My favorite flower of all time is the snowdrop.

It's a bulb, and right about now is the natural time of year for them to bloom.  (Of course, this being southern California, everything blooms pretty much whenever it wants.) Did I mention it was my favorite flower?

Years ago,  I was pleasantly surprised to find them for sale in pots at Trader Joe's.  Delighted, I bought some and took them home, re-planting them in my (balcony) garden.  Being bulbs, they returned for at least one more year, and I think maybe two.  When they stopped coming back, I bought more from Trader Joe's.  When those eventually stopped coming back, I went back again only to find that Trader Joe's no longer sold them.  

I inquired about them at the customer service desk, but not suprisingly, they were no more informed on the subject than I was.  They did seem to think that if they'd had them before, they would get them back again, and hey, maybe they will.

"Probably closer to spring. That's when most flowers are in season." The girl pointed out. "In fact, I think I definitely remember us getting them in April, because that's when my birthday is."

I didn't want to argue. Maybe she was right. Except I KNOW I'd bought them in February, because it was Imbolc, which is on February second and part of the reason I wanted them at the time was for a ritual. There, I said it. But not to her I didn't. I just smiled and thanked her.  Feeling it would be useless to point out that this was in fact the proper season for snowdrops, since it was not her job to know, nor would that change anything.

Not to be deterred, I then proceeded to the internet, which has never failed me before.  I found several websites which used to sell snowdrops, but no longer do.  One of these sites claimed that the reason was because these flowers are endangered in the wild, which I deemed to be a load of waffle.  If they were endangered, you would think people would want to sell them to propagate their existence. Right?

So I proceeded to check out a few local nurseries.  I don't remember the name of the first one I went to, but it was a big one. Part of a chain.

I approached one of the employees and asked whether they carried any snowdrops.

"Snowdrops? I've never heard of those." she said.

"They're a white flower, a bulb. They look a little like crocuses and they bloom right about this time of year, normally." I explained.

"I think you're thinking of snowflakes. They sort of climb and hang over things." She supplied, looking doubtful.  I'm sure I looked equally doubtful.

"Could you show me?" I asked, to be polite.

She did. They were not snowdrops. Lovely, yes, but not snowdrops.

"No," I said, "These aren't them."

"I've never heard of snowdrops before," she repeated, looking at me in a way that suggested probably I was stupid and was thinking of something else entirely. "Are you sure you're not thinking of snowflakes?"

"No, I've had them before, and they look different. Sort of bell-shaped and they droop down at the top."

"Oh, lily of the valley?" She perked up slightly.

"No, although there is a little bit of a resemblance." 

"Well, I've never heard of snowdrops before."

That's because you are an ignoramus and a twit!

"Okay, well thanks anyway." I left. I then proceeded to have similar experiences at a couple more nurseries before calling it a day.

Tomorrow is Imbolc. I do not NEED snowdrops. I am a pagan, and we don't NEED anything. We are not required to do rituals, nor are we required, should we choose to do a ritual, to do it any particular way.  In fact, tomorrow being an exceptionally long day at work for me, I don't plan to do one anyway, but I LOVE snowdrops.

And I miss them, and I want them back in my garden where I can enjoy them.  Where have they all gone? Why can they seemingly not be obtained from anywhere?

Is that so much to ask? My kingdom for a snowdrop!