It’s a Snowdrop Sensation at Great Comp – garden attraction hosts its sixth fair which includes talk by botany expert Andy Byfield

Following the success of their previous snowdrop fairs, Great Comp Garden in Platt, near Sevenoaks, is hosting its sixth Snowdrop Sensation this Sunday (16 February) featuring a wide selection of unusual and rare snowdrops plus a separate talk by botanist, author and snowdrop expert Andy Byfield.

Great Comp Garden has teamed up with ‘Mr Snowdrop’ himself, Joe Sharman, to put together a wonderful show line-up including specialist nurseries: Monksilver , Dundry, Glen Chantry, Rainbow Farm, Edulis, Juno, Spring Platt Snowdrops, The Thorps and Rose Cottage Plants.  

Snowdrops engender a special spring fever and collectors will travel miles to view unusual varieties, some will stop at nothing to get hold of the rarest bulbs and these tiny flowers can be sold for record-breaking sums of money.  A single bulb was sold online in 2015 for £1,305!

The plant fair on Sunday will run from 10am – noon, and the enchanting seven-acre Great Comp Garden will stay open until 4pm so that visitors can also can explore the woodland walks and enjoy the snowdrops, crocus, hellebores and snowflakes in bloom.

Don’t miss the talk and presentation by Snowdrops expert Andy Byfield at noon

With 2,500 named varieties, it can be difficult to distinguish the best snowdrops from the rest!  Enter Andy Byfield, botanist and snowdrop fan extraordinaire. Andy has an encyclopaedic knowledge of these delicate tiny blooms and his enthusiasm for the topic will help, both Galanthus fans and novices, pick the best snowdrops for their gardens. 

Andy has spent the last 10 years working to establish sustainable snowdrop growing in Turkey. He speaks fluent Turkish and has worked tirelessly to help remote Turkish villages to grow sustainable snowdrop crops for export.  

As a botanist and a snowdrop enthusiast, Andy has discovered new species and even has a fritillaria named after him. He has worked for the conservation charity Plantlife and has written books and articles on the topic of snowdrops and regularly appears on radio talking about snowdrops.  

Andy’s love for Galanthus (snowdrops) is infectious.   If you’d like to hear Andy speak, then he will be presenting his talk ‘To Anatolia And Beyond, In Search Of Snowdrops’  at The Stable Theatre on Sunday 16th February at 12 noon. 

Tickets are £8 each for Andy’s talk and are booked separately via www.greatcompgarden.co.uk