Public invited to help create a showstopping snowdrop spectacle at National Trust's Wallington site

Since 2015, members of the public have been joining the National Trust gardeners and volunteers every February to plant 100,000 snowdrops during half-term week, with around 3,000 to 4,000 people taking part each week.

It is time to plant the next 100,000 between now and Sunday, February 25, which will bring the total number of snowdrops to 900,000.

Visitors can plant between one and 1,000 of these pretty white flowers from 11am to 3pm each day, with the team on hand to help.

Head gardener Simon Thompson said: “Snowdrops are uplifting to see – a sight that makes winter feel shorter.

“They have quite a long flowering season, so people can come to see them all through February and for the first couple of weeks of March.

“The best way to plant snowdrops is ‘in the green’ – a live stem with a bulb and flower. When people come to help us, they can immediately see the flower they’ve planted, rather than having to wait for it to grow.

“Some families might not have been near soil before and this helps to show that being muddy is ok and fun.”

Each year, Simon picks an area of the Wallington gardens for planting in areas where snowdrops will grow and form part of the long-term design of the garden.

This week’s planting is in an area of East Wood, which has recently been thinned out to allow other new shrubs and plants to thrive once the carpet of snowdrops has been planted.

For more information, go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/wallington/events