Growing Guides:

How to grow Galanthus

(Snowdrops)

The pretty little bell-shaped flowers of Snowdrops are generally the first sign of Spring, a welcome promise of brighter days and warmer climes. These ubiquitous garden favourites are hardy, easy to grow and naturalise very easily. Galanthus performs well at the foot of a deciduous hedge or under deciduous shrubs and trees, and is often planted in grass, at the front of spring borders, and in rock gardens. You can also grow Snowdrops in pots and containers. Galanthus requires moist soil and will not do as well in soil that dries out in summer.

Planting Galanthus bulbs:

Follow our simple step-by-step guide to planting Galanthus bulbs:

1. Galanthus bulbs are planted In Autumn, before the ground freezes. Pick a spot with good drainage. Snowdrops particularly like a shady location beneath deciduous trees.
2. Dig a hole around 5cm deep (follow the general rule of thumb when planting bulbs and give the bulbs at least 2 times their height of soil above them), drop the bulb in, and cover with soil. Make sure you place the bulb the right way up - Galanthus bulbs look like a miniature onion with a slightly pointy head and sometimes have wiry roots growing out of the underside - plant with the pointy head / spike pointing up.
3. After planting, water well so that the soil above the bulbs settles.
4. Snowdrop bulbs will flower in Spring. After the flowers die down, allow the plant to enjoy a rest period - there is no need to water much during this period. Leaves will also die back and at this point you can choose to tidy up the plant and remove the old leaves or just let nature take its course.
5. If you have Galanthus bulbs that have naturalised in grass, don’t cut the lawn until the flowers have died and the leaves have yellowed and disappeared.

Shop All Autumn-Planted Galanthus Bulbs