They’re cropping up all over the place at the moment, brightening up lawns, adding pops of colour to borders and basking in the early spring sunshine. Crocus flowers are mostly purple, yellow or white and the corms are brilliant for naturalising in gardens, leading to the characteristic swathes that we see at this time of year.

But what is the correct plural term for these flowers that provide blankets of colour: crocuses, or croci?

Is the plural of crocus crocuses or croci?

We asked our followers on Instagram in 2022 whether they favoured crocuses or croci as the plural term for crocus, and got an amazing response.

Sixty three per cent of respondents said that crocuses is the plural of crocus, whereas 37 per cent voted for croci. One follower suggested that a collection of crocuses should be referred to as a ‘chorus’.

To confirm our findings, we asked our resident botanical advisor, Dr James Compton, what the correct terminology for the plural of crocus is. James told us that in Latin terms, croci would be the correct plural form. However, crocuses is also correct as the vernacular plural of crocus. It does, therefore, come down to personal choice whether you prefer a carpet of crocuses or a chorus of croci.

Whatever you call them, these lovely plants grow best in a sunny spot, in well-drained soil. You can find small pots of them at garden centres now, or plan ahead, checking out the most attractive varieties to plant as corms in autumn. You can read more about crocus and how to grow them, plus recommended varieties to grow, in our Crocus growing guide.

You may also like…

Miniature narcissi and how to plant them

The best summer bulbs to plant in spring 

Spring bulb displays in a Cotswold garden 

While we’re enjoying the long-awaited colour from spring bulbs, it can be easy to forget that spring is the best time to plant summer bulbs. Dahlias, gladioli, lilies and more can all be planted in spring for colour through summer and autumn.

We asked four experts to recommend their favourite summer-flowering bulbs: Jo Thompson, one of the UK’s leading garden designers; Carien van Boxtel, a garden and landscape designer known for her designs using bulbs; Charlie Ryrie, founder of The Real Cut Flower Garden, which supplies sustainably grown flowers and Steve Lannin, head gardener at Iford Manor in Wiltshire.

Below is a selection of their top choices.

Jump to

• • When to plant summer bulbs
  • Where to plant summer bulbs
  • How to plant summer bulbs
  • Caring for summer bulbs
  • The best summer bulbs to plant

Summer bulbs: everything you need to know

When to plant summer bulbs

Plant summer-flowering bulbs in spring – you will start seeing packets of bulbs in garden centres from late winter.

Where to plant summer bulbs

Most summer-flowering bulbs do best in a warm, sunny spot and well-drained soil. For the best displays in borders, grow in groups or drifts of at least six or seven. If you don’t have the right soil conditions, summer-flowering bulbs grow very well in pots – you could add some horticultural grit or sand to the compost before planting to aid drainage. Read our expert advice on growing bulbs in pots.

How to plant summer bulbs

Most summer bulbs need planting at two or three times their depth, pointed end up (amarines like to have their nose ‘proud’ of the soil). Water in well after planting.

Start dahlia tubers off in March. Plant with the central stem pointing up, just below the surface of the compost and water in. Keep them somewhere frost-free until they can be planted outside in late May.

Caring for summer bulbs

The more tender types of summer bulbs, including dahlias and amarines, should be mulched over winter in colder areas, or lifted and stored in a frost-free place over winter.

The best summer bulbs to plant

Dahlias

Carien van Boxtel recommends Dahlia merckii: “It’s extremely elegant with small, star-shaped flowers at the end of thin stems, and lovely fine foliage.” She also loves Dahlia ‘Josie’: “Perfect for containers, it flowers early in the season. Its semi- single flowers are a wonderful bright orange and attractive to pollinators.”

Jo Thompson recommends Dahlia ‘Café au Lait Rosé’, bred from the popular ‘Café au Lait’. “It has large, double blooms with broad pointed petals in the most charming of pinks.” She also loves Dahlia ‘Penhill Watermelon’: “The huge, glamorously shaggy flowers, with twisting, pointed petals of peachy-pink, are produced in profusion over a long period and last well in the vase, too.”

Steve Lannin flies the flag for Dahlia ‘Sweet Nathalie’, a decorative type with densely petalled flowerheads. “It’s the lightest of coral pinks – a lovely cutting flower that blends well with stronger pinks and peaches.”

Read about designers’ favourite dahlias.

Heights vary. RHS H3, USDA 7a-10b.

Amarines

Amarines are a cross between Nerine bowdenii and Amaryllis belladonna. “They are extremely popular as elegant cut flowers,” says Carien Van Boxtel. “But I prefer them in borders between grasses and asters, and arranged with other other pink and magenta autumn bulbs, such as Colchicum autumnale.”

50cm. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Read our expert advice on planting nerines and amarines.

Gladiolus papilio ‘Ruby’

• Find now through the RHS

While Carien van Boxtel favours the species, Gladiolus papilio (“It has strangely beautiful hues of mauve, salmon, purple and green”), Jo Thompson adores Gladiolus papilio ‘Ruby’. “It has sumptuous velvet tones of deep red to burgundy and combines well with grasses or Eupatorium maculatum and red Persicaria.”

90cm-1.2m. RHS H4, USDA 4a-10b.

Crocosmia

• Find now through the RHS

“Crocosmias are fantastic hardy corms that will provide lovely foliage and flowers as well as decoratative seedheads,” says Carien van Boxtel. “The bold reds and orange shades are better known, but I love a yellow, both the garden and the vase.” She particularly recommends Crocosmia x crocosmiflora ‘George Davison’.

75cm. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Martagon lily

“Turk’s cap lilies (Lilium martagon) are often grown as woodland plants in part shade, but they will also tolerate sun and look great when naturalised in open grass,” says Jo Thompson. The species produces an abundance of small, pinky-purple downward-facing flowers with reflexed petals.

1.5m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.

Agapanthus

Two of our experts recommended agapanthus in shades of white instead of the usual blue. Steve Lannin picked Agapanthus ‘Windsor Grey’: “It’s greyish-white, with a subtle lavender blue blush to the base of the flower.” Meanwhile Charlie Ryrie plumped for Agapanthus ‘Headbourne White’, a robust, white-flowered deciduous form which is borderline hardy. “The big domed blooms, like snowballs, top straight stems in late summer.”

Read more about the best agapanthus to grow in your garden.

1m. RHS 4, USDA 3a-8b.

Tulbaghia

Steve Lannin recommends Tulbaghia violacea: “Pale, pinkish-mauve flowerheads held in umbels of up to 20 individual flowers, amid grass-like foliage, from June to September. Hailing from South Africa, these bulbous plants need full sun and well-drained soil.”

40cm. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 7a-10b.

Dierama

Steve Lannin loves Dierama pulcherrimum ‘Merlin’. ”It has grass-like foliage coupled with sultry, black-red flowers that dangle from long, thin arching stems and dance in the wind,” he says. “Ensure full sun and moist but well-drained soil.”

1m. RHS H4, USDA 8a-10b.

Here’s more on dierama

Liatris spicata

“Liatris spicata has tall flower spikes that bear distinctive, tufted, bottlebrush-style flowers in a deep mauve,” says Steven Lannin. “Fresh growth appears in spring (keep an eye out for hungry slugs) with flowers in late summer. Liatris spicata is best planted in full sun. It’s attractive to bees and butterflies and a good cut flower.”

80cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-3b.

Ranunculus asiaticus

“The double-flowered forms of Persian buttercups, with their ruffled layers of crepe-paper like petals, are often planted to overwinter,” says Charlie Ryrie. “But are very successful if planted in late winter for summer flowering, as long as there’s still some cold weather on the horizon.”

45cm. RHS H4, USDA 4a-10b.

Ornithogalum saundersiae

“The best star of Bethlehem for cutting, lasting for weeks in the vase,” says Charlie Ryrie. “It produces dense clusters of showy, star-like creamy-white blooms with black centres, which perch atop tall, straight stems.”

90cm. RHS H2, USDA 10.

More on growing bulbs

The best bulb suppliers

Forcing bulbs: advice and planting combinations

When to plant bulbs

Popular for spring displays, hyacinths bring a real splash of colour to house and garden early in the gardening season. Available in a range of shades including blues, white, pink, purple, yellow and deep red. Their scent adds to their appeal too. They flower spikes are made up of a multitude of closely packed florets.

Jump to

• When to plant hyacinth bulbs
• How to plant hyacinth bulbs
• Planting hyacinth bulbs in the garden
• How to grow hyacinth indoors
• The best hyacinths to grow
• What are bulb vases and can I grow hyacinths in them?
• What to do with hyacinths after flowering?
• Where to buy hyacinth bulbs

How to grow hyacinths

Hyacinths are bought as bulbs in autumn and are easy to grow. When choosing your hyacinths to buy you will notice that some are sold as ‘prepared’. These are the ones to buy if you want your bulbs for growing indoors to bloom around Christmas or in January. Prepared bulbs have already been treated to a period of cold, which stimulates production of the hormones required for stem extension and so brings them into growth earlier. For later flowering or growing in the garden, normal, non-prepared bulbs are fine.

When to plant hyacinth bulbs

Plant your hyacinth bulbs in autumn. They will then flower around March to April. For prepared bulbs for growing indoors, you should plant these a little earlier and allow a good 10-12 weeks before expecting them to be ready to flower. For Christmas or winter blooms, for example, plant in August/September.

How to plant hyacinth bulbs

Planting hyacinth bulbs in the garden

• Hyacinths will grow in any good, well-drained garden soil and perform well in a range of situations including borders and rockeries. They need some moisture to grow and flower properly but avoid boggy areas where they may rot. A drier situation is preferred when the leaves have died back and they are dormant in summer.

• Hyacinths prefer a sunny position although will be fine in semi-shade where you are happy to only have a one-year display (they won’t have stored enough energy for a good second year’s showing).
• Plant bulbs in late September – October. Plant each bulb, pointed end upwards, 10cm deep. Leave a gap of at least 8cm between each bulb.
• To improve drainage, you can add a small handful of grit to the bottom of the planting hole.
• Autumn-planted bulbs will flower in March to April.

How to grow hyacinth indoors

• Use prepared bulbs for best results – these are widely available at garden centres.
• Choose a container big enough for 3-5 bulbs and deep enough for good root growth.

Here’s more on forcing bulbs indoors

The best hyacinths to grow

Hyacinths come in three types – single hyacinths with single florets, double hyacinths, where each floret has a double ray of petals, and multiflora hyacinths that have a looser arrangement of florets on multiple flower stems. Their looser appearance can make them easier to grow in the garden where a less-formal look is preferred. The singles and doubles make good displays for growing in pots indoors.

Not to be mistaken with:

Grape hyacinths, which although there is a similarity in their form are a completely different species – Muscari.

Recommended hyacinths with an Award of Garden Merit (AGM) from the RHS

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Miss Saigon’ Deep wine-coloured, compact flower spikes. 30cm

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Royal Navy’ Dark-blue, double flowers densely packed on to flower spikes. Highly scented. 25cm

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Gipsy Queen’  Heirloom hyacinth with single, pale salmon-orange flowers, paler towards the edge. Good fragrance. 30cm

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Delft Blue’ Mid-blue single flowers, nicely described as porcelain blue. Good scent. 30cm

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘City of Haarlem’ Soft yellow flowers make this a nice change from the more usual blues, pinks and whites. 30cm

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Jan Bos’ Intense magenta coloured and highly scented flowers in a compact shape. 25cm

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Paul Hermann’ Strong lilac-pink colouring and strong scent. 30cm

Recommended by head gardener Matt Reese

Hyacinth orientalis ‘Woodstock’ A rich ruby colour with emerald leaves. Good for growing indoors. 30cm

What are bulb vases and can I grow hyacinths in them?

Bulb vases as a lovely way to grow single bulbs. They are glass vases with a narrow, splayed neck the you place the bulb on to – without it falling through into the vase. Fill with water to just below the base of the sitting bulb. Place in a dark cool spot, such as a cupboard and check periodically to ensure the water is kept topped up and that the roots are beginning to grow down into the vase and the shoot is emerging. Once the shoot is 3-4cm in height, bring the vase into a sunny warm room and the bulb will soon flower.
If the water gets cloudy, carefully lift the bulb off and refresh the water. You can also add charcoal to water to help keep it fresh.

Find out more about forcing bulbs

What to do with hyacinths after flowering?

• Deadhead spent flowers.
• Feed the remaining leaves regularly with a high-potassium liquid plant food until the leaves start to yellow.
• The leaves will eventually die back completely and your bulb will be left to re-grow the following spring.
• Hyacinths can re-flower for a few years, but displays may diminish each time.
• Once your pot-grown, indoor flowers have finished, you are best to plant the bulbs out into the garden. You should get some re-flowering the following year but it’s unlikely to be as fulsome as using fresh bulbs.

Where to buy hyacinth bulbs

Jacques Amand International
Farmer Gracy
Kevock Garden Plants
De Jager
Bloms Bulbs
Sarah Raven
Avon Bulbs
Riverside Bulbs
Crocus.co.uk

As the spring landscape stirs into life, hedgerows and fields are briefly scattered with gold. Not buttercups, but their early cousins, celandines, known until recently as Ranunculus ficaria but now renamed Ficaria verna.

These glossy flowers are charming, perky and a boon for insects yet, in the garden, they are not universally welcome. “Celandines are a British native plant and there are two subspecies in the UK,” explains Joe Sharman, of Monksilver Nursery in Cambridgeshire. “Ficaria verna subsp. verna is found on banks and ditches – it is vigorous and weedy and spreads easily, so it can be invasive. But Ficaria verna subsp. fertilis is a plant of ancient grassland and undisturbed meadow. It is smaller and much better behaved.”

Garden cultivars are selected from this second group, and are predominantly variations on the wild type, with gold or orange flowers and rounded, green or purple leaves. But Joe’s resolution to improve on this situation has led to a range of exciting new plants that are as hardy as they are decorative. “As a breeder you aim to introduce something that is unique and distinctive,” says Joe. Discover some of the lesser celandines he has bred below.

You may also like

• Spring borders: a designer planting plan
• A bulb display plan to download
• The search for the Backhouse daffodils

A striking plant with double orange flowers and rich, almost inky-purple leaves. The result of a cross between ‘Coppernob’ and ‘Double Bronze’, it is that rare plant-breeding success – the desired outcome at the first attempt. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

Has delicately marbled, pale-green leaves. Discovered by plantsman Richard Bashford, it is, so far, the only celandine that has both orange flowers and variegated foliage.
15cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

The second distinctive seedling from the cross that produced ‘Sylvie’, appearing two years later and with a similar double cream flower, but with leaves that are a stronger and more juicy shade of purple. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

The first of Joe’s French Ladies series and named for a student who had worked at Monksilver Nursery. The plant is relatively dwarf and the neat double flowers shine like gold stars over the green foliage. 7cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

An older celandine cultivar with a tight central boss surrounded by a ruff of looser petals, borne over marbled purple-and-silver leaves. Hardy and easy to grow, it makes good groundcover and, like many double flowers, it is sterile. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

Not bred as part of a deliberate programme of hybridisation. Instead, it is a distinctive form that arose spontaneously in the garden of renowned plantswoman Angela Whinfield, and named by Joe Sharman in her honour. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

A dainty and delicate little plant, with white-blonde single flowers that are beautifully set off by the silver-and-bronze marbled foliage. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

Ficaria verna ‘Claudine’ The orange-gold flowers, carried over marbled foliage, make this a useful mid-spring filler, that puts on a brilliant show then vanishes beneath the soil for summer. One of Joe’s French Ladies series. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-9b.

One of the distinctive double seedlings to emerge from Joe’s initial hybridisation experiment – and one of his French Ladies series, in which he crossed Ficaria verna ‘Double Bronze’ with Ficaria verna Aurantiaca Group. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-9b.

The result of a drive to achieve a plant with a double, cream-coloured flower and dark foliage. In this case the leaves are an attractive dusky-purple. 10cm. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.

Many gardeners suffer the anguish of discovering that their precious bulb displays have been ruined by those pesky garden visitors – the squirrel. Tell-tale signs are small holes dug in your border, discarded hopeful green shoots, nibbled white flakes of bulbs and rejected smaller – clearly less appealing – bulblets. Sometimes tulip bulbs can be found lying prone just at the point the bud is forming – but to no avail if the squirrel has taken a fancy to the tasty bulb beneath.

The problem is largely confined to tulips and crocus, to the extent that some gardeners have just stopped growing them. Yes, we must accept wildlife in the garden, but it is quite disheartening.

If you still want tulips, the answer, of course, is to work round the issue and you’ll find various suggestions via the web and social media as to how to discourage squirrels and other pests from eating your bulbs.

If you are growing tulips in a container, the solution can be much simpler – top your pots with chicken wire or taut net to stop the squirrels getting through. But this just isn’t so easy if you are growing tulips in your border amid other plantings, or are creating a massed display.

So are there any answers?

How to stop squirrels eating your tulip bulbs

Expert opinion

Hever Castle in Kent is renowned for many reasons, not least its incredible history and links to Anne Boleyn. It also boasts a beautiful garden with reasons to visit throughout the seasons. Spring starts with a carpet of daffodils, before moving on to a vibrant display of tulips. So how do they ensure its success?

Head gardener Neil Miller coordinates the displays, this year looking forward to some 40,000 bulbs coming into bloom.

“We plant a huge selection for our Tulip Festival. You’ll find formal displays at the castle entrance, around the castle walls, through the Italian garden and then more natural planting through the longer grass (which is where we plant the bulbs from the previous year’s displays).

We love to bring different cultivars, everything from the Darwins to the parrot types – it’s a really good mix. New ones to us this year include ‘Ice Cream’ and ‘Ice Cream Banana’, which really does look like a cone of ice cream with the pink at the bottom and then a creamy colour yellow in the middle. Anything a bit unusual that gets the visitor to stop in their tracks and question ‘Ah, what’s that?’.

“It’s the colour you can get from a tulip. Daffodils are glorious, don’t get me wrong, but with tulips you get near enough every colour under the rainbow. It’s a bit of a show – and at this time in the garden everything is looking fresh and lovely. The weeds haven’t quite got going and I just want to put my finger on the pause button. It’s perfect,” enthuses Neil.

Why squirrels love tulip bulbs

Tulip bulbs, quite simply, are tasty to squirrels – as are crocus. When the ground is frozen hard in a cold winter, the problem with being eaten by pests isn’t so prevalent but as the grounds softens and bulbs start into growth, their smell is more evident and problems can escalate.

Other bulbs such as narcissi, alliums, snowdrops and hyacinth have less appeal due to their unpleasant smell or taste.

Neil says: “We’ve been struggling with squirrels for years and come spring time, there’s always been gaps in our displays. There’s been lots of anecdotal chat from visitors and the team about how to deter squirrels, so we decided to run a trial to see what deterrents there are that might keep the squirrels away from our tulips.

“With our huge displays you can’t put wire over them so it really about the scent – if you can disguise the smell of the tulip, that’s the thing that will hopefully get the squirrels looking elsewhere.

“So we’ve set up a trial with the help of some of the students studying here for their RHS certificate. And we’ll be seeing if there is indeed anything that helps. From now on, as the bulbs come into growth, we’ll be checking daily to see what damage there’s been and we’re looking forward to sharing the results.”

Neil concludes “It’s such a shame if people give up growing tulips – the displays are just so cheerful and the range of colours mean you can be as creative as you like. This is just a small trial to pick up on some of the anecdotal ideas you hear about. If any of them do work then that’s worth it.”

Stopping squirrels eating tulips

The test looks at ways to disguise the smell of the tulip bulbs. Some of the ideas are familiar but do they actually work? Here’s what the team at Hever is trying.

• Apple cider vinegar – dip the bulb in a jar of cider vinegar and plant as normal.
• Chilli powder and chilli flakes – a sprinkle in the planting hole and on the surface. But with anything put on the surface you need to consider that it might get washed away in the rain, or, as Neil adds, with chilli flakes they can end up sprouting if the conditions are right for the seeds that are in the packet of flakes.
• Peppermint oil – a few drops on the surface.
• Black pepper or garlic powder – sprinkled in and around the planting area.

Other ideas to disguise the smell of tulips

Grating bars of soap into the planting hole.
Grated pungent-smelling moth balls.

The trial set up

The trial has planted 50 bulbs for each method and will be checking the area visually each day to see what damage has been done.
Bulbs that haven’t been treated in any way have also been grown.

The trial results

Look out for the results of the trial later in spring. We’ll give an update here.

Visit Hever’s Tulip Festival from 17-23 April to see the displays for yourself. Twice daily tours will run at 11:30am and 2pm throughout the festival. Hevercastle.co.uk

While most snowdrops are white, or white with green markings, some are yellow. The yellow markings are most frequently spotted on the flowers, but can also occur on the leaves.

Yellow snowdrops set the hearts of galanthophiles (snowdrop lovers) racing, and they are highly sought after. In 2022, a single bulb of Galanthus plicatus ‘Golden Tears’, bred by Joe Sharman of Monksilver Nursery, sold for £1,850. He previously broke records in 2015, when another of his introductions, ‘Golden Fleece’ (see below), bred over the course of a decade, sold for an eye-watering £1,390.

Snowdrop obsession: Would you pay £1,000 for a single bulb?

Theoretically, yellow aberrations can occur on any snowdrop and so, as stands to reason, they are most commonly found in the most prolific group, Galanthus nivalis. In Northumberland yellow snowdrops, known as ‘halfers’, arise spontaneously and regularly in wild clumps.

Yellow snowdrops: everything you need to know

These popular and covetable, if challenging, cultivars can be hesitant to grow, as their yellow colouring is the result of a lack of chlorophyll, the green pigment present in all plants that is responsible for absorbing light as part of photosynthesis. Therefore to get the best out of a ‘yellow’, the bulbs should be grown outside (rather than in a greenhouse), in a location that enjoys a lot of winter sun.

Read our detailed guide to growing snowdrops.

Here are five yellow snowdrops recommended by specialist nursery, Morlas Plants in Shropshire, run by Jane Rowlinson.

Yellow snowdrops to grow

Galanthus plicatus ‘Golden Fleece’

The first yellow, inverse poculiform (goblet-shaped) snowdrop that broke records in 2015 when a single bulb sold for £1,390. Bred over ten years by Joe Sharman of Monksilver Nursery. Height: 15cm.

Galanthus gracilis ‘Ronald Mackenzie’

A beautiful yellow snowdrop with delicate inner markings. Height: 16cm.

Galanthus x valentinei ‘Dryad Gold Ribbon’

A superb snowdrop with a rounded bloom and a large, yellow, inverted heart on the inner segments. Late flowering. Height: 16cm

Galanthus nivalis (Sandersii Group)

The snowdrop that originally sparked Jane’s enthusiasm. Distinguished by it’s yellow ovary and inner petal markings. Height: 15cm

Galanthus ‘Wendy’s Gold’

Inner segments can be slightly greenish yellow on first opening before changing to pure yellow. AGM. Height: 15cm.

Where to buy yellow snowdrops

Morlas Plants

Woodlands
Nant Lane
Selattyn
Oswestry
SY10 7HA
www.morlasplants.co.uk

While you can buy and plant dry bulbs in autumn, snowdrops are best planted ‘in the green’ (in leaf) in February. Once planted, they will establish more quickly and reliably than dry bulbs.

Planting snowdrops in the green is an excellent way to establish large drifts of these beautiful late winter flowers cheaply. They look beautiful planted with pink Cyclamen coum or yellow aconites, which flower at around the same time.

Snowdrops in the green

Snowdrops in the green are plants that have been dug up after they have flowered, in leaf, for planting immediately. They are usually available in February, online or by mail order, and should be planted as soon as they arrive so that they don’t dry out.

Snowdrops in the green are sold in bundles of 25 up to 1,000, and the more you buy, the cheaper they are.

Snowdrops sold for planting in the green are usually two commonly available types – Galanthus nivalis (with single flowers) and Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ (with double flowers). You may also come across the larger Galanthus elwesii.

Other more sought after cultivars are also available in the green, but not in large quantities. If you are looking for an unusual snowdrop variety (some cultivars can fetch very high prices), you are better off visiting a specialist online supplier, snowdrop fair or even eBay – in 2022, a single snowdrop bulb sold for a record-busting £1,850.

Aconites, bluebells and lily of the valley, wood anemones and wild garlic can also be planted in the green.

Read our full guide to growing snowdrops.

How to plant snowdrops in the green

• Plant your snowdrops in the green as soon as possible; if you can’t do this, sprinkle them with a little water to keep them moist.
• Choose a semi-shaded spot that doesn’t dry out in summer – under a deciduous tree is ideal.
• Enrich the soil a little if needed, by adding some homemade compost or leaf mould.
• The snowdrops come in a bundle – separate them out into their separate bulbs and stems.
• Plant each snowdrop individually, at the same depth as it was growing before – the white part of the stem should be underground. Space the plants at least 10cm apart, but don’t be too rigid about this – you want them to look natural. Use a trowel, small dibber or small bulb planter.
• Once clumps are established in a few years, you can then lift and divide them after flowering and transplant them around the garden.

Where to buy snowdrops in the green

Boston Bulbs

Offers three types of snowdrop in the green for sale – Galanthus nivalis, Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ and the larger Galanthus elwesii – in bundles of 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1000.

www.bostonbulbswholesale.co.uk

Gee Tee Bulbs

Sells Galanthus nivalis, Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ and Galanthus elwesii in packs of 50.

www.gee-tee.co.uk

Peter Nyssen

This respected bulb supplier sells two types of snowdrop in the green, Galanthus nivalis and Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ in bundles of 50 or 250.

www.peternyssen.com

Landlife Wildflowers

Sells Galanthus nivalis in bundles of 25, 100, 250 and 1,000.

www.wildflower.co.uk

J. Parker’s

Sells Galanthus nivalis in packs of 15.

www.jparkers.co.uk

Sarah Raven

Sells Galanthus nivalis in the green, in bundles of 25, 50 and 100.

www.sarahraven.com

Ashridge Trees

Sells Galanthus nivalis in bundles of 25.

www.ashridgetrees.co.uk

With their nodding white blooms and fresh green foliage, snowdrops herald the end of winter. Planted en masse, they light up the late winter and spring garden, and look lovely with other late winter blooms such as pink and white Cyclamen coum and yellow aconites. Up close, they have a subtle honey scent.

There are several species and many hundreds of cultivars of snowdrops. You can tell them apart by the green (or sometimes yellow) markings on the inner petals. Occasionally the outer petals are also tipped with colour. There are both single and double varieties.

Many types are rare or scarce, and demand high prices per bulb – in 2022, a single snowdrop bulb sold for £1,850. However you can create a wonderful display with the more widely available, affordable types that are widely available at nurseries and garden centres.

Snowdrops are perennial, so will flower year after year. Once established, they are low maintenance and mostly trouble free. However, they need the right growing conditions to thrive.

Jump to

• When to plant snowdrops
• When do snowdrops flower?
• Where to plant snowdrops
• How to plant snowdrops
• How to propagate snowdrops
• How to care for snowdrops
• Snowdrop problems

How to grow snowdrops

When to plant snowdrops

Dry snowdrop bulbs should be planted in autumn, at the same time as other spring bulbs such as narcissi (daffodils).

You can also plant container-grown snowdrops (often sold in flower at the garden centre) in late winter.

Snowdrops are best planted ‘in the green’. This means they are dug up while still in growth, in late spring, as the leaves are about to die back. Snowdrops in the green are usually sold online or by mail order, and should be planted as soon as they arrive so that they don’t dry out.

More on 

Snowdrops: The best places to see snowdrops in 2023

The best snowdrops for your garden

White magic: how to propagate snowdrops

When do snowdrops flower?

Most snowdrops flower in late winter and early spring. However some types, such as Galanthus reginae-olgae subsp. reginae-olgae, flower in autumn.

Where to plant snowdrops

Plant snowdrops in moist but well-drained soil that does not dry out in summer – a position in part shade is ideal, as they will receive some sunlight and rain in spring but have cover in the summer. A spot under the canopy of a deciduous tree is perfect.

Snowdrops look fantastic in large drifts and naturalise well. To enjoy their blooms, intricate markings and scent up close, you could try planting them on a bank, or in pots on a plant stand.

How to plant snowdrops

Snowdrops are available as dry bulbs, container grown plants in pots, or plants ‘in the green’.

Plant dry bulbs in autumn, 10cm deep, with the pointed end of the bulb facing up. Use a trowel, or a specialist bulb planter.

Plant snowdrops in the green to the same depth as they were growing before – you should be able to see where the stem turns from green to white. Space plants at least 10cm (4in) apart.

How to propagate snowdrops

To increase your number of plants for an impressive display, lift clumps of snowdrops just after flowering, and before the foliage turns yellow. Divide the clumps into smaller groups and replant them straightaway at the same depth, further apart.

For snowdrop types that set seed, you can harvest the fresh green seed as it ripens and sow into pots of compost. They may not come true from seed.

You can also propagate snowdrops by chipping and scaling the bulbs, but these are specialist techniques. If you fancy having a go, read our our guide to propagating snowdrops.

How to care for snowdrops

Once established, snowdrops need little care.

After flowering, allow the foliage to die back on its own.

Snowdrops grown in containers need to be repotted into fresh compost every year when dormant, in late spring or summer.

Plants in containers also must be watered to stay moist throughout the year.

Snowdrop problems

Failure to flower

Often snowdrops will fail or not come back after one season because they have dried out. Be sure to plant them in a spot in your garden that does not dry out in summer – under a deciduous tree is ideal.

Short blooming time

Snowdrops flower for longer in cool, overcast conditions, and will go over faster in bright, warm weather.

Narcissus bulb fly

The narcissus bulb fly affects narcissi, as its name suggests, but also other bulbs including snowdrops. Telltale signs include lack of leaves, and wispy or yellow and distorted leaves and a hollow, pulpy bulb. Dig up the infected bulbs and burn or bin them. Always buy bulbs from a reputable bulb supplier.

Squirrels

Squirrels are attracted to dry bulbs planted in autumn. You could try covering the area with chicken wire, and planting them deeply will make them less likely to be uncovered.

Grey mould

In very wet and poorly drained soil, snowdrop bulbs can be affected by grey mould. In this case, they should be discarded to prevent it spreading.

Every garden has room for a few crocuses. These small plants suddenly appear after the long months of winter then die down early, leaving space for later-growing plants in the border.

Spring-flowering crocuses grow from a small corm, with narrow leaves that have a pale stripe along the length. They die back to survive underground during the dry summer in their natural habitats – the meadows, hills and mountains of Europe, North Africa, Turkey and Central Asia (some have become naturalised in parts of nothern Europe and North America).

The spring crocus season is brief – they sparkle for a few short weeks before the flowers fade. But their job is done. Snowdrops may be the harbingers of spring, but it is crocuses that signal its arrival.

How to grow crocus

Where to plant crocus bulbs

Crocuses that are widely sold in the UK are best suited to a wetter climate. The main requirements for most crocus are a sunny position and soil that isn’t waterlogged. Some, such as C. angustifolius, need very good drainage. Plant crocus bulbs under deciduous shrubs, around trees, among herbaceous perennials or in a container.

How and when to plant crocus bulbs

Plant crocus corms in autumn. Plant them around 5-7cm deep, pointed end up. The large corms of the Dutch hybrids can be planted even deeper. Crocus corms grow contractile roots that pull them down to the right depth if you’ve planted them too shallow.

How to grow crocus in a lawn

You can dig individual holes for each corm, and cover with the removed plug of turf, but this can be laborious if you have a lot of corms to plant. A quicker method is to cut out the area of turf where you want to plant and lift it away or roll it back to expose the soil. Lightly break up the soil surface and carefully push in the corms. Then place the turf back over them. When you grow crocuses in a lawn, the grass can be cut by mid to late spring.

It can take a while to achieve a carpet of crocus, but if you plant species that self seed, you’ll be able to enjoy the results after a few years. C. tommasinianus and C. chrysanthus do this well.

What eats crocus bulbs?

Squirrels and other rodents are fond of crocus bulbs. The deeper you plant them, the less likely they are to be dug up. You can also place some chicken wire over the area you have planted, and cover with soil or turf to hide it. Use a wire gauge with holes around 5-10mm wide. The crocuses will grow through it but it should deter squirrels and mice from digging down.

Another problem is birds pecking at the flowers and buds as they emerge. To deter them, some gardeners push sticks in the ground with black cotton strung between, which is not always effective or attractive, but is preferable to using a cage or mesh. Alternatively, grow in pots in a greenhouse or bring indoors when they start to flower.

The best crocus to grow

Crocus tommasinianus

This Balkan species is one of the earliest crocuses to flower, as early as February in the UK. It is superb for naturalising in grass, where it will form a carpet of colour – en masse the blooms are affectionately known as ‘Tommies’. 7-10cm. AGM.

Crocus ‘Jeanne d’Arc’

One of the popular large-flowered Dutch hybrid crocuses, with glistening white flowers marked with purple feathering on the outside. Inside the flower is a frilly orange stigma. 10-15cm.

Crocus ‘Pickwick’

A strong-growing Dutch hybrid, ideal for a lawn and flowering after the early species, extending the season. The feathered purple blooms are quite striking and there can often be several per corm. 10-15cm.

Crocus malyi ‘Ballerina’

This species is from Croatia and flowers a little later. It is pure white with a pale yellow throat and tiny violet spots on the tips of the outer petals. Likes good drainage. 7-10cm.

Crocus angustifolius

A distinctive species from southern Ukraine and Crimea, with strong purple markings on the back of the petals. It prefers a warm, dry summer so it is best grown in the free-draining soil of a raised bed, rock garden or pot. 7-10cm. AGM.

Crocus ‘Gypsy Girl’

One of the C. chrysanthus hybirds. It has lightly fragrant, lemon-yellow flowers with bronzy purple stripes on the outside. An early flowering cultivar that is good for naturalising. 7-10cm.

Crocus tommasinianus ‘Barr’s Purple’

There are several named forms of this species, mostly in varying shades of purple. This is a deeper colour than the typical species and is named after the Victorian nurseryman Peter Barr. 7-10cm.

Crocus ‘Blue Pearl’

This probable C. biflorus x C. chrysanthus hybrid is as close to blue as you can get. A popular cultivar that needs good drainage but looks great at the front of a sunny border. Can have up to four flowers per corm. 7-10cm. AGM.

Crocus ‘Prins Claus’

A striking two-toned crocus, with snow white flowers that have a smudge of dusty purple on their outer petals. It’s a C. chrysanthus hybrid that naturalises easily and flowers early. 7-10cm.

Crocus nivalis ‘Tricolor’

An easily recognised crocus, with its distinct colours in the flower. It’s a selection of the Greek species C. nivalis, which was previously recognised as C. sieberi subsp. sublimis. 5-10cm.

Crocus etruscus

An Italian species, known as the Tuscan crocus, with pale lilac-purple flowers, faintly streaked on the outside. Can tolerate summer moisture so does well in a border. 5-10cm.

Where to buy crocus bulbs

Avon Bulbs

Peter Nyssen

Pottertons Nursery

You may also like…

• Miniature narcissi to grow
• Spring bulbs for pollinators
• How to grow scilla

Coosheen, a garden on the edge of Cork city in the south of Ireland, is sheltered from the salty-winds whipping off the Atlantic by a boundary of beech hedging. Inspired by visits to the Dublin garden that formerly belonged to the author and horticulturist Helen Dillon, garden owner Hester Forde combines bulbs with perennials, evergreens and grasses. Her passion for collecting snowdrops has created a garden that draws you out, even on the coldest of winter days.

You may like

• Gardens to visit for a spectacular snowdrop display
• Best bulb suppliers 
• How to force bulbs

Snowdrop collecting in Ireland derived from naturally occurring hybrids found in gardens around the country. Once nurtured and bulked up, the snowdrops were shared among passionate gardeners and it is only recently that many of these snowdrops have become available commercially. Cicely Hall, who had a snowdrop named after her, amassed a noted collection that is now maintained by her son Robin at Primrose Hill Garden in Lucan, Co Dublin, while at Altamont Gardens, Co Carlow, Corona North enriched her snowdrop collection with snowdrop hybrids she collected from abandoned demesnes.

Here are just a few examples of some of these special Irish snowdrop cultivars, grown by Hester Forde at Coosheen.

Top row, from left to right

Galanthus ‘Straffan’
Also known as ‘The O’Mahoney’, this tall Irish snowdrop has chunky flowers with grooves on the inner segments. Reliable once settled. Height 25cm

Galanthus ‘Hill Poë’
This pinnate Irish double snowdrop, with five outer petals, was found growing under a walnut tree at Riverston, Co Tipperary in 1911 by James Hill Poë. It needs good draining and flowers late in the season. Height 14cm.

Galanthus ‘Brenda Troyle’
This early flowering hybrid snowdrop, with a a broad inverted ‘V’ at the apex, was found on the Acton family estate in Co Wicklow. It has large, rounded flowers, a honey scent and grey-blue leaves. Height 20cm.

Galanthus ikariae ‘Emerald Isle’
This Irish snowdrop has broad, green markings on the outer segments and is almost entirely green on the inner segments. It was found in 1986 by Megan Morris oat Drew’s Court, Co Limerick. Height 18cm.

Middle row

Galanthus plicatus ‘Woodtown’
This Irish snowdrop, with large rounded flowers and erect to arching, blue-green leaves, was raised by Oliver Schurmann of Mount Venus Nursery. Height 16-20cm.

Galanthus ‘Waverley’ seedling
This Irish snowdrop cultivar is a tall, mid-season snowdrop. A vigorous grower, as good as its parent ‘Waverley Aristocrat’. 18-20cm

Galanthus ‘Mark’s Tall’
Found by Mark Smyth in Northern Ireland, this tall snowdrop is a cross between nivalis and plicatus species. Flowers prolifically in January and February. Height 35cm.

Bottom row

Galanthus ‘Cicely Hall’
This outstanding, robust Irish snowdrop cultivar has dark-green inner markings on the largest sinus (notch at the tip of the tepal) of any cultivar. It was found at Primrose Hill, Lucan, where it was knicknamed The Stalker. Height 20-25cm.

Galanthus ‘Blaris’
With chunky, rounded flowers this Irish snowdrop is a really good doer, flowering in February and March. Height 18cm.

Galanthus ‘Waverley Aristocrat’
Raised by Harold McBridek in Co Down, this snowdrop has long, slender outer segments and a broad green mark on the inner segment. It often produces two scapes  (flower stalks). Flowers February to March. Height 16-20cm.

Galanthus ‘Green Lantern’
This snowdrop, with well-shaped flowers, has a broad inverted ‘V’ on the inner segments. It bulks up well. Height 18cm.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Address 15 Johnstown Park, Glounthaune, Cork, T45CC42, Ireland.
Tel +353 (0)86 865 4972.
Website hesterfordegarden.com
Open Coosheen is open on selected days during February. From May to September, the garden is open to groups, by appointment.