I usually stem the urge to post about snowdrops at this time of year

...Obviously because it's been done before a million trillion times, and I don't want to be boring. But by heck I LOVE snowdrops. They thrill me, and fill me with hope for the year ahead. I love the way their milky-pure heads push through leaf litter and frosty ground, spearing the cold, beckoning me out into the garden, announcing that however chilly it might be above ground, the earth is about to warm up and precious springtime is on its way.

I used to be big-time into populating my garden with my very favourite varieties of snowdrops - G. 'S. Arnott', G. 'Elwesii', G. 'Magnet' (above)... but today I walked into my front door and decided I wanted snowdrops in my window-boxes, like, NOW.

Consequently I've bought six little pots from my local garden centre as my pre-valentines present to my very bestest friend (ME), and these will be planted out in the garden as soon as they've gone over to join my little colony. I've always preferred buying galanthus in bud in a pot so I can enjoy them at my table, or indeed outside, rather than having them sent to me 'in the green' which is basically a withered bunch of leaves.  These little beauties are simply labelled G. Nivalis. They have pretty nodding heads. They're good enough for me.

And now to the crux of things...the VALENTINE bit.

I've been having a fight with myself about this, too, because a couple of days ago I received a press release telling me about this snowdrop...newly discovered and AS YET UN-NAMED.

Perhaps you can tell where I'm going with this, but DAMMIT, if that isn't the most perfectly sublime valentine present, to have a snowdrop named after someone you love? Tell me I'm wrong.

Oh, and did you spy the upside-down heart? Yup. Me too.

Naming rights will be up for grabs to the highest bidder on ebay. Find out all about it here, and Tom will be posting a link to the auction page on Friday.

Suffice to say I have let the Hunk know.

The money raised goes to help save rare and endangered plants, so get bidding...

...(and by the way...the spelling for my name is at the top of this page)

xxx