Cherrie's Notes
I wonder who first thought that the name 鈥渟nowdrop鈥� might perfectly capture the grace and charm of the tiny spring flower which we all know and love?
They were introduced to woodlands and gardens in this part of the world by intrepid plant-hunters, interested wayfarers and ordinary travellers who saw them growing wild and uncultivated and were entranced.
Soldiers too, fighting in places like the Crimea, collected bulbs to bring home ... perhaps as symbols of hope in stark contrast to the battlefields and places of war in which they found themselves.
Whoever it was who coined the name, they captured the essence of this dainty plant, as it sparkles through grass or under the bare branches of trees at this time of year, when light levels are low and we all delight in glimpses of spring when they appear.
This is the month of the snowdrop or 鈥淕alanthus Nivalis鈥� to give it it鈥檚 common botanical name, but if you play your cards right you can enjoy them from November right through until March.
This week Gardeners' Corner joins the snowdrop celebrations as we visit four lovely gardens which are open to galanthophiles (or snowdrop lovers) and ordinary mortals alike.
We begin at Springhill in Moneymore with Estate Warden Sophie Atkinson.
This lovely, gently atmospheric 17th century Plantation House features small colonies of snowdrops which circle the mossy, sinewy trunks of trees and grow en masse in drifts on a softly sloping bank behind the house.
Found by the Head Gardener John growing elsewhere in the woods, they were transplanted and every year for the past 16 years John has painstakingly lifted and divided them to ensure that they will continue to canopy the bank.
Then it鈥檚 off to Benvarden in Dervock, one of the few fully maintained old walled gardens here.
Beyond the walls and out through the trees and around the woodland pond are drifts of snowdrops, some dating back to the days of the Crimean war.
Helen Mark met Hugh and Valerie Montgomery and heard stories about bulbs brought back from battlefields and about tiny bunches of snowdrops gathered by local children and sent to Covent Garden to be used for funeral wreaths during the Second World War.
Downhill Demesne came next as Toby Edwards took Helen on another snowdrop dander.
At Downhill the snowdrops grow in herbaceous beds and under a glorious Horse Chestnut tree.
While the common variety is mostly grown there you鈥檒l also find a snowdrop with the delightful name 鈥淔red鈥檚 Giant鈥�.
The name鈥檚 the thing too at Ballyrobert Cottage Garden, where you鈥檒l find a number of Irish varieties with names like 鈥淐astlegar鈥� 鈥淜ildare鈥� 鈥淏renda Troyle鈥� 鈥淪traffan鈥� 鈥淗ill Poe鈥� and 鈥淢ark鈥檚 Tall鈥� (found by County Antrim galanthophile Mark Smyth.)
And isn鈥檛 it great that you can see them all for yourselves throughout this month?
Just go to www.nationaltrust.org or www.discovernorthernireland.com
Till next time, good gardening ...
