Collectors’ snowdrops

With their delicate nodding heads of the purest white, Snowdrops are a welcome sign that spring is around the corner to most of us.

But to Galanthophiles (after the Latin name for snowdrop – Galanthus), also known more commonly as snowdrops collectors, these bright spots of winter loveliness are worth their weight in gold.

Enthusiasts are ordinary gardeners with a keen eye for fine detail and a desire to celebrate nature even in the long winter months. However, some snowdrop fans just want some variety in their gardens in wintertime which can often feel bleak post-Christmas. 

Collectors’ snowdrops are more unusual species and cultivars which vary from the standard ones in their shape, colouring, or markings. As a result, there are thousands of different named cultivars, many particularly distinctive but others challenging to tell apart unless you are an enthusiast with good knowledge of the snowdrop and a keen eye for detail. Particularly popular at the moment are varieties with green or yellow markings.

Some (misguided) folks slightly scoff at the hobby of snowdrop collection. The sometimes eye-watering prices paid for a single bulb generate many column inches for the skeptics. Yet the prices equate to rarity – as they do with any plant. A plant with few bulbs in circulation will be more expensive than one with multiple sellers and a plentiful supply. Prices start high when a new variety is introduced but soon drop as supply increases, especially if the array becomes popular and easy to grow. 

‘Snowdrops are harbingers of Spring; the first sign that the garden is waking up, and as such, they fill me with optimism.’ says Richard Norris, head buyer at Long Barn. ‘ I’m sure many gardeners feel the same, so no wonder there is such interest in them; they represent the first opportunity of the year to indulge one’s love of gardening, hence the plethora of collector’s fairs. For me, there is a sentimental attachment. I planted a group of Snowdrops when I buried our beloved cat, Snickers, a few years ago. Then, in mid-January, they come into flower and bring a tear to my eye, soon to be replaced with a smile as I picture her railing below ground at the abundant birdlife that has colonised our garden since her demise. Which variety did I plant? No idea, but it does have the most interesting variegated foliage that I’ve not quite seen in other Snowdrops…Galanthus ‘Snickers’ perhaps..’.

At Long Barn this season, as ever, we are doing very best to bring you the most charming snowdrops; however, please note that while we aim to keep stock levels high, demand often outstrips supply – to be first to know when they’re here, either follow us on social or sign up for our email newsletter.