Snowdrops

Ever on the look-out for an excuse to celebrate, this canny nation north of the border relishes its festivals. Still in the throes of winter, Scotland is in the midst of its annual Scottish Snowdrop Festival. Some fifty gardens and estates across the country throw open their doors and gates to the public as these first heralds of spring break through the frozen earth and carpet the countryside in open defiance of the final snows of winter. These tiny flowers, pendant flowers fit to grace the regal neck of a princess, bob delicately in the wind, beckoned by the watery winter sunlight. Erupting through the frosted soil, they are so strong yet so fragile, a flower with a determination that belies its size. These almost pearly off-white flowers, reflected in many a springtime wedding gown, contrast with the green leaves that support their slender bodies, blossoming defiant within the steely grip of winter. With little competition from other flowers, they reign supreme, meek yet majestic, bravely showing their heads when others remain firmly closed. Nodding their heads, they acknowledge the waiting bluebells, primroses and daffodils that lie ready to steal their thunder. Signifying the renewal of life that comes with the onset of spring, maybe they should be compared to a box of chocolates, hard on the outside, soft in the middle. So if you find yourself in bonny Scotland as winter grapples with spring, and a brisk walk is needed to blow away the cobwebs
nutured during the long, dark days of December and January, go search out the snowdrops. Acres of woodland are covered with these beautiful flowers. Blair Castle in Perthshire, Cambo House in Fife, and the Dalmeny Estate in South Queensferry are well worth a visit, as are the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. So what are you all waiting for ....... the show goes on until the first week in March, so search out your wellies, wrap up warm, and off you go!!