Leicestershire National Garden Scheme
Snowdrop Gardens Opening February 2025
Snowdrops are the harbingers of spring. By folk law, the white of the snowdrop symbolises the light of the winter sun which gets stronger as the days lengthen towards spring.
There are two local gardens are opening in February bursting with snowdrops and late winter colour.
Opening on the 22nd and 23rd of February from 11.00am to 4.00pm is the snowdrop garden at Westview at 1 St Thomas’s Road, Great Glen LE8 9EH. In addition to 300 varieties of snowdrops, there will be winter colour provided by cyclamen, hellebores, winter aconites, ranunculus ficaria, iris reticulata and complimented by evergreen ferns, box and yew hedging.
Winter display at Westview Garden Great Glen
For this opening late in February the owners also expect crocus, and the scented shrubs, Hamamelis, Sarcococca and Daphne, to be in flower providing colour and scent. Teas and cakes will be on sale, together with homemade soup to fend off any winter chill.
Nearby and opening the same weekend as Westview, is the charming garden at Hedgehog Hall at 3 Loddington Road, Tilton on the Hill LE7 9DE, from 11.00am to 4.00pm on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd February. A half-acre garden with over 350 varieties of snowdrops and many unusual hellebores, trilliums, ferns, cyclamen, and pulmonaria for a lovely late winter display. There are also scented shrubs including sarcococca, daphne and hamamelis. Part of the garden is terraced displaying the snowdrops and hellebores to great effect.
Snowdrops on the Terraces at Hedgehog Hall
Visiting one of our lovely snowdrop gardens helps nursing and cancer charities. Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, our volunteers and garden visitors, in 2023 The National Garden Scheme donated £3,403,960 to charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
For further details on our open gardens, accessibility, directions and admission fees and details, visit https://www.ngs.org.uk
Carol Bartlett Leicestershire Volunteer Press Officer
