Snowdrops: 5 ideas for pairing them

In woodland

With their bright flowering, Snowdrops brighten shaded areas of your garden in winter. These small bulbs naturalise easily, gradually forming very floriferous tapetum. They are valuable in a light understorey for creating flowering scenes beneath deciduous trees. They thrive in partial shade but not in too dense a shade, otherwise flowering may be negligible. They tolerate direct sun very well in cool regions.

Plant generously; snowdrop bulbs are planted en masse, in well-drained soil to prevent bulb rot, in groups of at least 50 bulbs or in drifts — allow roughly 100 bulbs per m² for a spectacular effect. In a woodland they will be in good company alongside other spring bulbs that naturalise such as Crocus, Ipheions, Scillas, Snowflakes, Narcissi, daffodils, Muscari, wood hyacinths, Erythroniums, Eranthis, with which they form early flowering tapetum, heralding the return of fine weather. They also prosper alongside Anemone sylvestris and Anemone blanda.

Plant them amid perennials such as heucheras, snow heathers, creeping bugles, Vinca minor and primroses or Lily-of-the-Valley, which will take over. Their flowering will precede that of Bleeding Hearts and Solomon’s Seal.

Snowdrop ‘Elwesii’ associated with Muscari, Erythronium dens-canis ‘Snowflake’, Narcissi and Scilla litardierei

Rock garden

If you want to brighten a shady rockery, snowdrops will be perfect! In that case, surround them with bergenias, winter heathers, Euphorbia cyparissias also called “cypress spurge”, yews pruned into balls, Cyclamen coum, primroses, small grasses such as carex and small ferns.

Galanthus, Erica darleyensis ‘Darley Dale’, Cyclamen coum, Carex comans ‘Frosted Curls’

Mass planting

Snowdrops create stunning displays in the heart of winter. For fresh, springlike combinations, plant a large bed punctuated with Hellebores and botanical tulips that flower at the same time. Pulmonarias, winter heathers, and Euphorbias, the ‘flowers of the Elves’ are also splendid when paired with these small spring bulbs. The colourful wood (red and/or yellow) of dogwoods (Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’) will brighten the scene. Perennials such as lamiums will take over from these small bulbs, which can look a little untidy after flowering. They also make good companions in Japanese-style gardens, where they will form pretty tapeta beneath cloud-trained trees (Niwaki) and Japanese maples.

Double Snowdrop ‘Flore Peno’, botanical tulip ‘Kaufmanniana Fashion’, Epimedium warleyense, Hellebore orientalis picotee

As a border

Galanthus nivalis are perfectly at ease flowering borders of flowerbeds or short grass meadow. You can plant them alone in a border… but after flowering, wait until foliage has completely yellowed so bulbs can rebuild reserves, without cutting or mowing: to avoid a rather sorry sight, better associate them with other plants to stagger flowering. They will form a very successful combination, pushing up through a carpet of helxine.

For a border of simplicity and freshness, think to alternate snowdrops with Chionodoxa luciliae in white or blue, Iris reticulata, Scilla mischtschenkoana ‘Tubergeniana’, daffodils and jonquils that will flower at the same time. From March, forget-me-nots will take over flowering. To diversify the border further, consider low perennials such as Vinca minor, fragrant violets, asarum or bergenias, which will make excellent backdrops for these spring bulbs. Also turn to pulmonarias, bugles, hardy geraniums, heucheras or Arabis caucasica, which will follow and flower in late spring and summer.

Galanthus nivalis snowdrop, Helxine, daffodils, Scilla mischtschenkoana ‘Tubergeniana’, and Asarum europaeum

Potted

All snowdrops are suitable for growing in pots on a windowsill or balcony. They can be forced in pots from autumn to enjoy their flowering at Christmas indoors. Do not plant them alone; pair them with early bulbs such as grape hyacinths, Crocus, daffodils, hyacinths. They also look lovely alongside small colourful perennials such as pansies, forget-me-nots or primroses.

Snowdrops look delightful in containers when paired with grape hyacinths, pansies and primroses