Snowdrop Bouquets

– Posted in: New House, New Gardens, Snowdrops
12 comments

One six ounce glass of snowdrops…

Juice glass full of snowdrops

We picked as many as would fit in a juice glass. It was raining.

yields…
various tiny bottles with snowdrops in them

Almost all of these bottles were scratched up by our chickens. They are perfect vases for snowdrops.

…eleven small but exquisite snowdrop bouquets. Snowdrops have a fragrance that is similar to sweet alyssum or certain daffodils (not poeticus or jonquils). We picked these at the old garden and the truck was filled with the scent of them on the way home.
Snowdrops in the secret garden

Snowdrops line the path to the secret garden at the old house. If you look carefully you can see the white blur of snowdrops beyond the footbridge.

I will be moving as many snowdrops as I can manage to the new garden. Did you notice there were three different kinds of snowdrops in that juice glass?
Labeled Snowdrops

There are many more kinds of snowdrops in the world than what you see here

When my fourteen-year-old saw the glass full of snowdrops, he said, “Ah, spring.”

Precisely.

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

~Albert Camus in Albert Camus quotations

Comments on this entry are closed.

Rose Merritt August 22, 2012, 5:35 am

The double snowdrop has to be my favourite. Unfortunately I have missed the snowdrops in my garden but I’m definitely going to give the bouquets a try next year.

Deborah at Kilbourne Grove March 16, 2012, 7:13 am

Glad to see that you are moving your snowdrops, a great time to divide them as well. I am not returning from Barbados until the middle of April, hope the snowdrops hand on until then.

Jan (Thanks for today.) March 13, 2012, 12:52 am

I have only between 6 and 9 snowdrop plants and each one only gave me 1 flower this year so I cannot afford to bring them in just yet…Boy, wouldn’t I love to see them multiply to the proportions you have! Awesome;-) Very cute little bouquets, too!

Debra March 11, 2012, 10:06 am

Kathy, these are sublime bouquets – and I love that you’re bringing galanthus plants from the old garden to your new one. . . so you can enjoy the fragrant bouquet-gathering tradition every single year. Thanks for sharing!!!
Debra

Carol March 11, 2012, 10:06 am

I love the little snowdrops in the spring. I wish I had more. Do dig up all that you can and move them to your new garden!

Leslie March 10, 2012, 9:39 pm

Your snowdrops are just beautiful…but what I can’t get over is that those bottles were scratched up by your chickens!

Kathy Purdy March 10, 2012, 10:43 pm

Yes, the old country homes used to have a place where they burned their garbage, back when burning was a reasonable way to dispose of it. Apparently our chickens found this spot easy scratching, and on hot days would dig themselves holes and sit in the cool earth. My kids would see something half buried and pull it out. Marbles, pieces of broken china, broken doll heads. Lots of interesting stuff.

Frances March 10, 2012, 4:17 pm

Your little bouquets of snowdrops fill my heart with laughter and song, Kathy! Such an abundance at the old house, and so much fun to move them to the new one where they will make everyone think of spring. Arnott is on my want list.

Dee March 10, 2012, 12:45 pm

Love those bouquets of sweetness. Wish snowdrops loved it here, but alas, they do not. Oh well, I shall enjoy yours from afar.~~Dee

Layanee March 10, 2012, 11:04 am

Oh, I am going out to pick a bouquet. They are so lovely.

Cindy, MCOK March 10, 2012, 10:54 am

Those are just lovely!

Gail March 10, 2012, 10:50 am

Kathy, I was so busy noticing how sweet their blooms were and imaging their scent that I missed there were three different varieties! Glad you pointed that detail out to a detail challenged person like me. xogail