Attracts Wildlife

Fritillaria pallidiflora is a quietly sophisticated fritillary, prized for its glaucous foliage and poised, nodding bells in soft greenish-yellow. Flowering from late spring into early summer, it brings a natural, woodland elegance to lightly shaded borders, tree-line planting and informal drifts where it can settle in and look entirely at home.

At around 50cm tall, the upright stems carry a refined cluster of bell-shaped blooms above cool-toned leaves—particularly handsome when threaded through ferns, early grasses and other spring bulbs for a gently layered effect.

• Colour: pale yellow with green tones
• Flower shape: bell-shaped, nodding
• Best for: borders, woodland edges, naturalised planting
• Pollinator friendly: Yes
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy

Narcissus 'Minnow' is a delightfully refined dwarf daffodil, prized for its gentle colouring and generous flowering habit. Each stem carries several petite blooms: creamy-white petals framing a neat, pale-yellow cup which softens beautifully as the flowers mature. Perfect where details are best enjoyed up close—on the patio in pots, along a path edge, or threaded through grass for a natural, understated spring display.

• Colour & form: creamy white with a pale-yellow cup; elegant cup shaped flowers
• Excellent in containers: compact at around 20cm, ideal for pots and the front of borders
• Reliable performer: fully hardy and easy to grow, returning year after year

Plant in autumn, allow the foliage to fade naturally after flowering, and you’ll be rewarded with neat clumps that improve as they settle in.

Hosta sieboldiana var. elegans is a classic shade perennial prized for its bold, heavily textured foliage that adds structure to borders, woodland gardens, and large containers from spring right through autumn.

Forming a broad, clump-forming mound, this hosta develops blue-grey leaves that become even more impressive as the plant matures, creating a strong backdrop for neighbouring flowers and underplanting.

Plant in fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in a sheltered spot with partial shade. It performs best where the ground stays evenly moist, especially during the first growing season.

Water regularly in dry spells, mulch in spring to conserve moisture, and remove tired foliage as it dies back. Protect emerging growth from slugs and snails, and divide congested clumps every few years.

Ideal for shady borders and underplanting, hostas also provide valuable cover for beneficial wildlife and bring a calm, architectural feel to planting schemes where flowers can be harder to achieve.

Narcissus 'Pink Charm' brings a soft note of colour to spring planting schemes, with creamy-white petals and a refined, cream trumpet finished with a poised salmon-pink edging. A large-cupped daffodil of excellent presence, it is equally at home threading through borders or gathered generously in pots by the door.

Plant in autumn and allow the bulbs to settle; come mid-spring, clump-forming stems rise to around 50cm, offering a composed display that pairs beautifully with tulips, forget-me-nots and fresh green foliage.

• Flower style: Large-cupped (trumpet form) with salmon-pink rim
• Season of interest: April–May
• Best for: Borders, containers, and naturalising in lawns
• Garden value: Pollinator friendly

Fritillaria uva-vulpis is a delightfully characterful little fritillary—perfect for those who appreciate subtle drama in spring. Its nodding, bell-shaped blooms appear in rich purple-brown, often neatly finished with a bright yellow tip, making a sophisticated note in rock gardens, gravel schemes and naturalistic planting.

Best where drainage is impeccable, this fully hardy perennial settles in unhurriedly and rewards patience with quietly increasing clumps over time. Ideal for sunny to lightly shaded positions, and particularly handsome when tucked among stones or threaded through the front of a border.

• Flower colour: Deep purple-brown with yellow tipping
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 10–50cm
• Habit: Clump-forming perennial
• Best for: Naturalising, rockeries, patio pots & containers

Allium 'Forelock' is a wonderfully characterful allium, admired for its rich maroon-purple, egg-shaped flowerheads finished with a playful tufted ‘topknot’. Held on elegant stems, it brings composed, architectural punctuation to late-spring planting schemes—equally at home in smart borders or in generous pots placed where the detail can be appreciated.

As the season moves on, ‘Forelock’ continues to provide structure, pairing beautifully with airy grasses, soft cottage perennials, and other spring bulbs. A refined choice for sunny, sheltered positions with good drainage.

• Distinctive flower form: egg-shaped heads with a charming tufted finish
• Colour: deep maroon-purple (Colour Group: Purples & Blues)
• Garden value: strong late-spring presence for borders and containers
• Wildlife: pollinator friendly
• Practical bonus: deer resistant

Fritillaria meleagris ‘Alba’ is a quietly exquisite spring-flowering bulb, bearing pristine white, nodding bells on slender stems above grey-green foliage. It lends a refined, natural charm when threaded through grass, tucked into woodland-style planting, or placed neatly at the front of a border—an elegant alternative to the more familiar chequered forms.

Best planted in early autumn for a relaxed, naturalised effect, this fully hardy perennial settles in gently and rewards patience with an increasingly lovely showing year by year.

Why you’ll love it

• Pure white, bell-shaped flowers with a graceful, nodding habit
• Superb for naturalising in grass and weaving through spring borders
• Fully hardy and pollinator friendly
• Compact and refined at around 30cm tall

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' is a beautifully refined early crocus, opening in cool pearl-blue tones with a crisp, pale centre. Small in stature yet wonderfully effective, it is just the thing for threading through lawns, skimming the front of borders, or finishing a pot display with a calm, considered flourish.

Plant in autumn and allow the corms to settle; by late winter into early spring, this little classic brings a fresh lift when the garden most appreciates it. Particularly charming when planted in generous drifts for a natural, unforced look.

• Colour: White with pale blue-lilac
• Flower shape: Cup Shaped
• Best for: Naturalising in grass, rock gardens, containers, and the front of borders
• Pollinator friendly: Yes
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy

Allium schubertii is the sort of bulb that stops the eye mid‑stride. Each stem carries an open, starburst head of pinky‑purple, star-shaped florets, held on stalks of subtly varying length for an effortlessly sculptural effect. It is superb in sun-baked borders and equally compelling in a handsome container, where its architectural form can be admired up close.

Flowering in late spring into early summer, it brings a crisp, contemporary note to planting schemes and makes an exceptional cut flower. Left in place, the fading heads remain pleasingly structural, lending quiet drama long after the colour has softened.

• Colour: Purple (Pinks & Purples)
• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 60cm
• Spread: 30cm
• Position: Sheltered, sunny position
• Ideal for: Borders, Containers, Cut Flowers

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Jan Bos' is a wonderfully classic spring hyacinth, prized for its richly coloured flower spikes in deep rosy cerise and a beautifully strong perfume. Compact and poised at the front of a border, it is equally at home in smart pots by the door, where its fragrance can be properly enjoyed.

With glaucous green leaves and an upright habit, it also makes a refined cut flower—just a few stems bring instant polish to a small vase arrangement. Plant in autumn and look forward to an elegant flourish from March into April.

• Colour: Deep pink-red
• Fragrance: Highly scented
• Best for: Borders, containers and cutting
• Flowering: March–April

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Delft Blue’ is a spring classic: neat, glossy green foliage topped with a well-filled spike of softly scented, mid-blue bells. It brings a calm, composed note to the front of the border and is especially charming in pots placed by the door, where the fragrance can be properly enjoyed.

• Colour: mid-blue with a gentle violet cast
• Fragrance: softly scented
• Best for: pots and containers, edging paths, and drift planting for a serene wash of colour
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy

Bulb size: 15/16. Plant in autumn for a polished display in March and April.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ is an enduring favourite: a herbaceous peony of great poise, producing sumptuous, fully double white blooms with the faintest greenish nuance and a refined perfume. In early summer the flowers rise above handsome, deeply divided dark-green foliage, bringing quiet luxury to borders and cutting gardens alike.

Once established, it settles into a long-lived clump and becomes more generous with each passing season. Particularly lovely when threaded through roses and shrubs, where its sculptural flowers feel perfectly at home.

• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 80cm
• Spread: 50–100cm
• Position: Sheltered
• Supplied as: Bare root