Perfect family days

THERE’S something brilliantly plucky about the snowdrop.

Look past the delicate, pure-as-the-driven-snow good looks of this humble little flower, and you’ll find a surprisingly tough character, and a very hardy heart. Snowdrops not only have the brawn to muscle through the February mulch... they thrive in it.

One of the best places to see snowdrops in spring is Altamont Gardens (059 915-1444; altamontgarden.com). The jewel in Carlow’s gardening crown, Altamont is a blend of formal and informal arrangements tumbling around an 18th century house, and worth a visit at any time of year. But Snowdrop Week (February 11-18) is on another level entirely.