A snowdrop carpet at Bank Hall, Bretheton in February 2009
Snowdrops (species of Galanthus) are popular late winter or early spring flowers which are celebrated as a sign of spring and can attract large numbers of visitors to places where they are growing. The reason for their popularity is that snowdrops can form impressive carpets of white in areas where they are native or have been naturalised. Most 'Snowdrop Gardens' will have the common snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis, but some have more unusual snowdrops, some which may be unique to the garden that they are growing in. The rarest may only survive in that garden due to the conditions and environment.
Agalanthophile is a snowdrop enthusiast. They may be authors of snowdrop books, cultivate snowdrops, collect snowdrops and have displays of them for personal and public display. Well known galanthophiles are the horticulturalist E. A. Bowles and the nurseryman James Allen. Modern day galanthophiles range from teenagers to the elderly, who continue under the same principles but also visit many of the gardens each year to see the displays of snowdrops as part of their hobby.[1]
The UK-based Cottage Garden Society has a snowdrop group that visits snowdrop gardens every year.[2]
Aaron P. Davis, The Genus Galanthus, A Botanical Magazine Monograph. Timber Press, Portland, OR (in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) ISBN0-88192-431-8
Matt Bishop, Aaron Davis, John Grimshaw, Snowdrops - A Monograph of Cultivated Galanthus, Griffin Press, January 2002 (ISBN0-9541916-0-9)
Stern F C, Snowdrops and Snowflakes – A study of the Genera Galanthus and Leucojum, The Royal Horticultural Society, 1956
