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Marcia's Thornton folio.  View full image

by Marcie Meigs

During this first week of March, 2004, we finally are seeing signs of spring in the garden. Adonis clumps are budded, snowdrops (Galanthus spp.)are bravely putting on their sweetly virginal display, Eranthis gilds the shadows under the witchhazel (Hamamelis 'Arnold's Promise'), which is ablaze with yellow as well, and Cyclamen coum has flowers opening amongst its tidy nosegays of entrancingly patterned leaves. The hellebore blooms appear frozen in place and I fret daily over the exquisite pink buds of Helleborus tibetanus. 

Galanthus and Cyclamen coum. Photo by Marcia Meigs.  View full image

I ran frantically about with armfuls of Christmas tree boughs trying to help the most loved survive the severely dropping temperature. 

The coming weeks are a good time to observe the snowdrops in our gardens. To the untutored eye they are pretty much the same in appearance.  But to the rabid galanthophile they are very different. And those of you who know Hitch Lyman and have been the fortunate recipient of a guided tour of his Trumansburg, N.Y., garden have been made very aware of the infinite variations that exist. 

If you do not already have it, you must buy Snowdrops, A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus by Bishop, Davis and Grimshaw.  (Best price I have found is at half.com). I find this book invaluable for identifying snowdrops, choosing what I would like to acquire, and reading the charming histories of some of the forms. Who can resist names like G. elwesii 'Daphne's Scissors', 'Fat Boy', 'Grumpy', 'Maid Marion' or 'Tuesday's Child', G. nivalis 'Flocon de Neige', 'Gloucester Old Spot' or 'Mrs. Tiggywinkle', or dear old G. plicatus 'Diggory'. Sadly I have yet to find any of these and when I do they most likely will be very pricey, some going for over thirty dollars each. 

But, I do have forms like 'Blewberry Tart', 'Jacquenetta', 'Lady Elphinstone', 'Tiny Tim', 'Octopussy' and other charmers. And they do very nicely in our soil and climate, so I urge you to try some. 

Here are some websites that will acquaint you with these charming denizens of Spring. They have excellent links to more sites. Enjoy! 

• Snowdropinfo
• Judy's Snowdrops (links)

NARGS Bulletin, Fall, 1998 has an article with sources. Otherwise, sources in the US are very limited and mostly found by word of mouth. Trades with other galanthophiles are possible...