The moment when the white nodding heads of snowdrops appear is a great delight. To most people, a snowdrop is a snowdrop, but there are about 500 varieties. My advice would be to choose one you like, plant it and stop messing about. The patchiness of umpteen different shapes disturbs the eye.

- Aim for the big picture: details are superfluous when snowdrops are viewed from a distance in winter. A droplet silhouette is essential, so the closer to nature your selection, the better – snowdrops are Audrey Hepburn, not Marilyn Monroe.

- Most early-flowering bulbs are planted in autumn, but for the best results you need to act immediately. Why? Those snowdrop bulbs that were sold in late summer will be so dry and titchy you may as well expect results from cat biscuits.

- Buy potted plants from garden centres for instant effect, or for economy, order them bare-root in spring-onion bunches with white nethers and copious roots. They will settle in deep, raise their green leaves high and store ample energy for delights next winter.

PERFECT PLANTING

However well wrapped they are, deliveries from nurseries invariably arrive limp like wallflowers and need an hour or two in water before action. The best spots for snowdrops are under deciduous trees or shrubs either in grass or in borders. The soil-mark at the white-to-green line makes the planting depth self-evident, so deviate at your peril. Be gentle with the roots and spread them out as far as possible without contortions.

If your soil is heavy, then a generous bottom-smattering of sand in the planting hole aids drainage and prevents rot. Plant the snowdrops at least 5cm apart. This may seem generous but offsets quickly grow to form dense clumps. Remember to keep the momentum by watering heavily until the leaves are clearly growing under their own steam. Clusters should be lifted and divided to improve the visual impact. Above all, don’t be lazy. Tightly packed bulbs give diminishing returns because they compete for nutrients and water. You are best to work on a three-yearly cycle.

SUPPLIERS

Visit www.avonbulbs.co.uk, www.camboestate.com, www.judyssnowdrops.co.uk. See also the RHS Plant Finder.

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