Solitary Snowdrop: 3 Years in the Making

I went out into the garden today to see if the balmy warm (+18 C) weather brought out any new flowers or green shoots. Sure enough, more bulbs were pushing their spiky green leaves into the air. Then, behind the leafless lilac I spotted something that I did not plant last fall, or even the fall before that. I could not believe my eyes. There it was -- a solitary single-flowered snowdrop -- planted in the fall of 2004 before I had learned from a wizened old garden sage that snowdrops "don't grow around here". So here we are 3 years later, with the bulb marker long since removed. Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are supposed to be hardy to zones 3-9 and planted in shady areas. Clearly, they don't thrive here, but I am impressed with the bulb's ability to be a recluse for so long only to make an appearance 3 years later! I don't know much about snowdrops other than seeing carpets of them in Vancouver. However, a quick search of the internet reveals that there are people calling themselves galanthophiles -- there really is a fan club for everything!