Snowdrops For Spiritual Wellness

Wow, I am feeling the cold today and it looks like snow is coming, but despite this there is new growth pushing up through the soil. February not only heralds the mid-point between winter and spring, but also the coming of the Snowdrop:)

In some languages it is known as the milk flower or snow bell, it's a flower which draws you out of the house on these cold winter days, to walk around and see what else is beginning to wake up and grow. Marking the end of one Autumn and the beginning of the coming spring they are the symbol of hope and the light at the end of the winter tunnel, there will be warmth soon!

These delicate plants are originally from south eastern Europe and were brought to England in the late 16th century, taking hundreds of years to eventually become established as a wild plant and has since naturalized all over Europe and North America.

Snowdrops can really lift a garden during the cold season and creating a garden which has visual interest all year round is beneficial, not only for ourselves, but also for animals, birds and insects.

They are the first flower some bees and insects will encounter during the cold dark months, so they are actually a very necessary plant. If everyone had a little clump in the garden a lot of insects and bees might do much better in the world and they can be added to gardens in so many different ways, helping to lift our mood during these winter months, with their nodding white heads and elegant silvery green leaves.

They look beautiful in borders, as drifts throughout your lawn, paired up with Daphne's, or under Wintersweet and Witch Hazel trees. Many people don't realize how scented snowdrops are, until they are brought into the warmth of the house, with around 2,500 varieties some can smell of sweet almonds and others of violets.

Snowdrop bulbs have a tendency to dry out quickly, so you might want to buy them 'in the green' (a term which means they are already potted and growing), that way you are planting in the Spring and they will establish more successfully, especially if you apply a mycorrhizal fungi to the roots with a good quality soil and compost, you can also get a bargain after they have finished flowering in the garden nurseries, plant them immediately for flower the following year. They like a well drained moist soil with partial shade, so they work really well under trees. Plant them in drifts for the best effect, you can start small and as they bulk up over the years divide them and replant to expand their area. Another reason to plant Snowdrop in the green is that Squirrels really love to dig up the bulbs in the spring, but they tend to avoid them if they are already growing, however you may want to plant an additional amount to account for any which may still find their way onto the menu of a Squirrel:)

Do you have a little jewel flowering outside? Please share your Snowdrop pictures below and how they are arranged in your garden:)