There’s definitely a spring feeling in the air this weekend, don’t you think? The weather’s slowly but surely getting warmer, the buds are daring to poke their heads through the soil and the leaves are starting to return to the beautiful trees around us here at the Oakeley.

But did you know that one of the first signs of Spring is the humble Snowdrop flower? These delicate little flowers are found all over Europe, especially in Britain, and in fact they love our cold and snowy winters.

They are often the first flowers of the year to bloom – usually towards the end of January, so that a few weeks later they are in full flower and we know that Spring is on the way. Snowdrops have hard tips at the end of their leaves that can push through snow and frozen soil.

If you’re lucky enough to find a clutch of snowdrops, then it could be counted as your lucky day. Snowdrops are traditionally known as the Flower of Hope, signifying a new season and hope, happiness and luck for the coming Spring and Summer.

Snowdrops seem to be abundant in Britain, but actually these pretty Spring flowers in their natural habitat are fast becoming endangered; in fact in some European countries they have recently topped the “critical” endangered list. This is because the bulb of the Snowdrop plant is one of the most widely traded bulbs in the world! Well, we never knew that!

Although there are about 20 different species of Snowdrop, none are native to Britain. They were thought to be introduced to our soils at the end of the 18th century. And in contrast to the red poppies of the Crimean battlefields that signified blood shed, the pretty, white and pure Snowdrop flowers came to be a sign of hope and new beginnings. Many soldiers brought back bulbs to plant in their gardens.

So next time you’re out for a walk in our beautiful Snowdonia, look out for the humble Snowdrop, and know that Spring along with hope and new horizons are on the way.