The theme for this week’s #Feature Fridays with Historic Houses is Snowdrops.
Around 90,000 snowdrop bulbs have been planted in the Gardens over the past few years including a mix of single and double snowdrops, interspersed with some unusual varieties in the Winter Garden.
Snowdrops come in all shapes and sizes, some common, some extremely rare. These delicate plants exert a powerful pull in the horticultural world.
Head Gardener Neil Miller recently bought some more unusual varieties of snowdrop for the 125 acre grounds.
He purchased a few different varieties including Galanthus ‘Diggory’, a beautiful snowdrop whose pure white bowl-shaped flowers hide green-flushed inner segments. ‘Diggory’ enjoys growing on banks and slopes and is good for underplanting roses or shrubs.
Neil bought another unusual variety of snowdrop – Galanthus elwesii, more commonly referred to as ‘Grumpy’ because of its green markings which mimic a grumpy face.
Other recent additions to the gardens include the yellow tipped ‘Wendy’s Gold’, a giant Galanthus called ‘Colossus’ which at 9 inches is one of the tallest snowdrops you can find and Galanthus ‘Green Brush’ with its unusual green tipped flowers.
If you would like to try planting some different varieties of snowdrop at home there is still time to invest.
Neil says that snowdrops prefer cool, moist conditions and can suffer surprisingly dry summers if they’re in shady spots. If you are planting, make sure you dig a deep, yet narrow hole of 10-15cm, firm the plant in and water the soil. Don’t forget to label your snowdrops!
If you live locally, you can wrap up warm and enjoy the snowdrops as your stroll through the extensive gardens and grounds to get your daily exercise from the 10th February 2021.
If you enjoyed this item on snowdrops then why not discover the previous #Feature Fridays news items:
Book your visit to Hever Castle & Gardens.
Within the grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, there are two opportunities for you to stay the night with us.
Hever Castle has played host to many important events and celebrations for over 600 years. In 1903 when William Waldorf Astor set about restoring Hever Castle to its former glory, he added the Astor Wing, to accommodate his family and guests, before creating a lake and the spectacular Italian Garden to house his impressive collection of ancient Greek and Roman statuary.
There are multiple places to eat & drink across the Hever Castle Estate. Select between the Castle & Gardens and Golf Club below to discover more.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, Hever Castle Golf Club is a 27 hole Kent golf course that will encourage and inspire all golf enthusiasts.
Set in the mature grounds of the Hever Castle Estate, the Wellbeing Centre consists of five smart treatment rooms.
