Snowdrops Make Late UK Appearance

Tue, 27 Jan 2009

Snowdrops have made their latest appearance for 10 years due to the recent frosty conditions across Britain, an expert has revealed.

The winter blooms flowered around two weeks later than normal at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, where more than 240 varieties of the flower are grown.

Head gardener Richard Todd said the plants' development has been slower than normal this winter as temperatures have been at their lowest for the past decade.

He said: "If you have a tomato and put it in the fridge it lasts longer than if you leave it out on the table. This is the same principle."

"At one stage we used to get quite hard winters but in the last 10 years we've had not much at all."

"This year it's been different. There were a lot of deep frosts before Christmas and then some after."

Mr Todd said another cold snap is expected in early February, but added that the cold weather will help the snowdrops last longer.

He explained: "Snowdrops are quite an amazing plant . Once they have grown you can get a hard frost and they lay flat on the ground and you think they'll never get up again, but they do. They've somehow got the strength."
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