Where are my snowdrops?

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In November I planted a load of snowdrop and crocus bulbs in our front lawn. There's no sign of any snowdrops but I've seen them growing in other people's gardens, I just wondered what I've done wrong :-(

If you only planted in November it may be a bit soon. Ones you're seeing are probably established plants.

Or it is common for squirrels to dig up newly planted snowdrop bulbs and eat them.

Ok thanks, I don't think it's squirrels, haven't seen any around our area since October. Hopefully next year then, although I was hoping to see them this year so it's disappointing.

February is peak snowdrop time, and there are lots of different varieties with blooming times from January to late March. So the game isn't over yet!

That said, snowdrop are gits for not taking from bulbs. The most reliable way is to plant 'in the green', ie actively growing plants, they seem to establish better that way, but obviously more expensive.

The crocuses should be along soon and give you a lovely show!

All that said - i have a years-long-established bulb edge to my whole lawn, which should be doing something by now, and I have a grand total of 2 snowdrops and 2 aconites in bloom, no crocuses yet and 4 out of 5 Christmas hellebores have vanished, so it's either a slow year or somethings had 'em!

Mine are only just flowering and lots of them are still just poking through

But in all likelihood they are mainly in the tummies of some nice fat squirrels

That said, snowdrop are gits for not taking from bulbs.

That is the best description. They are indeed total gita

A few places are selling them "in the green" at the moment.

*gits!

Mine are only 1-2cm poke! Also in my lawn. North. Dingy front garden.

Any snowdrop action yet, OP? I now have 6 or 7 on the go, up from 2 last week, and one crocus showing colour. It's like the world's slowest fireworks display.

I’ve never succeeded with snowdrops from bulbs. They are indeed gits. I’m not lucky in taking them from clumps either though I try most years.

Have planted them in the green in several places over several years in my garden including one side of a wire fence where they’re perfectly happy the other side in same habitat but nothing. They are gits but I’ll probably keep trying.

Give them time. I planted lots of 'early' snowdrops in October and they're starting to flower now. Conversely, the dozens of 'in the green' snowdrops I planted two years ago have performed very poorly--maybe 8-10 have survived!

As a PP said, it depends on the variety too, so give them time. The location/exposure of the bulbs also makes a difference--my new ones are in a sheltered spot, which encourages early flowering.

I've never had any success with snowdrops at all. I've tried planting both bulbs and ones in the green numerous times, but not a sausage comes up, which is a shame because I love them.

The bulbs take offence if they dry out, which is why its best to plant ‘in the green’
however i don’t think this is going to be a great snow drop year - I have thousands in my garden and although the early varieties are out and the rest nearly there, they're not looking as impressive and thick as previous years. Maybe last summer was so wet the buggers have drowned!

Agree. I think it's a combination of an acid soil and slugs. My fingers are quite green but not with snowdrops.

Mine are only just poking through, which I am surprised about as we topped up the border with quick a thick layer of soil last year. They have been in the border for a few years and did flower well after a year or so prior to this. Snowdrops in the local park are in flower, but they are very established plants.
If nothing is coming up, and you may have lost them anyway, maybe dig up the area where they are and see what is happening under the soil?

We usually have a carpet of snowdrops and have done for many, many years but this year they were a little late and the carpet is patchy.

I've got one, just one solitary snowdrop even though I planted about 15 or 20.

Keep the faith! Gardening is great practice for not seeking instant gratification.

I planted some a few years ago and still nothing, someone recently told me my garden is just too damp for them sadly.

I removed all my snowdrops (not many) from my garden last year and put them into pots while I reorganised the beds - pleased to see they have come up and are flowering.
I bought some in the green a couple of weeks ago and they are flowering too - I wasn't sure I could plant them whilst they were flowering and not 100% on their eventual location as I'm getting a path laid in few weeks - so I cut the bottom off the pot and placed them in soil, so they wouldn't dry out whilst we go on a winter break. The snowdrops are also flowering along the hedgerows around here too (south east)

I'm so glad it's not just me.

After several failures with bulbs my daughter sent me 50 snowdrops in the green for Mother's day last year. I spent an afternoon in the freezing cold planting them out. Only 3 of the buggers have deigned to show their faces. No squirrels round here (north east). I think I have to accept defeat.

I also planted a load of fritillaries & I'm pinning my hopes on them.

You can increase your fritillaries by seed. Takes about 5 years to flowering size. Squirrels love fritillaries too. Whatever rage you feel at seeing a squirrel dig up your newly bought fritillaries is increased 10-fold seeing them dig up bulbs you’ve just planted out after nurturing them in pots for 5 years.

My MILs snowdrops were fully out a couple of weeks ago but mine are only just appearing. Think hers get more sun than mine.

Ouch, that sounds really annoying.

I think I'm pretty safe from squirrels, I haven't seen any greys here yet and I've only once seen a red close to me sadly (I think I could forgive a red), and there was definitely no digging activity around where I put them.

I planted three different kinds of fritillaries in the autumn so I live in hope. I can generally grow any plants, but I've never had much success with bulbs. I don't know where I go wrong.

As others have said, bulbs don't usually take. Plants some flowering or spent ones now. In small patches of 1-3 or 5. They thicken up quickly.