FIVE SENSATIONAL SNOWDROPS

1 GALANTHUS ELWESII ‘COMET’

Perfectly shaped flower heads, with inner petals adorned with a single green marking, perch on 10in-tall stems early in the year.

2 G. NIVALIS ‘BLEWBURY TART’

Discovered in an Oxfordshire garden, this compact gem, below, has double flowers with inner petals liberally adorned with green markings.

3 G. PLICATUS ‘COLOSSUS’

A variety that sometimes produces two, 12in-tall flowering stems per bulb, topped with fat flower heads.

4 G. ‘MAGNET’

During February and March, stems hold flowers with outer petals that open to reveal inner ones enhanced with V-shaped green markings.

5 G. ‘S. ARNOTT’

Making its debut in the early 20th Century, this has big, bulbous and strongly scented flower heads that are displayed on 8in stems in February.

Stockists include: Avon Bulbs avonbulbs.co.uk; Cotswold Garden Flowers cotswoldgardenflowers.co.uk; Elworthy Cottage Plants elworthy-cottage.co.uk