Tag: Snowdrops

Five Favourites | February 2026

Published on by Catherine10 Comments

I’m joining Cathy from Words & Herbs with her monthly Five Favourites!

While the garden has been fighting against our very cold, wet and windy winter, I’ve been busy with other things. I thought the garden might be ready to make its entrance on the regular meme I take part in – “Six on Saturday” hosted by Jim at Garden Ruminations. But the garden isn’t ready and at the moment I’m not quite ready either.

I’ve realised that I’m going to struggle to find 6 worthy subjects each week, and together with the others tasks I’m currently committed to, I thought that maybe I could better fit in with Cathy’s Five Favourites. Perhaps as spring and summer progress I’ll be able to participate in both.

Snowdrops. First up, plain and simple, are the snowdrops. Little clumps here and there, not yet spreading themselves around. But that should come in time. I hope.

Galanthus nivalis – the common snowdrop

Through the winter months garden has been dark, twiggy and moody. It’s still raining, but we’re now getting a few days sunshine here and there – and it’s prompting a few plants back onto the stage.

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First ‘Six’ of 2025

Published on by Catherine31 Comments

Six on Saturday

For a few days at the end of January and beginning of February, it felt almost as though spring had arrived. My husband and I spent several days in the garden – our first opportunity to tidy up after Storm Eowyn. It was still bitterly cold, but calm and sunny. We were dressed for the cold and it turned out to be quite pleasant in the sunshine. Unlike many in our area, the garden escaped the worst of last month’s storm. The blown-out glass in the greenhouse has been replaced and the one tile that had slipped on the roof of the house is back in place. I will never forget the roar of the wind that night. It was incredibly loud and sounded much like the hurricanes or tornadoes in movies. Scary.

That’s behind us now, new shoots are emerging everywhere and I’m feeling excited as spring approaches. I’m busy with gardening tasks like cutting back the last of the perennials and removing old or damaged shrubs when the weather is nice.

But now it’s time for my first 2025 Six on Saturday.

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Spring Countdown

Published on by Catherine36 Comments

If you follow the Meteorological calendar, you will only have 20 sleeps until Spring arrives – how exciting is that! But if you prefer the Astronomical calendar, you’ll have longer to wait. Your Spring will start on the 20th of March, mine on the 1st day of March. Come rain, hail or shine – that’s the day my Spring begins. I’m very, very impatient when it comes to leaving winter behind – I’m a meteorological kind of person. 20 sleeps until Spring! Happy days!

Six on Saturday

New Plants. Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Amber Jubilee’. I’m hoping this plant lives up to its glowing description that declares, “in Spring, the leaves will be a rich salmon-orange that mature to green”. There’s a rough idea rattling about in my head about where to place it, but all I hope is that it will add colour where it’s needed in early spring.

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Snowdrops and Hellebores

Published on by Catherine22 Comments

Six on Saturday

When Storm Jocelyn eased off mid-week I was quick to get into the garden to pull two of my garden chairs out of the shrubs (again) and try to capture a few photographs of snowdrops. The winds had eased, but they were still strong and blustery. I almost gave up. However, the forecast stated with great authority that the rain was only taking a few hours off, and we’d still have blustery, wet conditions for quite some time. It seemed like one of those now-or-never moments.

Snowdrops. I took multiple shots of this little clump of snowdrops in the garden, but not too many of them were successful enough to use. Light was at a premium, and achieving a fast enough shutter speed for wind conditions was difficult. Single result below.

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