Snowdrop are a fantastic early flowering spring blues. They are one of the first signs of the spring. To enhance this moment and extend the garden’s appeal, I’ve carefully selected companion plants that not only complement the snowdrops but also contribute to a dynamic and evolving garden landscape. As well as enhancing the Snowdrop display, it is also important to think about how this area of the garden changes as the growing season progresses and the snowdrops have completely disappeared! Here, I categorize them by plant type.

Bulbs and Perennials:

• Winter Aconites (Eranthis hyemalis): Their vibrant yellow flowers bloom alongside snowdrops, offering a cheerful burst of colour.
• Crocuses: With a variety of colors, these early spring bloomers bring vibrancy and life to the garden’s early palette.
• Cyclamen Coum: Offering shades of pink and purple, these complement the snowdrops and enrich the garden’s early spring hues.
• Hellebores (Helleborus): Known as Lenten rose, their subtle elegance in shades of pink, purple, and white provides a perfect backdrop.
• Puschkinia (Puschkinia scilloides): Their light blue to white flowers bloom in early spring, harmonizing with the snowdrops.

Common snowdrops (Galanthus Nivalis) growing alongside vibrant yellow Winter Aconites.

Shrubs and Woody Plants:

• Viburnum: With varieties blooming in early spring, their range of colors and fragrances enhance the garden as the snowdrops fade.
• Dogwood (Cornus): Their striking winter stems in red or yellow provide a vivid backdrop, with spring flowers and autumn foliage offering year-round interest.
• Witch Hazel (Hamamelis): Blooming in late winter with fragrant, spider-like flowers, they create a stunning contrast with their yellow to red hues.

Fruit Bushes and Trees:

• Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa): Providing structure and summer fruits, these bushes leaf out in spring, following the snowdrops’ display.
• Red Currant (Ribes rubrum): Similar to gooseberries, their bright red berries and attractive foliage in summer offer a contrast to the early blooms.
• Step-over Apples: These horizontally trained apple trees blossom in spring, their low-growing form providing a unique structural element and autumn fruits.

An eye on the late spring or the summer?

• How about peonies or roses? Although these plants flower at completely different times of the year to snowdrops, it is worth considering planting them together. Once the snowdrops have faded away, there will be something else waiting to take their place.

This selection of bulbs, perennials, shrubs, and fruit-bearing plants will ensure that your garden transitions seamlessly through the seasons, each plant type contributing its unique characteristics to the overall look of the garden.