Galanthus

Almost a month of posts and I'm still enjoying the discipline of writing every day.  Makes me think about the garden in a different way; what's there right now, what do I want to share, where do I want to go with the garden changes in the spring (and spring will get here - many years of living tell me that).  Just before all of this snow and cold started the Galanthus (Snowdrops) were starting to poke foliage through the earth.  I told them to wait.  Experience told me that it was way too early, though we have had years when they showed up in January with no problems. The advantage to that, if we don't have too much snow and horrible cold, is that we have a very long season to enjoy them, before the heat  flattens them and they give way to crocuses and daffodils which are followed all too quickly by everything else rushing to be part of the show.  Late winter and early spring are different.  Slow, small changes every day. One step forward and two steps back.  Tentative small steps to be savored.  That said, I give you a taste of spring with Galanthus of various sorts from years past.

This first one is Galanthus nivea, just the common single flowered form.  We don't have too many of these, strangely as we have many more of the doubles, which we keep dividing and replanting.

The double one is much fancier, though not always appreciated for its delicate petals as you pretty much have to be lying on the ground looking up to see them well.

This on was obliged to turn over so you could see it better.

January Snowdrops

On of the select forms, this on Galanthus nivea 'Sam Arnott'.  We have looked at several others to add to the collection, but at $25 a bulb for the fancy new ones, we aren't likely to be buying a lot of them any time soon.