Nothing heralds the end of winter – perhaps ironically, given its name – quite like the snowdrop. Bursting from the muddy soil, they have an almost otherworldly delicacy that has inspired generations of galanthophiles to obsess over them. Often found in graveyards and abbey ruins, they were once planted by Norman monks as a symbol of purity and the cleansing of the earth. It is best practice to buy them ‘in the green’, when they are in leaf, not when the bulbs are dormant.
Come February, our island is liberally scattered with their pearl-like blooms, so we’ve scoured the length of the country for the very best places to see them and buy them, from Enfield to Fife via the Midlands, Gloucestershire and further afield.
The Cambo Estate, Fife, Scotland
The Cambo Estate in Fife, Scotland holds the National Collection of snowdrops, boasting over 350 different varieties. You can visit the gardens by booking tickets in advance: tickets for the 2024 SnowDrop Festival cost £7.60 for adults (free for children), and the gardens are open daily. They also sell snowdrops in the green, either in single pots or in bulk. If snowdrops alone are not enough to tempt you, Cambo also has a trusty team of pigs who rootle up the ivy which would otherwise threaten the snowdrops. Their piglets are born to coincide with snowdrop days!
Rodmarton Manor, Cotswolds
This eight-acre garden was laid out in the early 20th century and is one of the best preserved Arts & Crafts gardens of its era. The house was designed by Ernest Barnsley for Claud and Margaret Biddulph, and Barnsley also laid out the gardens as a series of outdoor rooms in a style that was hugely fashionable at the time. Largely unaltered from its original design, the garden today has an air of faded splendour that makes it intriguing to wander around. Old topiary, knobbly pleached limes, long borders and patina-covered stonework give the garden a strong structural framework that stands out beautifully in winter.
The garden is well known for its snowdrops, with at least 150 different types including some that originated here. ‘Rodmarton Regulus’ is a beautiful, tall and elegant snowdrop, while ‘Rodmarton Arcturus’ has wonderfully textured, rounded flowers like silk. Both were selected by Simon Biddulph, Claud’s son. These and many other snowdrops can be found throughout the garden, dotted around the enclosed Winter Garden, spread out in the borders, and planted in squares under trees in the orchard, where each variety is clearly marked. Crouching down to take in the detail of all the different varieties is the order of the day, and you’ll see lots of other galanthophiles doing the same. The garden is open for the snowdrop season on February 12, 15 and 19 from 1.30-5pm.
Image courtesy of The Chelsea Physic Garden
The Chelsea Physic Garden, London
Each year when this beautiful garden reopens, they put on a week of ‘Heralding Spring events’, this year running from Sunday 21 – Sunday 28 January. Follow a trail around the site to discover many unusual varieties of snowdrops and other early spring flowers, as well as a plant sale where you can pick up hellebores, irises and of course, snowdrops. Tickets cost £10.50 per adult.
