The First Sign of Spring

Words and Photos by James Duncan

After the long dark days of winter it is wonderful to see one of the first signs of spring appearing in our parks and gardens - the snowdrop.

Its scientific name is Gallanthus.

This means ’milk flower’ and the common snowdrop we normally see with one flower per stem is Galanthus nivalis which translates as ‘milk flower of the snow’.

Flowering between January and March they are surprisingly resilient for something that looks so delicate.

They emerge through frozen soil from January and are in bloom until late-February and sometimes into March.

Another favourite spring flower is the crocus.

They present as yellow and purple, lilac and orange, a burst of colour among the dead leaves and plant debris, not forgetting those golden stamens!

This year has seen a terrific show of both snowdrops and crocuses.