Garden home for a family of snowflakes
The snows of winter are, hopefully, now a thing of the past; at least until November or later.
While a few weeks ago many people were dreading the prospect of blizzards, others were eagerly looking forward to another “snow” – the first snowdrop of 2022.
Yet there is yet another “snow” worth waiting for. It’s a delicate beauty that may look a bit like a snowdrop, but it isn’t – it’s bigger and blooms later and it’s known as the spring snowflake. Leucojum vernum.
It has strap-shaped dark-green foliage above which one or two nodding bellshaped white flowers (marked with a green or sometimes yellow tip) stand proud.
It normally grows to a height of 15cm and is ideal for naturalising and for growing in rockeries and containers. Its delicate scent attracts bees. Leucojum vernum does best
in a sunny spot and a rich, free-draining soil.
Flowers may appear as early as February, but they are normally at their peak in March. They are far less numerous than snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) but are equally as attractive.
Another snowflake to watch for is L aestivum, another deciduous bulb, perhaps growing to 50cm tall, with long, narrow leaves and up to eight bell-shaped, green-tipped, white flowers on a leafless stem which appear in late spring, although it’s known as the summer snowflake.
And to finish the story, L autumnale flowers in September. It’s quite small but blooms well in a sunny spot where the soil is slightly sandy.
And that, basically, is the family. If you want to grow them rather than the much more common snowdrop, plant dry bulbs 8-10cm (3-4in) deep in autumn, in humusrich soil.
As with snowdrops, clumps of snowflakes are best lifted and divided as soon as they have finished flowering. Replant them immediately and they should grow to bloom again the following year.