Countryfile

Snowdrops (36x7)

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Joe Crowley and Anita Rani are at the Colesbourne estate in the Cotswolds, where its gardens at this time of year are home to millions of one hardy flower – the snowdrop. This perennial can handle the frost and snow, but it only flowers for a short while, with them all disappearing by March. Brought from alpine regions to England by monks in the late 16th century, it took almost 200 years to become a wild plant, but now snowdrops are here to stay. Anita meets the latest in a long line of snowdrop specialists, whose family brought some of the first bulbs back into the country, and she learns that whilst snowdrops might not mind the cold, they do still need some help in the garden. Joe discovers how they provide vital food and nourishment for our emerging winter wildlife, and he also discovers how snowdrops provide inspiration for a local artist as he joins in painting and printing these winter flowers.