Mickey Rathbun: As winter wanes, admire the humble snowdrop Symbol of spring Oleg Elkov—Getty Images/iStockphoto Published: 3/1/2018 10:38:38 PM Every year, as winter tarries a bit too long in my garden, I am heartened by the sight of snowbells (Galanthus) nodding their bell-shaped heads above the frozen earth. The snowbells were planted by the original owner of our house, an avid gardener and garden club member, back in the 1960s. Since then they have multiplied and spread far and wide. I do nothing for them except to admire them, which seems to suit them nicely. A recent article in Horticulture magazine opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of the snowdrop. While I gaze contentedly on my drifts of snowdrops, troops of Galanthophiles from all over the world are gathering each February at special gardens in the United Kingdom to admire rare species of Galanthus that can fetch prices of more than $1,000 (yes, for a single plant!).