Caption: Galanthus ‘Trumps’, in Dalefoot Compost
Caption: Snowdrops thriving in Dalefoot Composts.
‘Most gardeners will have a place for snowdrops and there must be a snowdrop for everyone…’
…So say Margaret and David MacLennan who hold part of the National Collection for Galanthus (Snowdrops). They have more than 1500 different varieties of snowdrop at their nursery, including species and named varieties and encourage us all to share in this passion.
Of course, January is the time for admiring snowdrops, rather than planting them. The first weeks of the New Year are perfect to get outside and either find a spot in your own garden that could accommodate some or get inspired to add some new varieties for next year.
For those of you who read our blog last year about Margaret and David’s Snowdrop Collection, you’ll know they started trialing Dalefoot Composts in 2017 and have produced excellent results.
Now, four years on, they’ve found that over time, Dalefoot has produced bigger bulbs and bigger, stronger and healthier plants compared to other composts. Not only that, when using Dalefoot they didn’t need to add any additional feed for the whole of the four years!
So Dalefoot’s peat-free composts really do provide the perfect growing environment for snowdrops. If you’d like to start a collection of your own in your garden, the best time to plant is when they are freshly dug, either when the foliage is dying back in late spring or ‘in the green’ just after flowering. David and Margaret recommend using a mix of Wool Compost and Lakeland Gold. They say aim for a moist, well-drained planting pit with plenty of grit and incorporate a mix of Wool Compost and Lakeland Gold.
They are now looking at using our products elsewhere in their garden. We’re just delighted to be contributing to their nationally significant collection of snowdrops.