Snowdrop Heaven

Ronald has been a leading light of the snowdrop world for many years, introducing many wonderful cultivars through The Snowdrop Company, which he set up in 1991 and ran with the stalwart support of our dear mutual friend and renowned galanthophile Ruby Baker. His list was one of the most anticipated in the calendar. The best cultivars of all are named after members of his family; many of them are late-flowering and were yet to put on a display when I visited this year.

Ronald has been gardening in the same cottage garden for over forty years and the soil is deep and rich from years of top-dressing with manure. I have been visiting occasionally over the last three years or so, photographing the garden through spring and early summer, chatting happily about the joys of gardening and reminiscing about Ruby. A few of the photos from my previous visits may appear accompanying an article about the garden by Robert Rolfe in The Alpine Gardener, but I would like to share here some of the joy which came with the wonderful spring weather last week.

When you arrive at the front gate, there are clumps of attractive snowdrops to tell you you have come to the right place; I forgot to ask what either of these were.

Galanthus ‘Galatea’

Climbing the steps into the back garden, I was greeted by several large clumps of G. Galatea. At this point I toured the garden with Ronald, but without my camera, making notes about the plants I wanted to photograph, and trying to collect the right names, then he returned inside to rest and left me to run wild with my camera. Unfortunately, my notes and the photos I took on that sunny afternoon don’t always match up and I don’t have names for everything.

Galanthus ‘Daglingworth’

Ronald asked me to photograph several pans from his cold frame – his whitewashed greenhouse made a convenient studio. There weren’t many of these – he prefers to grow all his plants in the open garden.

Galanthus graecus

Galanthus koenenianus

Galanthus cultivar

A Galanthus cultivar we didn’t manage to identify, masquerading as a Narcissus according to the label on the pot.

Narcissus asturiensis ‘Navarre’

Having photographed the plants from the frame, I rushed to the top of the garden to capture this lovely bank of daffodils, side-lit with sunshine through the hedge, and mingling with a few bulbs of G. ‘Shackleton’.

Crocus cultivar

On my way back down the garden, determined to work more methodically, my eye was caught by this bright yellow crocus, but I couldn’t find a label

Eranthis hyemalis

Little shafts of sunlight were catching the clumps of winter aconites, and they looked wonderful. They are always one of my favourite spring flowers and I would love to photograph them en masse, but have never found a suitable location, or had the opportunity.

Galanthus ‘Ketton’

At this point in the season, G. ‘Ketton’ was at its peak, and there were several splendid clumps of it.

Galanthus ikariae subsp. ikariae

Next to one of the clumps of G. ‘Ketton’, a Galanthus species – with perhaps a more refined charm.

Galanthus seedling

All over the garden there are interesting seedlings – this one with the green stripe was the first Ronald showed me.

Galanthus ‘Rosemary Burnham’

A favourite of Ronald’s, in great condition.

Galanthus ‘Spindlestone Surprise’

The first yellow of the day – one which thrives here – there are in big clumps all over the garden.

Crocus tommasinianus

This was the first patch of ‘tommies’ I encountered, in perfect condition.

Galanthus ‘Florence Baker’

A very large and vigorous snowdrop.

Galanthus seedling

Another green-marked seedling.

Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’

One of the first snowdrops I ever grew, and an old friend.

Crocus tommasinianus

The area of garden immediately behind the house is a wonderful riot of crocuses, snowdrops, aconites and scilla, growing together in incredible profusio

Galanthus ‘Fiona’s Gold’

Galanthus ‘Floccon de Neige’

Galanthus ‘Wendy’s Gold’

Galanthus ‘Glenchantress’

Reaching the end of its season, but clearly a lovely snowdrop.

Galanthus ‘Little Ben’

Garden view

By this point I had reached the path across the back of the house. The views from there back up across the lower garden were stunning. The mix of colours among the crocuses was particularly striking – blue, purple, claret, white, and many which were lilac with white tips to the petals.

Galanthus ‘Daglingworth’ seedling

There were several bulbs of this seedling scattered over a small area.

Galanthus ‘Trumps’

Galanthus elwesii ‘Carolyn Elwes’

I am never sure about this one – it always looks rather sickly when it appears, with its yellowish leaves.

Galanthus ‘Claude Biddulph’

Another highly regarded green-marked snowdrop.

Galanthus ‘Rodmarton Arcturus’

If there is one snowdrop I will always associate with Ronald, it is this. It is such a striking plant, growing in several large clumps in his garden, and is also the first of his plants I ever photographed, back in 2011 when it gained a Preliminary Commendation at the RHS Early Spring Show at Westminster.

Galanthus ‘Dan Armstrong’

A great big poculiform snowdrop, which was sadly going over, but there were still a few individual flowers I could photograph.

Galanthus ‘Green Tear’

Our mutual friend Ruby Baker always liked the snowdrops with green striped petals the best, and that is to some extent reflected in Ronald’s collection.

Galanthus fosteri

Another Galanthus species, growing in a sheltered position at the foot of a wall.

Galanthus ‘Margaret Biddulph’

Galanthus alpinus var. bortkewitschianus

This is a species I have never photographed before.

Galanthus ‘Ruby Baker’

This is the snowdrop named for Ruby, though I think I will always associate her most with G. Witchwood.

Galanthus ‘Mrs Thompson’

How many petals should a snowdrop have?

Galanthus ‘Wasp’

Helleborus x. hybridus

An extremely dark Hellebore seedling which appeared in the garden.

Crocus tommasinianus

I just couldn’t resist photographing the crocuses in the sun. I love the ones which are this deep claret colour.

Galanthus x. allenii

Leucojum vernum

As well as the snowdrops, there are several different forms of Leucojum in the garden.  Note also the snowdrop seedling in the foreground.

Galanthus ‘Herbert Ransom’

Galanthus ‘Shackleton’

Galanthus ‘Elizabeth PJ’

This huge snowdrop is, if I got it right, one that Ronald intends to name Elizabeth PJ, after Elizabeth Parker-Jervis.

Looking back down towards the cottage

Galanthus ‘Ronald Mackenzie’

This is the snowdrop named after Ronald himself.

Galanthus ‘Daglingworth’ seedling

Another, in this case very large, seedling from G. ‘Daglingworth’, which Ronald intends to name.

Galanthus ‘Ruth Birchall’

In the meadow part of the garden, the snowdrops run in clumps along the foot of the hedges, and around the base of the fruit trees in the grass. This is where I had the most difficulty matching up photos with my notes.

Galanthus cultivar

Galanthus ‘Ermine House’

Galanthus cultivar

Another I can’t put a name to now.

Galanthus ‘Trym’

Galanthus cultivar

Galanthus ‘Robin Hood’

Galanthus ‘Armine’

Galanthus ‘John Grey’

Galanthus ‘Wareham’

Galanthus cultivar

Narcissus ‘Bowles’s Early Sulphur’

Galanthus ‘Gerard Parker’ (?)

Galanthus ‘Witchwood’

This is G. ‘Witchwood’ – famously collected by Ruby Baker – but which wood did it come from?

Galanthus ‘Henly Greenspot’

Another fine plant.

Galanthus cultivar

Galanthus ‘Marlie Raphael’

One of my favourites – I like the well defined little green tips and upright stature.

Galanthus ‘Bertram Anderson’

Helleborus x. hybridus

Finally, a view of Ronald’s bed of hellebore seedlings.