The UK is now enjoying milder if not necessarily sunny weather. Still, it has triggered an explosion of growth. So I’ll commence with the first of this season’s narcissus, the lovely diminutive Cyclamineus. I’ve not enjoyed undiluted joy with this joyful miniature. It requires a moist, sheltered position and my first batch was planted in a dry sunny spot and simply disappeared after their first and only flowering. Undaunted I tried again and the first flower appeared today. This is a gem or rather gems because there is a mass of buds.

Two rather similar snowdrops next. One is so rare I am unable to discover anything about it save it was purchased two years ago from a specialist and expert. It failed to flower last time round. ‘Wayfarer’ and the still rare ‘Prague Spring’ make a good contrast with the more conventional snowdrops in the garden, always a good thing when planting.


If the previous pair is rare, ‘Augustus’ is a well established variety named after the famous EA Bowles, the ‘A’ being for ‘Augustus’. The foliage is distinctive though it is the puckered appearance that stands out. This short, sturdy snowdrop is a must for the garden. It stands repetition: the cost of bulbs does not signify better quality.

Two more snowdrops before I publish. First is ‘Greenfields’ which I like very much. In a sense it is a very conventional snowdrop but the outer petals open out to reveal that very dark, inner marking to make the white all the more pristine. And a snowdrop I find superior to the famous ‘Grumpy ‘, Galanthus Big Eyes’ is a large, rounded plant that is prominent in the border even without that appealing face.


Beautiful! G. Greenfields is especially nice!
LikeLike
A classy snowdrop. Very clean look.
LikeLike