also flowers in january

I was in a beautifully arranged second-hand bookshop yesterday with a heart-gladdening section of books about old railways and a shelf full of out of date but intriguing OS maps showing all the pre-Beeching lines. But I came out with a (v cheap) first edition  of Garden Open Today (1963) by Beverley Nichols because I discovered while browsing that he was passionate about winter flowers and plants that bloom from December to March. When I saw that the book contains a chapter on 'Firstlings' - a word that is so good - in which he discusses snowdrops, I knew I had to read more.

I bought BN's best-known books Down the Garden Path years and years ago when I was under the illusion that this was about cosy, modest gardening (such a cosy, modest title, you see), little knowing that BN was one of the Bright Young Things who had a series of smart gardens in smart places and plenty of hired help who did the hard work while he faffed about with putting mirrors under snowdrops so he could see the markings. Garden Open Today has a similarly gossipy, camp tone, expensive plants and several now-outrageous sections, but at least I know to read BN for winter inspiration and his way with words, rather than for down-to-earth gardening advice.

And he is brilliant on winter flowers, firstlings, early blue irises and tiny wild narcissi. He makes me want to enter his world in January, and grow witch hazel and winter jasmine, hellebores and cyclamen, so that I can prove that winter in the garden is not cheerless and charmless. Although he is so very different, for me he's the literary equivalent of Winifred Nicholson whose winter paintings also alter my perception of the season. Here are some of her delicate snowdrops:

[Snowdrops in Winter, Bankshead (1969) Winifred Nicholson, Peter Scott Gallery]

We don't have any snowdrops in the garden - we always miss the optimum planting time - but other people's are a fine substitute.

Comments

[GrannyPurple]

Given our current cold spell, it's hard to imagine that the snowdrops are emerging under the snowdrifts yet, although most years, they are in full bloom when the snow recedes. My most indelible memory of Beverley Nichols is from "The Stream That Stood Still" favourite childhood reading.

[Simonheartfield]

Can I ask which secondhand bookshop this was please?

[Kate]

I love Beverley Nichols' work. I always feel that he wouldn't like me, but I do love his outsized confidence and ambitious planning, all presented as perfectly achievable. Excellent fantasy gardening.

[Elaine]

The Second Hand bookshops by you have the most interesting titles in them. Wish some were here!!

[Geraldine]

I could spend all day in a secondhand book shop. Looks like you spotted a real treasure.

[Suse]

That's what I want. Hired help for the heavy lifting while I faff about inhaling the scent of Bourbon roses and peeking under hellebore blooms.

Sigh.

[cathy]

peter nyssen sells snowdrops in the green around now; I think they take much better than the bulbs, so if you buy them now you'll have snowdrops (and winter aconites) next year. I like bluebells but so do the squirrels, but they seem to leave snowdrops alone.

[Rebecca]

So funny to read about "winter flowers" while we in Maine (Northeast US) have had several 10" snowstorms, a huge ice storm, and undoubtedly more to come! Our winter flowers are indoor amaryllises and paper whites, for sure! Enjoy your winter lovelies.

[Sally]

When I was very young, my mother used to get piles of 2nd hand copies of an English women's magazine that a friend subscribed to. I remember clearly that Beverly Nichols had a column in these. It would have been the 60s, so this makes me sound old! But more worrying is that this indicates I might have read gardening columns as a 9 year old? Surely not! But that aside, snowdrops are quite perfect!

[Jenifir]

I would love to have snowdrops blooming in my garden now but we are in a deep freeze with a little bit of slushy melting to keep my garden strictly in my dreams. My late mother was named after Beverley Nichols as he was my grandmother's favourite writer when she was born. His books seem rather hard to come by here in Canadian second hand book stores: I have only ever found one and it was about cats!

[Ellen]

Here in New England winter flowers appear when we are still inside and the snow hides them. I do, however, want to plant a few witch hazel for the scent and the hopefulness of a little tree that blooms so very early.