Havenwood March Garden Tour

Galanthus and Witch Hazel for Early Spring 2025

Julie Witmer

Mar 12, 2025

Galanthus ‘Sam Arnott’ is one of the best all around Snowdrops in my collection. — *Galanthus* ‘Sam Arnott’ is one of the best all around Snowdrops in my collection.

“Ere frost-flower and snow-blossom faded and fell, and the splendour of winter had passed out of sight,

The ways of the woodlands were fairer and stranger than dreams that fulfil us in sleep with delight…

March, master of winds, bright minstrel and marshal of storms that enkindle the season they smite….”

🌿 Algernon Charles Swinburne, March: An Ode

Welcome to Havenwood!

Come take a little walk around our one-acre garden in northwestern PA, zone 5/6. Half of our property is in the shade and half in the sun, some wet and some dry, so we have a wide variety of plants growing in each season. We are behind our normal bloom schedule this spring, however the weather is quite warm this week so everything is getting ready to burst.

For our garden tour today, I have added links to individual garden room articles so you can learn more about our garden, Havenwood. Many of the rooms have their own “how-to” posts for them but I still have several more to writes. In fact, it was just last week I completed a map of Havenwood and our open events coming up this year:

Join me on a walk around for March, starting at #5, the Cottage Garden:

Cottage Garden (#5)

The Cottage Garden is just waking up from its long sleep this winter and has a severe case of “bedhead” as it is still covered in cut stems and debris half raked away to make room for the earliest bulbs that are popping up this week.

Here are a few of the early best:

Iris reticulata ‘George’ is a vivid plum shade that is unusual compared to other rock iris. These have been coming up reliably for 3 years. — *Iris reticulata* ‘George’ is a vivid plum shade that is unusual compared to other rock iris. These have been coming up reliably for 3 years.

Hamamelis pallida is a soft butter yellow witch hazel just behind the Hornbeam hedge (#4) in the Cottage Garden. — *Hamamelis pallida* is a soft butter yellow witch hazel just behind the Hornbeam hedge (#4) in the Cottage Garden. These bloom much earlier during mild winters.

Green-tipped Galanthus nivalis 'Viridi-apice' in the smallest bed in the Cottage Garden. They are some of the earliest snowdrops to be up in the spring. — Green-tipped *Galanthus nivalis 'Viridi-apice'* in the smallest bed in the Cottage Garden. They are some of the earliest snowdrops to be up in the spring.

Birch Walk (#9)

The Birch Walk contains the main flower show right now as our season is just beginning, as it contains my collection of Snowdrops. I now have over forty different varieties of Galanthus and though my family teases me that they are all alike. I will try to show you today just how different they can be!

Galanthus ‘Spindlestone Surprise’ is a yellow snowdrop that is a vivid butter yellow on flower and stem. They show up well in the Birch Walk, and have multiplied from one bulb two years ago. — *Galanthus* ‘Spindlestone Surprise’ is a yellow snowdrop that is a vivid butter yellow on flower and stem. They show up well in the Birch Walk, and have multiplied from one bulb two years ago. It is a hard to find variety.

Galanthus ‘The Pearl’ is a really lovely cultivar with large petals. You can see the snipped stem of the bulb in front where a rabbit took a nip, even though they do not like eating these flowers. — *Galanthus* ‘The Pearl’ is a really lovely cultivar with large petals. You can see the snipped stem of the bulb in front where a rabbit took a nip, even though they do not like eating these flowers.

Baskets in the ground: I shared last year about how I put my collector’s Galanthus in aquatic baskets to keep critters from digging underneath of them.

Pale blue rock iris, Iris histrioides ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ in the Birch Walk are just starting. I have dozens of these in this area, and you can see many more buds poking up on the left. — Pale blue rock iris, *Iris histrioides* ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ in the Birch Walk are just starting. I have dozens of these in this area, and you can see many more buds poking up on the left.

A little snowdrop that we found here at Havenwood when we came, which is likely Galanthus nivalis. We have called it ‘Havenwood’ informally just when giving it away to friends near and far. — A little snowdrop that we found here at Havenwood when we came, which is likely *Galanthus nivalis*. We have called it ‘Havenwood’ informally just when giving it away to friends near and far. It is a terrific re-seeder.

The tricolor Crocus sieberi is one that the squirrels leave alone for us. — The tricolor *Crocus sieberi* is one that the squirrels leave alone for us.

Galanthus 'Grumpy', 'Wasp', 'Blewbury Tart' and 'Sanderii group'

Galanthus ‘Trymposter’ is part of the Trym series of snowdrops with upturned petals with green markings. — *Galanthus* ‘Trymposter’ is part of the Trym series of snowdrops with upturned petals with green markings.

“Galanthophile"—a British term for someone who is enthusiastically obsessed with and collects snowdrops, which are in the genus Galanthus.1

Another yellow snowdrop, *Galanthus* ‘Primrose Warburg’ was named for a famous galanthophile.

This is a light yellow colored Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis ‘Schwefelglanz’, with quite the musky scent! I thought there was a skunk nearby with just three little flowers—but somehow not an unpleasant one. — This is a light yellow colored Winter Aconite, *Eranthis hyemalis* ‘Schwefelglanz’, with quite the musky scent! I thought there was a skunk nearby with just three little flowers—but somehow not an unpleasant one.

Lantern Walk (#30) & Spring Bed (#27)

The bulbs in the woodland are quite behind this year, with the earliest crocus just peeking out today…

Crocus tommasinianus just coming up in the Lantern Walk. — *Crocus tommasinianus* just coming up in the Lantern Walk.

Galanthus ‘Hippolyta’ in the Spring Bed us always one of the first up and has multiplied well in the shade. — *Galanthus* ‘Hippolyta’ in the Spring Bed us always one of the first up and has multiplied well in the shade.

Helleborus 'Carosel' just in bud this year 2025, and in full bloom last year 2024

Daffodil Dell (#26)

The Daffodil Dell is very slowly awakening this year, with the leaves just coming up in the last day. Quite a difference from this time last year!

Narcissus ‘Jet Fire’ just coming up this year 2025, and in full bloom in mid-March 2024.

Thanks for joining me!

So nice to have so many other garden writers joining me today for a walk around the garden, as everyone shares their own blooms over at Carol’s for GBBD.