Snowdrops at Benington Lordship
The gardens are opened every year in February when they are carpeted in a spectacular display of naturalised snowdrops around the remains of the Norman keep and surrounding moat. Hellebores, aconites and winter flowering shrubs are also in flower, as well as the coloured stems of acers, cornus and willow around the ponds.
Two main species of snowdrop make up the spectacular display: the single common snowdrop Galanthus nivalis; and double Galanthus nivalis ‘flore pleno.’
The snowdrop walk, which runs along the wall at the top of the moat, was planted in the early twentieth century by the present owner’s family. Opening the gardens at snowdrop time became an annual tradition which has continued to the present day.
Over the years, a collection of rare and unusual snowdrops has developed and many of these special plants can be found growing in the borders. Some of our favourites are Galanthus ‘Mighty Atom,’ small in stature but with huge flowers; Galanthus gracilis ‘Highdown’ with its blue tinted, twisted leaves and small, finely marked flowers; Galanthus plicatus ‘Diggory’ with its distinctive bowl shaped flowers and heavily textured petals. The collection includes plenty of doubles, such as G. ‘Lady Beatrice Stanley’ and G. ‘Blewberry Tart,’ as well as snowdrops with yellow markings such as G. ‘Primrose Warburg.’
