Emma Thick a Snowdrop Shepherd
A Snowdrop Offshoot
It’s the first Offshoot episode of this series of Our Plant Stories. Plant stories always lead to more plants and more people and so where possible I make Offshoots. Make sure you follow the podcast on your podcast app and then you will never miss these episodes when they pop up!
Snowdrops or Galanthus are such a welcome sign at this time of year, whether you have the odd one or two dotted around your own garden or travel to see them in spectacular collections in other people’s gardens or you spot them in the wild, in hedgerows.
Recently I was lucky enough to visit Thenford Arboretum and meet Rupert Heseltine whose parents developed the garden and Emma Thick, a gardener and Galanthophile who cares for the large and impressive National Collection of Snowdrops that is held there.
Emma in front of the Auricular theatre in the walled garden at Thenford Arboretum
What to listen for in this episode.
Emma Thick is also known as the Snowdrop Hat Lady, for the wonderful woollen hats knitted by her mum and embroidered with snowdrops. But as you will discover in this podcast, her and her mum’s shared passion for snowdrops goes far deeper than just the beautiful hats. In fact we have Emma’s mum to thank for the fact that Emma became such a knowledgeable Galanthophile and it all sprung from one unidentified snowdrop.
Now Emma ‘shepherds’ and you’ll have to listen to the podcast as to understand why she prefers that term, 1501 different snowdrops in the Thenford national collection and she admits that she sometimes has a better eye for identifying the snowdrops than she does people!
Did you know that snowdrops aren’t native to the UK? Emma explains where they come from.
If you want to begin your snowdrop journey with an understanding of the different species and how you can tell a Galanthus Nivalis from a Galanthus Elwesii and what you can find in garden centres then this could be a very good place to start. Some snowdrops as Emma explains will thrive effortlessly whilst others can be ‘miffy’ and sometimes the ones that are ‘miffy’ for you, thrive effortlessly for your neighbour! And if you have ever wondered how they spread, well there’s something very clever going on, involving ants.
How to Grow Snowdrops
There are some key takeaways in this episode
Planting in the Right Conditions: Snowdrops prefer well-draining soil and partial shade, mimicking their natural woodland habitat. So as always its right plant, right place.
Buying in the Green vs. Dormant Bulbs: Traditionally, snowdrops were planted "in the green" (just after flowering), but improved storage techniques mean dry bulbs can now be planted successfully in autumn.
Handling with Care: Snowdrops have delicate roots that don’t regenerate if broken, so plant them carefully if you are transplanting them in the green.
Companion Planting: At Thenford they have found that the Snowdrops thrive when paired with plants like hydrangeas which suck out the moisture in the soil, leaving the snowdrop bulbs happy.
From top left moving clockwise, we have Kencot 1, Ben and Ken, Antrym and Egret just a few of the 1501 different snowdrops at Thenford.
The gardens at Thenford Arboretum are open on 19 days each year and you can find all the details on the website here. The gardens are spectacular with not just a huge variety of plants and trees but also stunning sculptures. Listen to the podcast to hear Rupert Heseltine’s memories of the garden as a boy when it looked very different to how it appears now and to hear where his father’s passion for plants came from and how he still, at 92, remains very involved in the garden and the labelling.
Lord Heseltine also makes the plant labels
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Episode Transcript
Click the button below if you wish to read a transcript of the conversation with Emma and Rupert.