Summer companion plants for snowdrops

[Alan_b]

I have noticed in the 'wild' that snowdrops are often paired with stinging nettles.  Nettles die away to below-ground roots in winter and remain dormant for most of the snowdrop season.  In summer they offer excellent protection against the ground being disturbed and provide dense enough cover to prevent much grass from growing.  Snowdrops, particularly the smaller species, don't generally like growing in grass unless it is very thin and sparse.

So I am wondering what more garden-worthy plants might be used as alternatives to stinging nettles.  Any suggestions?   

[Anthony Darby]

At least three of the UK's most spectacular butterflies feed on nettles so you could do worse.

[Helen Johnstone]

What about deciduous ferns or hostas?  I have snowdrops growing amongst ferns, astrantia, japanese anemones etc and they are thriving.  The border is completely swamped with foliage every summer but they seem to do fine

[Ru]

In natural forest biocenoses in the Crimea together with snowdrops grow: Dentaria, Convallaria, Lamium, Arum, Crocus speciosus.

The Galanthus elwesii (the most east population) grows in dense bushes: dogrose, hawthorn, Euonymus europaeus, Viburnum lantana. The grass there completely is absent.  Accompanying plants: Gymnospermium odessanum, Corydalis solida, Ficaria stepporum.

[Darren]

Lamium orvala is a nice (if understated) plant and looks very 'nettley' out of flower.

[Alan_b]

Yes, thanks Darren, I was just reading what Ru had written (thanks Ru, very helpful) and thinking that lamium, particularly the 'dead nettle' type, was the most similar to stinging nettle.    It is also (I think) a plant that will persist through the summer, which is what I want, rather than another spring flower which dies away in summer.  I'm allergic to stinging nettle pollen, Anthony, so don't want too much of it around the garden. 

Or the alternative, by analogy with the elwesii habitat, might be to use deciduous shrubs.

I grow some hostas in tubs and they do make good companion plants with bulbs (thank for your ideas, Helen) because their leaves don't appear until quite late.  But I don't want to be inviting all the slugs and snails to come calling in case they stick around over winter.

I'll see if I can experiment a bit with each suggestion I get to find which works best in my garden.

       

[ChrisD]

This is exactly the question I have been thinking about for the last few weeks. I have cleared a small area round the base of a dead elm tree, removed some of the very heavy soil and added lots of grit and leafmould, and now use this as my nursery area for planting out new snowdrop acquisitions -   in lattice pots. It is shaded by a large beech tree in the summer months. I want to put a few plants in for interest later in the season. Some of my thoughts.....

Gillenia trifoliata (one of those plants that I desire every time I see it, and have failed with at least twice before. Third time lucky?)
Paeony "Molly the Witch"
Lamium galeobdolon 'Hermanns Pride'
Meconopsis cambrica (yellow form) - I know this can be a self seeding menace but doesnt really thrive here so is never a problem.

Also ferns (as previously suggested). I seem to remember someone on the forum suggested ferns were not good companion plants for snowdrops but didnt give an explanation?

Hope this helps.

Chris

[Alan_b]

I would love to grow the 'Welsh Poppy' but I suspect it thrives on the amount of rain they get in Wales and would not do well in the east of England. 

The great thing about stinging nettles is that they completely disappear over winter.  The lamiums in my garden can end up looking ragged and unattractive in winter but they are still visible.  So a tall vigorous lamium might need to be cut down in the late autumn to avoid detracting from the winter display of snowdrops.

[Helen Johnstone]

I would love to grow the 'Welsh Poppy' but I suspect it thrives on the amount of rain they get in Wales and would not do well in the east of England. 

I have Welsh poppies and they self-seed all over the place, am forever pulling them up.  I am on the side of the Malvern hills so nearly in Wales.  Maybe you would be able to keep them in check in the drier east?

[Darren]

Alan - the behaviour of my L. orvala seedlings suggests it is completely herbaceous like the stinging nettle.

[Alan_b]

Helen, I suspect it is more a matter of struggling to keep welsh poppies alive here than struggling to keep them in check.   I have only rarely seen them in gardens hereabouts so they cannot be that easy to grow.

Darren, your observations on Lamium orvala are good to know.  Now I need to find some seeds.

[Brian Ellis]

Maybe you would be able to keep them in check in the drier east?

No, afraid not, thankfully it's an easy weeding task, although there are a lot of them!

[Alan_b]

Oh, it's wet where you are by comparison with here, Brian; look at all that snow you had.  But send me any spare poppy seeds by all means. 

[Brian Ellis]

Oh, it's wet where you are by comparison with here, Brian; look at al that snow you had.  But send me any spare poppy seeds by all means.

With the greatest of pleasure

[Martin Baxendale]

Oh, it's wet where you are by comparison with here, Brian; look at al that snow you had.  But send me any spare poppy seeds by all means.

Alan, I have orange and red Meconopsis cambrica seeding around everywhere here as well as the yellow. I could save some orange and red seed for you this summer if you'd like to have a variety of colours in the garden.