A (slight) hint of Spring

I have a friend who nearly divorced her husband because of his total obsession with Snowdrops and all their many varieties. While she slaved away at her admin job to try and pay the bills, he was busy poring over the Whys and Wherefores of the Monostictus, Magnus or Nivalis. For me, never mind the nuance of the shade or shape, I just see a glorious blanket of white appearing like an untold secret, signalling the hope of longer, warmer days to come. It's a time of mixed blessings though. While the snowdrops bring with them a glistening hint of Spring, it's still so cold that even the chickens can hardly bear to come out of their house in the morning. Three pairs of beady eyes bob about, looking at me as much as to say, "What the heck's all this about then?"

Horstead House and Raveningham Estate in Norfolk are offering Snowdrop walks throughout February, and you can reach both from here in under an hour by car.