"... Amongst the best of the winter flowering plants "

Buying Snowdrops on ebay

  click here for our main site or here to return to the Ebay page

These are either searchable under "Galanthus" or "Snowdrops"

To save on unnecessary typing and descriptions we have set up several pages relevant to the items being sold. These will give background information, cultural details, etc.

1) Postage and packaging

2) Unpacking your prized item

3) Guarantees, complaints, returns etc.

4) Cultivation

5) Species and varieties for sale

1) Postage and packaging

Snowdrops are sent by Royal Mail letter post.

Prices as per items sold. Plants are bare rooted and packed either in damp moss or peat.

2) Unpacking your mail order

When your box arrives great care should be taken when unpacking. Plants are not like car spare parts, they are alive and will continue to grow even in the box. They may have been in this box for 2 or three days and will be a little battered - this is inevitable, but nothing to worry about.

Snowdrops are best planted  straight into the garden but a little extra care is needed. Water well and try to keep out of direct sunlight for the first few days.

Potted plants should be left in a semi shaded site for a while to acclimatise them and can then be planted straight into their final situations.

Once the plants have been out of the box for a week then they should be back to their original condition.

3) Guarantees, complaints, returns etc.

We do our best to ensure that the items we sell are accurately named and of good quality. If however you feel that there is a problem please feel free to contact us.

All reasonable complaints will be sympathetically dealt with if notified within 7 days of receipt.

Cultivation

Snowdrops are some of the easiest of all the native bulbs to grow. Once established they will spread and soon become quite large clumps. There is nothing like a large bold patch of snowdrops in the darkest winter months. They grow equally well in both acidic and alkaline soils, as long as it is well drained and reasonably fertile, preferring a semi-shaded or even sunny site. They really don't like dense shade.

Before planting the soil must be prepared by digging in lots of organic matter, it really doesn't matter what  sort as long as it is well rotted. A bit of fertiliser would also help, bonemeal is ideal. It is a good idea to improve the drainage while the ground is 'bulb free' although snowdrops like to be moist at all times.

The bulbs you buy will be 'in the green' i.e. they will be bare rooted and still have their tops on. They should be planted to the depth at which they were originally grown (where the stem changes from white to green). Space the plants 3-4 inches (8-10cm) apart and water well until established or until the leaved die off and stand back and admire!

If you can bear to it is a good idea to remove the flowers so that they can put all their energy into building up the bulb for future years. Never cut off the leaves - they are the food producing organs and don't stay for long anyway.

To hasten the spread clumps should be lifted and replanted every three years. It is not necessary to do this when they are flowering just mark the spot where they are and do it when they have died down. The crucial part is not to let the bulbs dry out.

Plants will benefit from a top dressing of bonemeal and some organic matter every autumn.

Species and cultivars for sale

Galanthus nivalis 'Viridapice' - £5.99 for 3 bulbs

This variety is similar to the parent plant in habit with narrow grey-green leaves, forming large clumps fairly quickly. The plant generally flowers in late February. The distinguishing features are an inverted V on the inner segments, and the outer segments are long with prominent green tips. A nice variety.

Galanthus woronowii £2.25 for 3 bulbs

A pretty little snowdrop originating from Turkey, now often seed raised and hence a little variable. Bright green broad leaves bear attractive flowers whose distinguishing  features include a green mark on the inner segments, almost like an inverted horseshoe. Well worth growing. Easy.

Also available by mail order

Galanthus 'Magnet' £2.00 per bulb

Galanthus 'Robin Hood £3.50 per bulb

Galanthus plicatus £3.00 per bulb

Galanthus 'White Dreams' £5.00 per bulb

   Return to home page