Green Tear News Today

Hefty price tags do not guarantee bulk flower growth in the garden, but these are the best bulbs that can flourish without breaking the bank

G. gracilis and G. elwesii.” Hynes, who moved to Cherubeer 30 years ago, grew snowdrops in her previous Buckinghamshire garden having been given three named varieties by the late Gwladys Tonge, who was Hardy Plant Society chairman from 1987 to 1990. Those three originals, ‘Scharlockii’, ‘Viridapice’ and ‘Atkinsii’, moved to Devon and were soon joined by ‘Magnet’, ‘Colossus’ and ‘S. Arnott’. “These big and bold varieties make large clumps without self-seeding,” Hy...

Clumps of early snowdrops make for a stunning early spring display in any garden  Credit:  Getty Images Every year, headline-grabbing snowdrops change hands on eBay for enormous sums. In February 2015, Joe Sharman’s deliberately bred and appropriately named ‘Golden Fleece’ went for an eye-watering £1,390. But, as I know to my cost, an expensive snowdrop is not necessarily a good garden plant. Some resolutely refuse to bulk up, making more impact on your bank balance than on your garden...