Dainty Gravetye Giant Blooming
There are certain pockets of my garden which ground me with normalcy and the beckoning of spring, despite our ongoing home remodel. With all of the mess, upheaval, and chaos, my “Gravetye Giant” have managed to come up and bloom in dainty spring glory, reassuring me that all is well, and everything will once again be fine in the garden.
Maybe our persistent intervals of somewhat light rains, have stoked the feverish blooming of these beauties this year. I had half forgotten about them until their dainty white bells caught my eye one day. I can almost imagine “Tinkerbell” from Peter Pan, magically dancing amongst these blooms. Perhaps, that is why my favorite gnome is not too far away.
A sure sign of spring, Leucojum aestivum Gravetye Giant, also known as Giant Snowflake and Summer Snowflake, is a winter-to-spring blooming bulb. When blooming, Gravetye Giant can reach 2′ -3′ tall. They have a clump-forming habit, with vivid green foliage and delicate pendulous white bell flowers punctuated with an emerald green dot at the tip of each petal.
It is best to plant Gravetye Giant bulbs initially in the fall, in a part-shade to sunny location. Gravetye Giant are ideal for flower beds, borders, naturalizing, woodland shade gardens, and even water features. They are extremely showy and elegant in mass plantings. You can enjoy them inside as beautiful cutting flowers.
Gravetye Giant is a very forgiving bulb, with the ability to tolerate extremes like frost, and excess moisture. They require little maintenance by dead-heading blooms when finished, and cutting back foliage only when it yellows. Clumps can be divided, if necessary. They are relatively pest free, even rodent and deer resistant.
Gravetye Giant bulbs can be found through most bulb companies. My friends at Easy To Grow Bulbs offer reasonable Gravetye Giant 25, 50, and 100 bulk bulb pricing, shipping these bulbs August through December.
Please share if you have Gravetye Giant in your garden? Please comment on what in your garden is first to bloom, and suggests your spring is here.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I love these flowers too! I planted a few bulbs from CostCo many years ago and they keep multiplying. I didn’t keep the packaging, though, so until I stumbled upon your blog I thought that they were Lily of the Valley which don’t actually thrive where we live in southern California. I’m so glad to find out what they are and am planning to plant more this fall. Thanks, and love your blog!
Penelope, it is fun to see Gravetye Giant come up year after year with their beautiful dainty blooms. Thanks for your wonderful comment…VintageGardenGal
I also grow these extremely hardy bulbs here in northen Ontario where they thrive anywhere Iput them; under water-hogging poplar trees, at the bottom of a damp slope or in ordinary circumstances in the raised borders. When I bought them many years ago they were labelled Aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ and referred to in the catalogue as giant summer snow drops.
Barbara, yes, they are beautiful, and have several names. Thanks for your lovely comment…VintageGardenGal