Snowdrop carpets

It has been a couple of days decorated by snowdrops. Yesterday I was in Lincoln , the sky was an unbelievable blue . I sat down in the shadow of Lincoln Cathedral drinking coffee from a flask surrounded by snowdrops.(Galanthus)

Today the weather was more changeable but driving through the lanes of North Norfolk was full of snowdrop carpets through the woods and along verges.

Nature table explorers Joan and Barrie have sent photos of the wonderful snowdrops carpeting the floors of the woods in the Forest of Dean.

These are naturalised, although they look native snowdrops were introduced to Britain.

Here is the information about their status from a great website ‘ plantlife’

Although formally considered “native”, snowdrops are actually recent arrivals. It’s first known cultivation was in 1597 and was first recorded in the wild in 1778. It is widely naturalised with little change thought to be occurring.

There are many places to see collections of snowdrops, near to us Anglesey Abbey , a national trust property and a local church at Chelveston has a snowdrop weekend this weekend.

Avid collectors of snowdrops are known as galanthophiles.

This tiny variety caught my eye in Lincoln.

There seems to be some discussion as to the numbers of varieties/ cultivars of snowdrops , numbers of 1000 and 2500 are quoted. There are 19 wild species in the genus Galanthus, found from Spain to the Caucasus. Most are found in Turkey. Gardeners have selected over 1000 distinct cultivars, with the number increasing every year.

We have managed to grow some snowdrops for the first time in our garden after planting them ‘ in the green’ last year , I’m am looking forward to the tiny patch becoming a beautiful carpet , fingers crossed.