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Snowdrops

Thinking about the passing of time a lot recently - maybe its age who knows? As photographers there are certain times of the year we love - spectacles of nature, annual events, blossoms and signs of the seasons changing, all which we love to photograph. As January arrives, usually bringing grey skies and bad weather, we eagerly await (like many other people) the arrival of the snowdrops - the first sign of spring approaching.


Snowdrops, otherwise known as their scientific name 'Galanthus nivalis' the 'milk flower of the snow', the tiny little flowers, which despite looking so fragile, battle their way through frozen ground each year producing carpets of white to admire and photograph! We have tried many times to grow the beautiful little flowers in our garden, but have never been successful. Someone once told me that they are a delicacy to squirrels and we do have the occasional grey squirrel visiting the garden, so maybe they have taken them home as a family treat every year!


Thankfully, we are lucky to live close to some spectacular winter gardens, which, if you visit at the right time of year, become a sea of tiny white flowers. This year we paid a visit to the National Trust's winter garden at Dunham Massey and were delighted to find snowdrops everywhere and even some early narcissus poking their heads up!

Snowdrops in a woodland



There was many a fellow photographer crouched down trying to capture that perfect shot - when you reach our age you can still get those low down shots, but you might need help getting back up! Thankfully we're a twosome, so one can always pull the other up as long as we remember to coordinate our crouching! And as you try to capture that perfect shot, it invariably attracts attention with other non photographic visitors stopping to see what you are doing and offer advice. This year we met a lovely couple of ladies who travel the country on snowdrop tours and advised us where we should visit to see even more of the lovely flower. Lytham Hall and Rode Hall were just two of their recommendations and both local to us. Of course we didn't find time to visit this year - partly because the weather was so awful and partly because we are not too good at time management with all the demands of our family life, but they are on our list for next year (which will be here before you know it!).


Now when you've got that perfect shot what to do with it? Thankfully we have a very supportive and popular Instagram account @married_with_grown_ups so that is where our shots usually make their way, but this year something very strange happened...


A single snowdrop

... a comment appeared on our photo feed asking did we know how unlucky snowdrops are considered by some people? We were really shocked - never having heard this at all, but on further investigation it would appear that these beautiful little flowers have quite a reputation!


In many parts of the country it is considered very unlucky to bring a posy of snowdrops into your home as they bring bad luck, even death, into the house. It is even considered unlucky to glance on a single snowdrop and some people believe this is another indicator of death. What a shock! Our favourite little flower has quite a macabre history! Superstitions are hard to dispel particularly ones passed down through families and the history of this one goes a long way back.


Are we superstitious - not sure really? Do you walk under ladders, count magpies, keep your shoes off the table? Might have to add snowdrop posies to that list now! We'll just keep photographing them and leave them in the ground! They look better there anyway don't you think?



If you want to purchase any of our snowdrop photos click the button below. They are available in a variety of sizes, but if there's something you are specifically looking for just let us know.


If you know anymore about the snowdrop superstitions let us know! A really fascinating subject to keep us both busy!





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