Days out for snowdrop lovers

Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan

There are snowdrops to see from December through to March in this peaceful Edwardian garden just 20 minutes outside Cardiff. Discover mass plantings of Galanthus elwesii and G.nivalis throughout the garden, as well as many other snowdrop cultivars, with the best displays starting from early February. Over the past few years, visitors and local schools have helped plant more than 100,000 snowdrops at Dyffryn Gardens. Other winter highlights include early bulbs, scented winter shrubs, seasonal pot displays, and the glasshouse, where there is always something exotic to see, even in the coldest months.

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© Dyffryn Gardens

Snowdrops light up the Edwardian garden and grounds at Dyffryn Gardens

Bodnant Garden, Conwy

Over the past decade, hundreds of thousands of snowdrops have been planted at Bodnant Garden. First to bloom are the unusual specimens found in the Winter Garden, followed by a carpet of common snowdrops, Galanthus nivalis, running from the Old Park meadow through the woodland garden to The Far End. Also in February, the scent of winter-flowering shrubs such as daphnes, Sarcococca (sweetbox) and many varieties of Hamamelis (witch hazels) fills the air. The first camellias bloom and, if the season is mild, the grand old Magnolia campbellii subsp. mollicomata may be in flower on the Terraces. Enjoy the sight of lilac Rhododendron praecox and many colourful hellebores all around the garden.

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© Bodnant Garden

A carpet of common snowdrops Galanthus nivalis at Bodnant Garden

Hever Castle & Gardens, Kent

From 8 February 2023, follow the spectacular Snowdrop Walk through the grounds of Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. Around 115,000 snowdrops have been planted in the gardens in the past few years, including some interesting cultivars in the Winter Garden, such as Galanthus ‘Colossus’ a giant of the snowdrop world at more than 20cm tall. These delicate flowers blanket the banks of the double moat surrounding the 700-year-old castle, with more drifts of snowdrops to delight you along Sunday Walk and Church Gill Walk. Meander through the rest of the extensive gardens and grounds to enjoy the early blossoms of camellias and quince, and the first daffodils of the season.

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© Hever Castle & Gardens

Drifts of dainty snowdrops cover the banks of the moat at Hever Castle

Chippenham Park Gardens, Cambridgeshire

Impressive and vast displays of snowdrops and winter aconites create a sight to behold in February at Chippenham Park Gardens. Wander through a mass of Galanthus nivalis, both single and double cultivars, which have naturalised here over hundreds of years. Set around large lakes and ancient canals, the 40-acre formal and woodland gardens are resplendent with a succession of hellebores, cyclamen and iris, building to a crescendo of daffodils later in the season. Deliciously perfumed daphnes and viburnums scent the air at this time of year, while Betula utilis var. jacquemontii and the colourful stems of Cornus sanguinea and C. stolonifera provide further winter highlights.

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© Chippenham Park Gardens

Impressive displays of snowdrops will lift your spirits at Chippenham Park Gardens

Stowe, Buckinghamshire

Snowdrops are such an iconic feature of Stowe in late winter that they’re fondly known as ‘Stowedrops’ here. Not long after New Year’s Day, the first of these dainty delights brave the cold and by February, snowdrops carpet much of the 18th century landscape gardens, from Elysian Fields to the Sleeping Wood and Lamport Garden. For a garden designed mostly without flowers, there are alot of snowdrops to see! Follow the seasonal ‘Stowedrop’ walk and take in picture-perfect views of the many monuments, temples and lakes along the way. As spring develops, you’ll also be able to spot cyclamen, aconites, hellebores and tulips.

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© National Trust / David Humphries

Snowdrops blanket the ground around the Temple of Ancient Virtue at Stowe

The Lovell Quinta Arboretum, Cheshire

Scattered drifts of snowdrops light up the woodland walks through Lovell Quinta Arboretum in February and early March. The double snowdrop Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ blooms at the arboretum entrance, while naturalised clusters of the common snowdrop Galanthus nivalis are peppered across the arboretum and around the lake. Winter is also a perfect time to appreciate the skeletal silhouettes of

Deciduous refers to plants (mainly trees and shrubs) that lose their leaves seasonally, usually during autumn. This is a natural process triggered by the season's shorter days and lower temperatures and allows plants to conserve energy during the winter months.

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© Lovell Quinta Arboretum

© Anglesey Abbey

Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire

Anglesey Abbey has a fine snowdrop collection, with more than 400 species and cultivars, including many that are rare or were discovered in the garden. Look out for Galanthus nivalis ‘Anglesey Abbey’, G. ‘Richard Ayres’, named after a former Head Gardener, and G. ‘Hobson’s Choice’, named for Thomas Hobson, who in the 17th century converted the derelict priory into the country house you see today. There are snowdrops to seek out across the gardens, with the best places to spot them being the Winter Garden and Woodland Path. Discover more seasonal delights in the beautiful Winter Garden, from the glossy

Bark is the outermost layer of woody plants (trees, shrubs and woody climbers). It is several cells thick and provides protection against physical damage, disease and environmental stresses. Bark comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and these can help gardeners when identifying plants. The fissures and crevices of bark on older plants also creates valuable habitat for many garden creatures as well as lichens and small plants.

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