Barbara McPherson's snowdrop collection

Having spent her childhood at Cerney House in the Cotswolds, gardening became part of Barbara McPherson's life at an early age. Together with her mother, the late Lady Angus (who taught Barbara how to garden), she developed the gardens at Cerney House, including the Victorian walled garden. One day, a visitor pointed to the large drifts of Galanthus nivalis growing in the woodland, and sparked her interest in these diminutive blooms which brighten the winter season. Barbara started collecting bulbs and soon became a complete galantophile, visiting various specialised gardens and nurseries every year. Now, living in the nearby village, she has gathered together an impressive collection of snowdrops which has been given a national collection status by Plant Heritage. These are planted in pots in the ground and dotted around her sloped cottage garden amongst other winter flowering plants such as hellebores and Crocus tommasinianus. Her snowdrops include virescent cultivars such as Galanthus 'Greenfinch' and 'Joe Sharman', double flowered varieties with Galanthus 'Britta' and 'Jaquenetta', various plicatus hybrids including Galanthus 'Daisy Haynes' and 'Bumblebee' among many others. To the side of the house, Barbara has cleverly repurposed an old fireplace to create a plant theatre to display her latest acquisitions. A few images of the snowdrops drifts at Cerney House are included in the set of images.