8 BRITISH SNOWDROPS
‘Margaret Owen’ Hester loves the elegant flowers of this hybrid, which was named for the English galanthophile Margaret Owen. She bought this at one of Margaret’s famed snowdrop lunches, held annually at her garden, The Patch in Shropshire, to coincide with the end of the flowering season. The lunch would be followed by an open day and sale. 28cm.
‘Erway’ This mid-season snowdrop, which often makes two scapes per bulb, is easy to recognise from a distance because of its long, olive-green ovary. 16cm.
‘Fly Fishing’ This early-flowering snowdrop, found by Avon Bulbs, is named for its long pedicel (or flower stem), which suggests a fishing line. It has an exceptionally long scape and upright spathe (the green bract that originally enclosed the flower bud). 20cm.
‘Trumps’ A vigorous seedling from G. plicatus ‘Trym’, inheriting bold green markings on the outer segments, soon forming a conspicuous clump in the garden. 16cm. AGM.
‘Mrs Thompson’ A robust hybrid that has a tendency to throw two flowers from separate pedicels, on the same scape. 18-20cm.
G. plicatus ‘Wendy’s Gold’ This plicatus cultivar has a vivid-yellow ovary and pedicel, and bulks up well when grown in good light. It flowers in Hester’s gravel area in February. 15cm.
‘Sprite’ This Avon Bulbs snowdrop has fine green lines on the outer petals and all-green inner ones. It flowers in February at in Hester’s garden. 15cm. 8 G. ‘Seagull’ A honey-scented snowdrop with chunky flowers and broad, semi-erect leaves. It often produces two flowers per bulb. 23cm. • Hardiness rating for all snowdrops: RHS H5, USDA 3a-7b.