Snowdrops ....or to give them their Latin name..... Galanthus.

Unfortunately the snowdrops in this picture aren't in my garden. It's four years since blog reader Jan brought me a bag of snowdrops 'in the green' . I planted them in various places in the back and front gardens but  like everything else planted here (except trees) they mostly vanished. A few re-appeared in 2023 but since then only one small clump .  The back garden gets no sun in winter and can be a frost pocket when the weather is bad and the soil is poor anyway. No point planting more.

These snowdrops that I photographed last week are across the road on the bank of the churchyard, right by the road. They have spread really well recently coming up despite being among grass, with water splash from traffic. The bank faces south-west so is in the sun for hours which must make all the difference.

 

The word Galanthus comes from from the Greek words gala (milk) and anthos (flower). Originally a native of alpine areas of Europe and Asia, it was considered to be a holy plant, a symbol of purity, chastity and hope and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to my little book of plant folklore Snowdrops should only be brought into the house with a 'white purification' ceremony  and it was considered unlucky to bring them into the house at all before Candlemas. They were often called Candlemas bells.

Many poets have written poetry about these small flowers

Brother, Joy to you

I've brought some snowdrops; only just a few,

But quite enough to prove the world awake,

Cheerful and hopeful in the frosty dew

And for the pale sun's sake.

Christina Rosetti

SNOWDROPS

I like to think 

That, long ago

There fell to earth

Some flakes of snow

Which loved this cold,

Grey world of ours

So much, they stayed 

As snowdrop flower

 Mary Vivian

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid,

Ever as old time,

Solitarty firstling,

Coming in the cold time,

Prophet of the gay time,

Prophet of the May time

Prophet of the roses,

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

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My plans for no shopping this week went haywire as Son said he'd bring a chicken over on Sunday and cook a roast dinner for us all.  I provided some of the other bits so I've used up all the carrots that were in the fridge and used most of the eggs to make Yorkshire puddings.. I had half a packet of stuffing mix left from the nut roast made before Christmas which was handy and an ice cream dessert in the freezer also from Christmas - so that's been used too.

 I don't like a fridge with no eggs and no carrots - one of my basic veg to have on hand so will have to shop after all.

Main meals this week will be............

Portion of nut roast from freezer with roast potatoes left from Sunday and veg and gravy.

Leek fritters with bacon

Baked fish in batter with sweet potato chips and peas

Portion Quorn Bolognese sauce from freezer over spaghetti 

and other things that I've not thought of yet......I'm not much good at meal planning now it's just me!

In A Carpark, The Food Shop and Curling

 In Suffolk the mobile breast cancer screening service travels to various locations and as I'm 70 it was my turn for my last screening- unless I request more, which I probably will as there is and has been so much cancer in the family (but how to remember to contact them in 3 years time?)

The unit parks in the car-park of the Co-op on the edge of Stowmarket. It was pouring with rain so I didn't get a photo but it's this one below, which in this photo is parked in Leiston Co-op car-park where I used to visit it every 3 years when we were at the smallholding. They were running late so it was a bit of a wait, but I'd rather wait than have to drive all the way to Ipswich Hospital.

I don't understand women who don't take up the chance to be screened. Now it's just a wait with fingers crossed to get a letter saying all is OK......or not. Although the only time I was called back in the last 20 years was because of static on the screen.

And as I was in town I went to  Aldi, Asda and Superdrug so I didn't need to go shopping anywhere for a week. Here we go - a shopping photo for those who love them!

Apples, pears, mini potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, cheese, dried prunes, rice, tortilla wraps, 2 tins sardines, Hovis biscuits for a change, Linda McCartney mozzarella burgers and a tube of pringles. Total £19.95.

Plus 2 packs of paracetamol from Superdrug 78p.

The apples and pears are British and the potatoes are even more local - coming from Wantisden Farms near Woodbridge in Suffolk. Unfortunately the purple sprouting is from Spain - I reckon it's  too wet here for harvesting.

There were several empty spaces in Aldi - no decaf ground coffee, no Shropshire Blue cheese and no dried apricots (I've been eating chopped apple/pear and soaked prunes warmed up in the microwave for breakfast and fancied apricots for a change).

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I've been enjoying watching the GB Curling Mixed doubles at the Winter Olympics. It's one of those things that looks quite simple - just sliding the stone down the ice to land closest to the middle of the circle and trying to get more stones closer than the other team - same as bowls. But all that sweeping and sliding up and down the sheet looks exhausting and the teams all seem to be young and I reckon it's quite hard on the knees too.

Today there is more curling and the skiing events start and also two matches in the six-nations rugby. I hope they are less one-sided than the France v Ireland game when France looked unstoppable. 

February Library Book Photo

 Picked up these from the mobile library, a bit different this month - only two crime and six non-fiction

and the very small book on the right is a children's book.

I've added to the books about spring - seems I'm looking forward as well as getting through Winter with 'Sacred Seasons' and that fiction book 'The Last Song of Winter' by Lulu Taylor (which someone must have mentioned as it doesn't look like a 'me' book at all) ' But 4 other books about getting through Winter still have waiting lists and it will be March and Spring before I get them.

Out of the huge amount brought home in January I've still got 5 here and have read seven so far.

The books I've read up to now are on the Books Read 2026 page.