After the wettest January for more than 100 years, we're all desperately looking forward to any sign that spring is on its way. One of the earliest heralds is the snowdrop.
And since the beginning of February, gardeners with land not swamped by floodwater will have been looking out for the first shoots nervously peeping their heads above soil.
But gardeners have another reason to feel protective and anxious about their flowers this year. Snowdrop collecting has seen a boom in Britain over the last few years, with sales reaching many hundreds of pounds for just one bulb.