Step into the vibrant world of garden flowers as we explore the stunning blooms of February. From the delicate snowdrops, known as "winter's last snowflakes," to the colorful displays of crocuses, daffodils, and winter heathers, discover the beauty that graces our gardens this month. Learn about the rare and unique plants that can be found in London's parks and gardens, and get inspired by the rich tapestry of colors and scents.
Join us on February 5th for an in-depth look at the garden flowers that brighten the winter landscape. Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the floral wonders of February!
Article
Garden Flowers
Nearly all of January’s garden plants continue into February e.g. snowdrops, cyclamen, crocuses, Algerian irises, periwinkles, lungworts, hellebores, winter pansies and winter heathers. Whereas last month you may have seen the first tentative blooms, this month you could see all of them at their best. Among the first to go over are the winter aconites. Snowdrops “the fair maids of February” are now usually at their most numerous. Although everywhere in parks and gardens, there are very few places they can be seen in the wild.
Even these sites are of dubious origin e.g. by the River Mole near Norbury Park. One hundred and fifty years ago there were many more places, but these have all been eradicated by London’s trowel thieves. Christina Rosetti referred to snowdrops as “winter’s last snowflakes” and, in Italy, they are called ‘lacrima della Madonna’, the tears of Our Lady. A surprising collection of gigantic snowdrops can be seen in Chelsea physic garden with Galanthus plicatus ‘Gerald Parker’ taking a bit of beating. Others have fashionable markings such as upside down hearts and green dots.
Parks and gardens still have their requisite beds of primulas, polyanthus, winter pansies, double daisies and winter heathers. Some new bulbs may now be starting to appear e.g. squills Scilla spp. and glory of the snow Chionodoxa as well as a host of different varieties of crocuses and daffodils. By the end of the month these will be joined by the first grape hyacinths Muscari. The spring snowflake Leucojum vernum is now joined by the confusingly named summer snowflake L. aestivum. The latter is much larger and has clusters of flowers at the end of its stems rather than the one or two produced by the spring snowflake.
It used to exist in the wild along the shores of the Thames, particularly between Greenwich and Woolwich. Alas no more, although it did hang on in Plumstead marshes till the end of the nineteenth century. Now it just turns up as a garden escape. Spring snowflakes are even rarer, but there are significant numbers of L. v. carparthicum with its yellow-tipped tepals to be enjoyed in the Savill gardens, which although technically outside London has too precious a plant collection to be ignored.
A reasonably complete range of common garden plants can usually be seen in the private front gardens surrounding Kew Green, without even entering Kew Gardens itself. Once inside Kew Gardens, rarer plants such as Pulsatilla halleri, Saxifraga sancta, Ribes laurifolurum, as well as some of the rarer squills can usually be found.
Whereas Kew has attractive drifts of more common bulbs, Wisley has more diversity, with an excellent range of hellebores, narcissi, pulmonarias, cyclamen and winter heathers. A Chinese relation of the Daphnes, Edgeworthia, is worth seeking out on Battleston Hill at Wisley. It has two attractive forms: one with red flowers and another with egg-yolk yellow flowers. Both are highly scented. The plant is unusual in that its branches are so rubbery they can be bent into circles and almost tied together without incurring any damage. Other attractive plants that may be seen in gardens this month could include Hepatica, Omphalades, Acidanthera, Brunnera, Symphutum, Hacquetia, Erythonium and Puschkinea.
