Benington Lordship, an RHS Partner Garden near Stevenage, Hertfordshire, is famed for its picturesque displays of snowdrops surrounding a ruined Norman castle and Pulham folly.
Clusters of snowdrops welcome visitors as they enter the garden, which is home to some 170 named Galanthus cultivars. To the right are the remains of a Norman castle wall - swathes of snowdrops carpet the nearby moat, thriving on its well-drained banks.
Sheets of single and double snowdrops carpet the Norman moat. Every four to five years, as soon as flowering has finished, the snowdrops are lifted and split to prevent overcrowding. Hybrid seedlings often pop up, adding to the variety of the collection.
Head Gardener Richard Webb began collecting snowdrops in 1992 when he was given a Galanthus 'Mighty Atom' bulb. To get the best from snowdrops, he recommends growing in a light, sandy mix with added grit to ensure good drainage. He advises planting in a location that offers light in winter but shade in summer, and a feed of fish blood and bone in late November.
Snowdrops aren't just snowdrops - look closely and you begin to appreciate the variations in sizes, shapes, markings and even in the foliage. Here Head Gardener Richard Webb holds Galanthus plicatus 'Colossus', one of the largest snowdrops, and G. gracilis 'Highdown', one of the smallest.
There have been snowdrops in Benington Lordship's gardens for centuries, and Head Gardener Richard Webb believes they may have originally been associated with the neighbouring church. By Easter, the snowdrops are replaced by a sea of starry, bright blue Scilla bithynica and wild garlic.
Near the Kitchen Garden visitors can see and compare a wide range of labelled Galanthus cultivars. Those who think of snowdrops as compact, dainty plants will be surprised that some, such as 'Benhall Beauty', grow so tall that they must be wired to prevent them from collapsing.