Address
Shaftesbury Snowdrops
c/o Councillor Tim Cook
The Town Hall
High Street
Shaftesbury
Dorset
SP7 8LY
Shaftesbury Snowdrops
Come and enjoy hundreds of thousands of snowdrops planted in and around the historic hilltop town of Shaftesbury, Dorset. The snowdrops bloom from late January to mid-March and include examples of rare and unusual Galanthus species and cultivars.
Shaftesbury’s snowdrop season is one of the biggest events of its type in the country and the town’s free snowdrop walks, including wheelchair and pushchair accessible routes, can be enjoyed by all, including dogs. Activities on offer during the season include an open snowdrop art exhibition at Shaftesbury Arts Centre, snowdrop-themed craft classes and visits to local landmarks.
Shaftesbury Snowdrops on BBC Countryfile
23 February 2020
We are very excited to confirm that BBC Countryfile came to Shaftesbury to film the activities of the Snowdrop Season, including some of the artisans and organisations who work with us. A huge thank you to the BBC and to all the volunteers who made the filming possible over two very busy days. Enjoy the programme https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000fs1q.
Come and visit us during Snowdrop Season 2021.
For more pictures see our Gallery
We are creating a 21st Century Legacy for the local community and our visitors to enjoy
“Just as the flowers provide pleasure and the promise of spring to come, the Season creates a sense of excitement and brings townspeople and visitors together in enjoying everything Shaftesbury has to offer.”
Founder, Pam Cruickshank
Timelapse photography is thanks to and copyright of Neil Bromhall
Background image is thanks to and copyright of Jane Shepherd
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It’s June 1st and almost all the snowdrops in my garden have finished their growing for this year. If like me you’ve still got a few green leaves poking through it’s safe to cut these off now and not damage your bulbs for next year’s flowers.
I’ve lifted some bulbs this year to plant elsewhere over the coming months. These are stored in dry earth or sand in the cool of our shady garden shed.
The Heritage Collection for Shaftesbury will need attention over the summer. Please email us on info@shaftesburysnowdrops.org if you can spare a couple of hours to help our one day.
From our archives, day 14: Easter Sunday.
The end of abstinence from chocolate for many. We’ve never found a chocolate snowdrop but did indulge in a wild goose chase in Shaftesbury one February with a daily prize of a chocolate one for spotting all the snowdrops. We also hunted for a silver snowdrop made by local artisan silversmith Jes Holt. Lucky lady who won it. Jes makes earrings too. We hope to have some for sale next February. As you can see we’ve even had a snowdrop cake (we’ve had a few) made a by a talented local sugar-crafter.
Our snowdrops come in many guises through our local ‘Snowdrops in Art’ exhibition. Check back with us again to see some of the wonderful art that has grown from our legacy.
From our archives, day 13: Good Friday.
In 2019 we commissioned some
beautiful hand made and decorated pots from local potter Jonathan Garrett. Here are members of our volunteer team preparing snowdrops for public display. Have a happy and healthy Easter.
From our archives: Day 12 - The two common snowdrops growing on Stoney Path in Shaftesbury #TheHighPointOfDorset. The common single form is Galanthus nivalis (Milkflower of the snow) and the double is Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’. The last picture is of a local, Les dangly, ‘Spiky double’ snowdrop we dug (with the landowners permission) and transplanted in Shaftesbury. It is from oddities like our ‘Spiky’ that many of the interesting and unusual snowdrops are developed.
There are an astonishing 2500+ named snowdrops now available.
From our archives, day 11: Snowdrops in June?
We began cultivating snowdrops in the raised beds at Shaftesbury Home Grown each year. These healthy, newly dormant bulbs were then lifted in time for our annual Father’s Day planting of snowdrops. The last of these snowdrops are waiting to be harvested for another day’s planting. If you’d like to plant snowdrops for your father (or any man you’d like to celebrate) follow our Facebook feed or watch our website for details. We hope we’ll all be well and able to enjoy this this June.
From our archives, day 10: Each year Snowdrop volunteers work together to create and exhibition of rare and unusual snowdrops as a part of the town’s cultural legacy. The names are themselves an unusual mix from ‘Little Ben’ and ‘Mrs Thompson’ to ‘Three Ships’ (for Countryfile fans, we don’t have ‘Johns Y Fronts’) We have over 150 varieties in the heritage collection and have always welcomed new volunteers to help make this exhibition possible.
From our archives, day 9: A bumper collection today of Shaftesbury’s unique Snowdrop Lantern Parade. Traditionally led by the Mayor in full regalia, adults and children make lanterns that look like giant snowdrops: they assemble with the young people from the Stepsintime Dance Side and Cliff Skey the town crier to walk to a local care home and to the hospital before parading through the town and up Gold Hill to hear the tale of ‘Galanthus’ the Shaftesbury Luck dragon and waken the Green Man.
From our archives, day 8 (I was gardening on day 7): Another beautiful photograph with a perfect blue sky, this time in a local churchyard. We believe this picture was by local artist Moira Ladd.
We planted a few thousand bulbs in the grounds of St James’ Church last September and were delighted to see them flowering in 2020. This church was referred to by Thomas Hardy when he described ‘Shaston’ in ‘Jude the Obscure’. In 2021 the church plans to be a stopping point serving tea and cake for visitors.
From our archives, day 6: We were very fortunate to be allowed to dig snowdrops in the green on a few local properties. Here are volunteers transplanting some of these into Pine Walk and Stoney Path where the Snowdrops are slowly establishing themselves. Wonderful spring views across the valley.
From our archives, day 5: Many people have helped to create our community legacy by using their talents. This image of snowdrops growing in the grounds of the deconsecrated Trinity Church in Shaftesbury is one of our most popular. Thank you James Thrift for your generosity.