Tuesday 23 January 2024

Candlemas flowers

We've had a very pleasant afternoon at our U3a gardening group yesterday.
 Talking snowdrops!
It's what gardeners do when we can't get out into the garden because the weather is too bad.
We plan, talk and even show photographs of our gardens and today it was snowdrops. And we chatted over a cuppa and a biscuit.

What ever house I have lived in, I have always bought several hundred of snowdrops in the green.  And each time we've moved I've thought about those beautiful clumps left behind. (I've never moved when it was the time the lift and separate them)
In this garden the 100 I've just bought are the second lot. The heat of last summer might have dried some up, or they are looking for Australia!
Those little spires of green are the newest bought snowdrops. We planted them two weeks ago on a freezing cold morning. They're in groups of 10-ish I wrote about this a few weeks ago.

But did you know that snowdrops are associate with Candlemas which is celebrated on February 2nd, the feast commemorating the   Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Known as Candlemas flowers because they often flower before Christmas. This could just be folk lore but their pure colour the first of the flowers of the cold winter are beautiful to see. I know my heart gladdens when I see them. I can't wait for mine to flower.

Do you have any?
Chrisxx

6 comments:

KirstenM said...

I love snowdrops, and ours always manage to have a flower or two, or at least the promise of a flower, around Christmas day. They are still going strong, and I'm hoping they last until Candlemas.

jabblog said...

Every snowdrop we have ever planted has disappeared after flowering once. I think the mice must eat the bulbs. I love snowdrops - so delicate and pure.

Sue in Suffolk said...

No sign of any here yet, I should think they've rotted in the ground after all the rain we've had

Marie Smith said...

I have a friend who grows snowdrops. I haven’t …yet!

Tracy said...

I have some and they are showing colour, but not yet open.

Bless said...

Lovely flowers! I don't have any growing in my garden, though. What I have are paperwhites, which are in bloom, right now. :)