Blacks & Greys

Tulipa 'Queen of Night' is the tulip for those who prefer their spring planting with a little intrigue. In late spring, tall, elegant stems carry glossy goblet blooms in a near-black shade, richly washed with maroon and deep purple. It brings instant depth to borders and a beautifully tailored look in pots—particularly when partnered with paler tulips or airy grasses.

• Colour: Near-black with deep maroon-purple tones
• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 60cm
• Bulb size supplied: 11/12

Plant in autumn into fertile, well-drained soil, and choose a sheltered position to keep the long stems looking pristine. A quietly dramatic classic for refined spring schemes.

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock' brings a quietly dramatic note to early spring: densely packed, bell-shaped florets in a deep plum-purple, carried on sturdy stems above rich green foliage. The perfume is classic hyacinth—sweet, familiar, and wonderfully welcoming near a doorway or along a path.

Plant in autumn for a refined show in March and April. This variety is particularly handsome in pots (where its colour can be appreciated up close), yet equally poised threaded through borders in small drifts. The flower spikes also make excellent, fragrant cut stems for small indoor arrangements.

• Colour: Deep plum-purple
• Scent: Sweetly fragrant
• Style notes: Striking in containers; elegant in borders; excellent for cutting

Anemone coronaria 'Levante Wine Double' is a wonderfully refined spring-flowering anemone, with fully double blooms in rich wine tones—deep magenta-purple lifted with pale highlights and finished with a near-black centre. Held on neat, upright stems, it brings early-season polish to pots, borders and the cutting garden alike.

Plant the corms in autumn for a poised display from March to May, and let the clump-forming habit weave gently through spring planting schemes. Particularly handsome in containers by the door, where the velvety colour can be appreciated up close.

• Colour: Deep magenta-purple with white highlights and a near-black centre
• Flower form: Double
• Ideal for: Pots & containers, cutting garden, borders
• Season: Autumn planting for spring flowering

For late-spring theatre with a decidedly dark mood, Tulipa 'Black Parrot' delivers in impeccable style. The richly frilled, parrot-formed blooms open in sumptuous deep purple, reading almost black at the centre, and sit beautifully against grey-green foliage. Planted in generous drifts, it brings a sophisticated edge to borders and makes an indulgent centrepiece in large pots by the door.

• Colour: Deep purple, near-black
• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 50cm
• Position: Full sun; sheltered
• Ideal for: Borders, containers

Anemone coronaria 'Levante Rosso Double' brings a poised note of theatre to mid–late spring, with richly coloured, double blooms held neatly above fresh mid-green foliage. The effect is wonderfully tailored—ideal for smart containers by the door, and equally at home threading through the front of a sunny border.

With tidy stems and a refined flower form, it is also an excellent choice for the cutting garden, where a few stems lend instant polish to a simple jug arrangement. Plant in autumn for flowers from April to June.

• Colour: Red (with tonal variation)
• Flowering: April–June
• Height: 40–60cm
• Perfect for: Pots & containers, front of borders, cutting garden

Fritillaria persica 'Adiyaman' is a wonderfully architectural spring bulb, sending up poised, upright stems lined with slender green foliage and finished with a refined spire of nodding, bell-shaped blooms. The colouring sits in the deepest purple-brown, reading almost black in certain light—quietly dramatic, and effortlessly sophisticated.

Plant through autumn for a statement in mixed borders, gravelly schemes, and naturalistic planting where its vertical form brings a sense of intention. Equally handsome in large containers in a sheltered courtyard position, where the flowers can be admired up close.

• Colour: Deep purple (near-black)
• Flower shape: Bell-shaped, nodding
• Height: 50–100cm
• Ideal for: Borders, containers, courtyard gardens, naturalising

Tulipa 'Black Hero' is a wonderfully theatrical Double Late tulip, bearing fully double, peony-flowered blooms in a glossy, near-black reddish-purple. In late spring it brings instant gravitas to pots by the front door, as well as richly toned borders where its dark colour reads as a sophisticated neutral.

Strong, upright stems reach around 60cm, making it an excellent choice for cutting—particularly effective in elegant, monochrome arrangements or paired with creams, soft pinks and fresh spring greens.

• Double Late, peony-flowered tulip in sumptuous near-black tones
• Ideal for containers, borders and cutting
• Plant in autumn for flowering in April–May
• Best in a sheltered position in fertile, well-drained soil

Anemone coronaria (De Caen Group) ‘Bicolor’ is a classic garden anemone with a wonderfully crisp, tailored look: clean white petals neatly ringed in raspberry-red, set around a dark central eye. Planted in autumn, it brings poised colour to early spring borders and makes a particularly smart cut flower for small vases and mixed arrangements.

Exceptionally at home in pots as well as the front of a sunny border, ‘Bicolor’ suits cottage-style planting and Mediterranean-inspired schemes alike. In a sheltered position with free-draining soil, it will settle quickly and reward you with a fresh, refined display just as the garden is waking up.

• Botanical name: Anemone coronaria (De Caen Group) ‘Bicolor’
• Type: Fully hardy, perennial corm
• Flowering: March–April
• Planting time: September–December
• Position: Sheltered, sunny spot
• Ideal for: Borders, containers and cutting

Tulipa 'Apeldoorn' is a true classic of the Darwin Hybrid tulips: rich red, goblet-shaped blooms that open to reveal a dark base, finely lined with yellow. Held on strong, upright stems, it brings a poised, confident note to mid-spring planting schemes—equally at home threading through borders, underplanting roses and shrubs, or arranged in generous pots by the door.

With its reliable stature and clean green foliage, ‘Apeldoorn’ also makes a splendid cut flower—smart, simple, and unmistakably spring.

• Flower colour: Red with yellow lining and black base
• Flower shape: Goblet
• Established height: 55cm
• Ideal for: Borders, containers, courtyard gardens, cottage & informal gardens, underplanting, cutting

Tulipa 'Red Riding Hood' is a compact Greigii tulip of real distinction, pairing bold scarlet spring blooms with attractively marked foliage. Each solitary flower is finished with a dark, inky base, creating a refined, high-contrast look that sits beautifully in pots, along the front of borders, or threaded through gravel gardens for a crisp seasonal lift.

Neat in habit and pleasingly reliable, it reaches around 20cm and forms tidy clumps over time—ideal where you want colour to feel curated rather than crowded.

• Colour: Scarlet red with a dark base
• Foliage: Green with purple markings
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 20cm
• Bulb size supplied: 10/11
• Award: AGM