The u3a Sustainable Floristry group visited Colesbourne Gardens for a private guided visit on a gloriously sunny and chilly February morning. 

We were showed round the gardens by Head Gardener Katie who shared her knowledge and enthusiasm for these beautiful plants. 

The snowdrops are planted across 10 acres under huge trees. Many of the snowdrops were found in the wild by the current owner Sir Henry Elwes’s Great Grandfather, Henry Elwes. He also brought back the specimen trees which can be found throughout the 10 acres. 

Once we got our eye in we were at least able to distinguish between the three main varieties of snowdrops by their leaves: Nivalis, Elwesii (after Great Grandfather Henry) and Picatus. We discovered their many different sizes and markings. The snowdrops hybridise easily. There are so many hybrids in fact that only ones that are truly different are named. Confusingly the same hybrid can have different names depending on the location it is grown in. Some snowdrops flower as early as October and some as late as March. Whilst most snowdrops are green and white, there are a few that are all (light) green and some yellows including one named after Caroline Elwes Sir Henry’s late wife. 

A huge amount of work is undertaken to keep the collection fresh. Large clumps are marked with a yellow stick and when the bulbs have died down, they are split into groups of five or six and placed in spaces marked with a white stick. Just in case of too exuberant mowing, plant labels are placed under the bulbs Some bulbs are propagated by scaling and are grown in the centuries’ old ice house. Propagation is a slow business, they will take at least 5 years to flowering and may fail or not come true.  

At the end of the fascinating tour, many of us purchased plants to grace our gardens. Whilst it is possible to visit Colesbourne to view the snowdrops on selected weekend, to avoid the crowds, we highly recommend a private visit.