). Galanthus woronowii<\/em> comes from southern Russia and has glossy, broad-folded leaves in a bright green that are a handsome feature even without any flowers. 15cm. AGM. RHS H5.Buy Galanthus woronowii<\/em> from Crocus<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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