Snowdrops – how to grow them and have more

“Snowdrops: Theirs is a fragile but hardy celebration… in the very teeth of winter” said Louise Beebe Wilder, the American gardening writer.

Although she said this of Snowdrops almost 100 years ago, it’s as true today as it ever was.

I only have to look at how damaged other plants look following the recent, relentless cold snap we’ve had, and then look at the snowdrops breezily popping up all over the garden, to appreciate them.

So I thought it was high time I devoted a blog to snowdrops. How to grow them, propagate them, some planting ideas and some varieties to try (no a snowdrop is not simply a snowdrop!)

Snowdrops – the basics

But first things first let’s cover the basics. Snowdrops (Galanthus) are a hardy perennial. This means they come back year after year, with absolutely no trouble at all.

Snowdrops typically bloom from January to March whatever the weather. They even push through frozen, snow-covered ground.

Although they’re tough, they’re enchantingly small, pristine and dainty looking, with small, white bell-shaped flowers with tiny smidges of green.

Planting snowdrops – bulbs vs in the green

Snowdrops can either be planted in February or March ‘in the green’ (which simply means while they have their leaves) in early spring. Or you can plant them as dry bulbs in October.

So which is better? Gardener’s World says in the green is best. However, a study by Which Gardening magazine found that both methods were equally effective in terms of the number of plants which popped up in the second year.

Interestingly though, there were some dramatic differences between suppliers. The most successful group of snowdrops were bought in the green and about 76% of them were successful. But another group of bulbs, also bought in the green, had an establishment rate of just 12%. That’s some difference!

For me, the moral of this tale is if you have a batch from a supplier (either of dry bulbs or bulbs in the green) and they perform well, stick with the supplier!

My only other caveat against planting dry bulbs in October is squirrels. Some people find squirrels a real pest when it comes to their newly planted snowdrops. They’re usually only a nuissance for that first few months after planting, until the leaves come through. You can erect a protective wire frame over your newly planted bulbs, or perhaps try a garlic spray (which squirrels apparently hate). For a full set of squirrel-deterrent tips check out my blog how to protect bulbs from squirrels.

To avoid such squirrel dramas, and because I’ve plenty of other bulbs to plant in autumn – not least a gazillion tulips in my raised bed, bluebells for a mini glade I’m trying to createand my white themed containers for the front of our cottage – I personally plant my snowdrops in the green in February/March.

Where to plant snowdrops

Whether you are planting them as dry bulbs or in the green, you must choose a spot which doesn’t dry out in the summer. Ideally, snowdrops like moist but well drained, hummus-rich soil in sun or dappled shade.

Under trees, in grass, fringing semi-shaded beds, in rock gardens, there are lots of options for them. You can have them in a container, indeed some look really effective. But just take extra care with a pot as again it mustn’t dry out and you will need to repot them with fresh compost each year.

If you are planting your snowdrops in heavy soil, to improve the drainage add a bit of grit or sharp sand to the hole you are putting them in.

Good and bad companion plants

Snowdrops may be tough, but you don’t want to make their life hard by forcing them to compete with plants which will take all their light or moisture. So I wouldn’t plant them at the base of conifers which will dry them out, or among large evergreens which will take all the light. Anything which quickly forms a thick carpet (geraniums like Wargrave Pink) could be problematic. Anything that’s really so vigorous that you have to regularly divide it, will be a pain to the poor little snowdrop!

That said they are not prima donnas! They don’t need to be centre-stage. Snowdrops are a wonderful companion to hellebores, crocus, cyclamen (as above), chionodoxa, erythronium.

Or in a mixed border like my semi-shaded border above where the other plants have yet to get going in Jan – March, so the snowdrops can dominate the scene (and the light) for a bit!

Propagating snowdrops

Another of the reasons why I love snowdrops so much is that propatating them (increasing your stock of them) is easy peasy. All you do is lift, divide and replant them.

You do this to established clumps of them that are getting rather crowded. As a guide you will probably see a clump getting too crowded after three or so years. At this point the experts suggest carefully lifting a clump after flowering (so in March or April) with a fork – you don’t want to damage the roots. You then put them back in the garden straight away and give them a good drink of water. Remember these are plants which like a moist well drained existence. Do not let them dry out while you are replanting them.

If you replant them after flowering, even after watering, they will look a bit straggly and droopy. But don’t panic, next year they will spring up looking fresh, pristine and oh so beautiful.

Where to put them

Once you get going with your colony of snowdrops you might find yourself propagating patches almost every year (if you want to). That’s certainly the case for me. When I do this, I spread the spare plants around the garden to new places. My latest venture is putting some under a precious cherry tree. I want to make this grass area which is near my patio a little more interesting. I’ve also put some in my stone trough in a shaded spot at the front of our cottage. If I’m honest, I often do my snowdrop propagating when the plants are in flower rather than being patient and waiting for the flowering to end. If I’m gentle and quick I find they survive fine – and carry on blooming immediately after replanting quite happily!

I find there’s always somewhere you can put a snowdrop! However, if you have no room left, why not give any spare plants to friends. But do keep the plants nice and damp – wrapping them in damp newspaper is an idea. And tell your lucky friends to plant them straight away.

Snowdrops in a container

I think that you could plant up a container really effectively with snowdrops. I’ve not tried this (other than popping some in my woodland themed stone trough). But I have some ideas and am going to give it a go. I think a metal container would show off the white flowers beautifully. But to make the whole combination work brilliantly, I’d be tempted to plant silvery plants with the snowdrops.

Something like Convolvulus cneorum would work well. It has evergreen foliage that is covered in lovely silky-grey hairs. The foliage would work with the snowdrops when they’re in flower and then in summer the convolvulus’ own flowers would take over – pink buds opening into pretty pinkish-white trumpets with a pink stripe. To break up all the silveryness in this container I’d maybe pop in the compact evergreen (or ever-black I should say) perennial Ophiopogon nigrescens which has lovely black strappy slender leaves. Or maybe I’d go for a really dark leaved Heuchera.

Snowdrop varieties to try

Galanthus nivalis

The most common (but still gorgeous) snowdrop is Galanthus nivalis. And if you only had this variety in your garden, you’d still have a very beautiful plant as – like the little black dress – it’s a classic.

Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus ‘Flore Pleno’

Want more bang for your buck? Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus ‘Flore Pleno’ is a double-flowered variety.

Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’

This variety has a particularly wonderful, honey scent.

Galanthus plicatus ‘Trymming’

Want green tipped outer petals that curl back over time? Try Trymming. So named because it was found in a garden in Westbury-on-Trym.

Galanthus woronowii

A bit shorter than the usual snowdrop, at 15cm tall, Galanthus woronowii has small flowers, a neat compact habit and glossy dark green leaves. Also has a funny green sort of hoof-like splodge mark on the inner petals.

Galanthus elwesii

The biggest of the bunch! By snowdrop standards Galanthus elwesii positively towers over the rest. Called the Greater snowdrop it reaches as much as 30cm tall.

Galanthus ‘Primrose Warburg’

Love the white freshness of a snowdrop but wish there was a dollop of yellow in there too, this little beauty is gorgeous. Galanthus ‘Primrose Warburg’. It is named after Primrose Warburg (1920-1996) who was a well know snowdrop (Galanthus) collector. So much so that part of her snowdrop collection is now at The National Botanic Garden of Wales. She also collected Hellebores and Crocus. I love the sound of Primrose.

But before you (and I) all rush off to explore these snowdrops to become the next Primrose Warburg, beware! Some snowdrops are highly collectable and therefore possibly hard to find – or expensive.

And in my humble opinion the common, classic, Galanthus nivalis is quite lovely enough. It more than lives up to Louise Wilder’s wise words and is a: “fragile but hardy celebration… in the very teeth of winter”

Happy gardening x