Seasonal beauty drops in

They defy everything that Britain’s winters throw at them and return, year after year, to gladden the hearts of millions of people.

Yes, it’s snowdrop time again, and gardens big and small are spotted with clumps of the tiny white flowers of the Gallanthus family.

Some gardens are more spotted than others.

Take Brodsworth Hall, near Doncaster, where more than half-a-million snowdrops, planted alongside the main driveway, are in flower.

Last month, a brief warm spell brought Brodsworth’s winter wonders into bloom a couple of weeks earlier than the last few years – and just in time for another dose of snow and ice. But that’s life in the great outdoors.

But snowdrops are feisty little flowers, as are the hall’s100,000 yellow aconites which are also flourishing, adding a touch of extra colour to the lawns and grounds in anticipation of the daffodils, which, for many people, traditionally mark the start of spring.

“The views into the woods from the main driveway look fantastic, with clumps of vibrant green foliage and white flowers bursting from the ground, and we’ve also got some lovely displays down in the rose dell, too, which provide a welcome treat as visitors walk around the gardens,” said head gardener Dan Booth.

“Although the hard landscaping and evergreen topiary ensure that Brodsworth’s restored Victorian gardens look great right through the year, we know that spring is just around the corner as the snowdrops flower and the daffodils start to sprout.”

Brodsworth Hall is one of a number of large gardens which annually open to the public at snowdrop time. One of the most famous in the North is Hodsock Priory, near Blyth, where several acres of woodland and gardens in the grounds of the 19th-century country house estate are covered with white as millions of snowdrops announce that, hopefully, the worst of winter is over and things can only get better.

And for the last few weeks, Austwick Hall, Austwick, near Settle, has been the setting for a similar, if slightly smaller snowdrop spectacular.

The snowdrop season is well under way, so if you fancy a breath of spring, get visiting.