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As the weather has been so cold these last few days I have not been inclined to go outside, so this morning it was fantastic to venture out and get a bit of fresh air in the sunshine. 
I really believe that there is nothing quite like the winter sun to charge our batteries and make us smile.
During my walk I noticed the snowdrops were nearly ready to come out which made me think in anticipation of spring being just around the corner.
The Snowdrop, perhaps unsurprisingly given its status as one of the first signs of new spring life, has come to symbolize hope, new birth and purity. It is also the birth flower for January. 
The beautiful pictures by Celia Henderson show how delightful these beautiful flowers are and make a wonderful gift or addition to any household
There are 20 recognised species of snowdrop but like many plant species, they are under threat in certain areas. They are protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) rulings,
Since the 1950s Kew Gardens have been monitoring the growth of snowdrops in the UK. Traditionally they would appear in February, but since the 1990’s they have been arriving increasingly early. These days they are found as early in the year as January.
More than 80 gardens will open their gates for the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) Snowdrop Festival during February, to mark the imminent change of season with their snowdrop displays. Here are the details of some of those around the country.
The hyperlinks will open into a new window.
|
Place |
Area | Postcode |
Dates |
| Home Farm | Gloucestershire | GL19 3HQ |
Sunday 29 January (11am – 3pm) Sunday 12 February (11am – 3pm)
|
| Austwick Hall | North Yorkshire | LA2 8BS | Wednesday 22 February (12 – 4pm) |
| Bagthorpe Hall | Norfolk | PE31 6QY | Sunday 26 February (11am – 4pm) |
| Ellicar Gardens | Nottinghamshire | PE31 6QY | Sunday 26 February (12 – 4pm) |
| Blakenham Woodland Garden | Suffolk | IP8 4LZ | Sunday 19 February (10am – 5pm) |
| Boughton House | Northamptonshire | NN14 1BJ | Sunday 26 February (11am – 3pm) |
| Bramdean House | Hampshire | SO24 0JU | Sunday 19 February (2 – 4pm) |
| Briarfield | Cheshire | CH64 5TL | Saturday 25 February (1 – 4pm) Sunday 26 February (1 – 4pm) |
| Coddington Vineyard | Herefordshire | HR8 1JJ | Tuesday 21 February (12 – 3pm) Friday 24 February (12 – 3pm) |
| Congburn Arboretum | Durham | DH7 6DY | Sunday 26 February (10am – 4pm) |
| Copton Ash | Kent | ME13 8XW | Sunday 12 February (12 – 4pm) |
| The Dower House
|
Derbyshire
|
DE73 8JH | Saturday 18 February (10am – 4pm) Sunday 19 February (10am – 4pm) |
| East Lambrook Manor Gardens | Somerset | TA13 5HH | Sunday 19 February (10am – 5pm) |
| Edwardstowe
|
Dorset
|
SP7 8BA | Saturday 25 February (11am – 3.30pm) Sunday 26 February (11am – 3.30pm) |
| Gatton Park | Surrey | RH2 0TW | Sunday 12 February (11am – 4pm) |
| Hanham Court | Bristol | BS15 3NT | Sunday 12 February (11am – 4pm) |
| High Garden
|
Devon
|
EX6 8NJ | Tuesday 31 January (9am – 5pm) Wednesday 1 February (9am – 5pm) |
| Lacock Abbey Gardens | Wiltshire | SN15 2LG | Saturday 25 February (10.30am – 5.30pm) |
| Manor of Dean | Sussex | GU28 9AP | Sunday 12 February (2 – 4pm) Sunday 5 March (2 – 5pm) |
| Millichope Park | Shropshire | SY7 9HA | Sunday 19 February (2 – 5pm) |
| Robinson College | Cambridgeshire | CB3 9AN | Saturday 28 January (2 – 4pm) Sunday 29 January (2 – 4pm) |
| Weeping Ash Garden | Lancashire | WA3 5NS | Sunday 12 February (12 – 4pm) Sunday 19 February (12 – 4pm) |
| Welford Park | Berkshire | RG20 8HU | Wednesday 8 February (11am – 4pm) |
| West Dean Gardens | West Sussex | PO18 0RX | Sunday 5 February (9am – 4pm) |
| Whitlenge Gardens | Worcestershire
|
DY10 4HD | Saturday 4 February (10am – 5pm) Sunday 5 February (10am – 5pm) |
Of course if you do choose to visit one of these beautiful gardens, it would not be the English thing to do to leave without having a lovely cup of tea and a piece of cake!