snowdrops blooming in garden amid late March snow
This has been a particularly long, cold winter in Milwaukee. It is nearly the end of March and the temperature is barely above freezing. We still have a lot of snow and spring seems a long way off. However amid all the wintry weather, my snowdrops (Galanthus) are blooming without a care in the world. More snow you say? No problem, the snowdrops wait under the snow and reappear when the snow melts again. They are really quite remarkable and I think, the true harbinger of spring to a gardener.
Snowdrops are my favorite spring bulbs because they are the first to emerge and as perennials, they frequently naturalize. They produce one small (1″ or less), white flower which hangs down off its stalk prior to opening. As the snowdrop bloom opens, you see 3 outer petals arching out over 3 inner petals. Each bloom is surrounded by leaves shaped like narrow blades that grow about 4″ high. In our cold Wisconsin spring weather, snowdrop flowers often last for a long time and when they fade, the crocus and daffodils are usually ready to take their place.
Snowdrops generally grow in clumps so the visual effect is much like a dainty bouquet in the garden. I have been dividing the galanthus clumps in my garden each year in an effort to create an entire carpet of snowdrops in our front garden. I love sitting in the window with a cup of coffee, enjoying the first flowers of spring while planning my garden improvements for the new season.
Growing Tips
- Snowdrops like full sun to partial shade.You can plant snowdrops under deciduous trees, since they bloom before the tree leaves emerge.
- They grow best in well-drained soil with plenty of humus.
- Do not remove foliage until it has turned yellow, so that your snowdrops have a chance to store nutrients for next year.
- Snowdrops are deer and rodent resistant
- Snowdrops do well in zones 3-7.