Events to look forward to that celebrate the diminutive, but joyful Galanthus nivalis include the annual Shepton Snowdrop Festival (created to mark the legacy of James Allen, a 19th-century amateur breeder) which returns for its 10th year (February 20–21). For the first time, it will be accompanied by the Great Snowdrop Gardens Trail of Somerset. ‘We’re proud that all the special snowdrop gardens in Somerset have joined us, from Forde Abbey, Dunster Castle and Snowdrop Valley on Exmoor to Hestercombe, East Lambrook Gardens and the Bishop’s Palace in Wells,’ says festival director Amanda Hirst. Further east, Kent’s Great Comp Garden will host its yearly Snowdrop & Plant Fair on February 15, with specialist nurseries displaying and selling rare and unusual snowdrops, as well as a selection of early spring-flowering bulbs. Further north, Cambo Country House and Estate, which is situated on Fife’s coastline and is home to the UK’s Plant Heritage national collection of snowdrops, will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Snowdrop Festival.