Sheena Patterson of Oxford Garden Design on why gardening is good

Dog lovers will not need persuading of a simple truth. When it comes to walking, two legs are good but four are so much better.

I’m utterly grateful to my two canine companions, Toby and Darcy (Black Labrador and Golden Retriever) for propelling me outside, in the early hours of the day, whatever the weather.

This makes me insufferably virtuous as I arrive back glowing with fresh air and exercise while the rest of the family emerge from sleep.

And it puts me in touch with the natural world in a way that watching David Attenborough on the telly never could.

When walking a dog there’s always something new to see and this week it was the first of the wild, woodland snowdrops.

A sight to stop me in my tracks and take stock of nature’s sheer beauty.

The sun was shining, the views broad and the trees were silhouetted magnificently against a clear blue winter sky.

I appreciate trees better in winter than summer; the structure is better outlined. And below, the steep grassy bank was clothed with a mass of dazzling, white, naturalised snowdrops.

For many of us, the first sign of spring and the promise of milder weather just around the corner is the first clump of brave snowdrops to be seen poking through the cold earth of a woodland, churchyard or town garden.

Despite its long history in the UK, the snowdrop may not actually be native here and wasn’t recorded growing wild in this country until the late 18th century.

It’s thought that it became naturalised from garden escapees.

If you want to grow snowdrops in your garden plant them ‘in-the-green’ later this month after they have finished flowering, but before the leaves have died down. This helps them absorb moisture quickly after they have been planted, as dry, rootless snowdrop bulbs do not re-establish well.

You can buy them from garden centres, or, if you have a friend with some to spare in their garden ask for a clump. They won’t take long to establish themselves if you choose the right spot in your garden.

Snowdrops enjoy a well-drained spot in light shade, similar to their natural woodland habitat. If you are planting your bulbs in a heavy soil, as many of us have in Oxfordshire, add a little sharp sand or grit to the planting hole to improve drainage. I think a great combination in the garden is to plant them under the red barked Dogwood - Cornus alba 'Sibirica Variegata.’ All snowdrop species are endangered and all wild snowdrops are protected under law, which means that they must never be picked or lifted from their wild or existing habitat. In many parts of the county they can of course be seen and enjoyed for free.

If you’re out and about over the next few weekends, a great place to see snowdrops is Waterperry Gardens, just south of Oxford, which is holding snowdrop weekends on February 14/15 and February 21/22 this year.

There are free guided tours at 11am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm each day over these two weekends. A garden entrance fee of £6.80 adult, under 16s free, applies. For more details visit waterperrygardens.co.uk.

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