I had quite thought that the charming yellow snowdrop I extravagantly bought last year had succumbed to the dreadful deluges of December and January. It had not appeared by the beginning of this month and then the snow covered the garden for a week. After the thaw I could hardly believe my eyes but there it was – the well named Spindlestone Surprise with only a few leaves showing a small amount of damage. With nearly five inches of snow to protect it it had pushed its way towards the light and emerged with its flowers nearly fully open. A really inspiring surprise. I am reassessing my aversion to yellow snowdrops. There are too many good ones.