Autumn Planting Bulbs

Arum italicum is a quietly striking woodland perennial, treasured as much for its foliage as for its flowers. In autumn and winter it unfurls handsome, silver-marbled leaves that lend a refined, architectural note to shaded corners. Come April, curious greenish spathes appear, followed by bright red berries that bring a welcome dash of colour to naturalistic planting.

Superb beneath shrubs and between perennials, Italian arum settles in gracefully and looks particularly composed when allowed to weave through a lightly shaded border or woodland edge.

• Best for: woodland planting, underplanting and softly shaded borders
• Interest: marbled foliage, spring spathes, red berries
• Style: naturalising, understated, architectural

Camassia leichtlinii ‘Blue Candle’ brings a poised, architectural note to late spring: upright spires of clear blue flowers rising cleanly above fresh green foliage. It is particularly handsome threaded through grass, in meadow-style planting, or drifting between late tulips for a natural, unforced elegance.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle in; once established, it returns faithfully each year, forming neat clumps that look as though they have always belonged. Equally charming in the border and surprisingly refined in a vase.

• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 60–85cm
• Bulb size supplied: 14/+
• Position: Borders, meadow planting, grass, cut flower garden
• Best for: Naturalising, borders, meadow-style planting, cutting

Camassia quamash 'Blue Melody' is a quietly distinctive quamash, prized for its refined, cream-edged foliage and richly coloured, starry blue flowers that arrive in late spring and early summer. Compact and clump-forming, it brings a poised, natural elegance to meadow-style planting, informal borders, and grass that’s allowed a touch of freedom.

Plant in autumn and allow it time to settle; by its second season it will begin to show its true character, offering graceful vertical notes and a fresh, variegated leaf presence even before the flowers appear. A charming choice for cutting too—small, considered posies with a natural air.

• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 30cm
• Habit: Clump-forming perennial
• Best for: Naturalising, borders, cottage & informal gardens, cut flowers

Camassia 'Caerulea' is an elegant, statuesque bulb for late spring, sending up refined spires of star-shaped violet-blue flowers above fresh, linear foliage. It has a wonderfully natural poise—equally at home threaded through meadow-style grass, used in generous drifts at the woodland edge, or brought forward in mixed borders where its height adds calm structure.

Plant in autumn and allow it time to settle; once established, it returns faithfully and can gently increase over the years. For the most effortless look, weave through grass and let the stems rise like a quiet flourish in May and June.

• Colour: blue-purple
• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 100–150cm
• Best for: naturalising, borders, woodland gardens, cottage & informal planting, cut flowers
• Pollinator friendly: yes

Camassia 'Cusickii' is a wonderfully refined naturaliser for those parts of the garden that hold a little moisture. In late spring it rises on upright stems with neat, starry flowers in a clear, azure-blue—an elegant way to thread height and colour through borders, meadow-style planting, and naturalised grass.

Plant in generous drifts for a quietly impressive display that returns each year, settling in steadily and looking increasingly at home as it matures.

• Colour & form: star-shaped, blue-purple flowers held in stately spires
• Where it shines: borders, naturalised grass, meadow-style schemes
• Garden value: pollinator friendly and reliably perennial

Camassia ‘Esculenta Quamash’ is a wonderfully graceful bulb for late spring, sending up refined spires of star-shaped violet-blue flowers above fresh, strap-like green foliage. It lends an effortless, natural air to meadow-style planting, relaxed borders, and lightly wild corners—particularly lovely woven through ornamental grasses and other naturalising favourites.

Dependable, fully hardy, and easy to grow, it settles in quickly and returns year after year, forming neat clumps that look increasingly assured with each season.

Why you’ll love it

• Starry violet-blue blooms held on elegant, upright stems
• Ideal for naturalising, informal drifts, and airy border planting
• Pollinator friendly, with flowers that are welcome in spring gardens
• Excellent structure for cutting gardens, with a poised, long-stemmed look

Planting notes

Plant in autumn for spring flowering. Choose a position in full sun or partial sun, in moist but well-drained loam. For a relaxed, meadow-like effect, plant in generous groups and allow the clumps to build over time.

Camassia leichtlinii 'Silk River' is a quietly striking camas, sending up poised spires of creamy-white, star-shaped flowers that unfurl from fresh lime-green buds in late spring and early summer. The effect is light, elegant and effortlessly natural—particularly when allowed to drift through grass, at the woodland edge, or threaded between perennials.

It’s a refined choice for gardeners who favour a softer, more meadow-like finish, yet it holds its own in a well-dressed border. Plant in groups for a calm, architectural rhythm, and enjoy stems that also lend themselves beautifully to a simple vase indoors.

• Flower colour: Creamy white with lime-green buds
• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 80cm
• Bulb size: 12/14cm
• Position: Borders, naturalised grass, woodland edge

For a quietly enchanting start to spring, Chionodoxa forbesii brings neat, starry flowers in an intense blue, each one finished with a crisp white eye. Small in stature yet wonderfully effective, it settles into clumps over time and is particularly handsome when allowed to naturalise—threaded through short grass, tucked into gravel, or dotted along the very front of the border.

Plant in autumn and look forward to a refined haze of early colour from March into April. It is equally charming in containers, where the clear blue reads as distinctly fresh against stone, terracotta, and evergreen foliage.

• Colour: Intense blue with a clear white eye
• Flowering: March–April
• Height (established): 15cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Habit: Clump-forming perennial bulb
• Best for: Naturalising, gravel gardens, containers, underplanting

Chionodoxa ‘Pink Giant’ is a refined little treasure for the earliest days of spring: soft pink, star-shaped blooms, each finished with a crisp white eye, rising above fresh green foliage. It has a wonderfully natural look when allowed to drift through grass, thread between border perennials, or sparkle in gravel planting—quietly charming, never fussy.

Plant in autumn and let it settle in; over time it will form neat clumps and lend a gentle, painterly haze of colour just when the garden most needs it.

• Elegant early colour — pale pink flowers with a clean white centre (March–April)
• Ideal for naturalising — beautiful in lawns, gravel gardens, and informal drifts
• Compact and tidy — perfect at the front of borders or in containers

At a glance

• Botanical name: Chionodoxa ‘Pink Giant’
• Common name: Glory of the snow
• Flower colour: Pale pink with white centre
• Height: 20cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Habit: Clump-forming
• Lifecycle: Perennial bulb
• Pollinator friendly: Yes

Delivery: Order Today, Receive in September!

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Colchicum autumnale is one of autumn’s most enchanting moments: refined lilac‑pink, cup‑shaped blooms rising cleanly from the ground just as summer begins to soften. Compact and quietly impactful, it lends an effortless air to borders, pots, and naturalised areas—particularly where you’d like colour to appear with a pleasing sense of surprise.

Plant the corms in early autumn and allow them to settle; this fully hardy perennial forms neat clumps and returns reliably, offering elegant autumn colour with minimal fuss.

• Flowering: September–October
• Height: 10–20 cm
• Position: Full sun or partial sun
• Soil: Well‑drained; suits chalk, clay, loam, or sand
• Planting time: August–October
• Bulb size supplied: 13/15 cm
• Hardiness: Fully hardy

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

Crocus chrysanthus 'Fuscotinctus' is a rather refined little species crocus, opening early with neat, goblet-like blooms in warm gold, delicately feathered with bronze-purple. It brings a considered touch of colour just as winter begins to loosen its grip—particularly charming threaded through lawns, tucked into gravel, or dressed in smart spring pots by the door.

Reliable, fully hardy and effortless to naturalise, it forms tidy clumps year on year in well-drained ground. Plant in autumn and look forward to a poised late-winter display, with flowers that are welcome to early pollinators.

• Colour: Yellow with bronze-purple markings
• Flowering: February–March
• Best for: pots & containers, rockeries & gravel gardens, lawns & naturalising, front of border, pollinator planting

Crocus vernus 'Grand Maitre' is an early spring classic, opening in rich lilac-purple with a deeper purple base and a warm golden centre. It is precisely the sort of small luxury that makes March feel optimistic again—especially when planted in generous drifts through grass, or displayed in pots by the front door where it can be enjoyed at close quarters.

These large-flowering crocus are naturally neat and well-mannered, forming tidy clumps and returning year after year. Plant in autumn and allow them to settle; by their second season they reward with a more confident show.

• Colour: Purple with yellow centre
• Best for: Naturalising in lawns, pots & containers, rockeries and the very front of the border
• Pollinator friendly: Yes

Crocus 'Jeanne d'Arc' is a quietly elegant early-spring crocus, prized for its generously sized, goblet-shaped blooms in crisp white, gently shaded with purple at the base. Each flower is finished with vivid orange, delicately frilled stigmas—an exquisite detail at the very start of the season.

Plant the corms in autumn for a refined display in pots, borders and rockeries, or let them drift naturally through grass for a fresh, meadow-like look. Fully hardy and pleasingly straightforward, it returns year after year, building into neat clumps over time.

Crocus 'Mixed Colours' is a cheerful species crocus blend for early spring colour, bringing purple, white, yellow and soft mixed tones to lawns, pots, borders and gravel gardens.

Plant the corms in autumn and they will settle quickly into free-draining soil. Their short, bright flowers are valuable for early pollinators and look especially good planted in generous groups where they can naturalise over time.

Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' is a splendid little herald of spring, opening early with rich purple cups that soften elegantly to a paler base. Tucked into short grass, threaded beneath deciduous shrubs, or arranged in pots by the front door, it lends a quietly luxurious lift just when the garden most needs it.

A dependable tommasinianus crocus, it settles in happily and, in time, forms pleasing drifts—ideal for naturalistic planting where you’d like the display to feel effortless and established.

• Colour: Purple with softer, paler base tones
• Best use: Naturalising in lawns & meadows, under shrubs, or in pots and containers
• Flowering: February to March
• Growing skill: Easy

Crocus sativus is the saffron crocus: a quietly luxurious little autumn-flowering corm, bringing soft lilac, goblet-shaped blooms just as the garden begins to mellow. Look closely and you’ll find the signature crimson-red stigmas at the heart of each flower, picked out with warm golden tones—an exquisite detail at close quarters.

Neat, clump-forming and only 10cm tall, it is perfectly suited to pots by the door, gravel gardens, rockeries, and warm borders where drainage is assured. Give it sun and shelter, and it will settle in handsomely, returning as a fully hardy perennial and offering welcome late-season interest for pollinators.

• Autumn colour, refined scale—ideal for containers and front-of-border planting
• Best in sun with free-draining soil for crisp, healthy growth
• Distinctive floral detail—lilac petals with red and yellow accents

Delivery: Order Today, Receive in September!

Crocus tommasinianus is one of the most graceful ways to welcome spring. Its lilac-to-rich purple goblet flowers open neatly above slender stems just as the first narrow leaves appear, creating a light, natural-looking display that sits beautifully in lawns, borders and pots.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; it will return each year with quiet reliability, offering early colour at ground level and a welcome source of interest in late winter and early spring.

• Colour: Purple (lilac to rich purple tones)
• Best for: Lawns & naturalising, borders, containers, rock gardens, under deciduous trees
• Style: Refined, naturalistic drifts with a delicate, early-season presence

Narcissus 'Red Devon' brings a quietly dramatic note to mid-spring borders and containers: crisp yellow petals set off by a warm orange-red trumpet. Planted in autumn, it returns reliably each year, forming handsome clumps that look particularly smart woven through mixed spring displays.

With its classic trumpet form and good substance, ‘Red Devon’ is equally at home in pots by the front door or in the cutting garden for bright, composed indoor arrangements.

• Colour: Yellow with orange-red cup
• Flowering: April
• Height: 40-45 cm
• Bulb size supplied: 14/16 cm
• Position: Full-Sun, Partial Sun

Dracunculus vulgaris is not a bulb for the timid. For collectors and connoisseurs of the unusual, this is a gloriously theatrical plant: bold, green architectural foliage crowned in early summer by a deep maroon-purple spathe with a near-black spadix. Planted in a warm, sheltered position, it brings a distinctly exotic note to borders and large containers—an elegant talking point that looks particularly assured against grasses and silver-leaved companions.

Supplied as a premium-sized bulb (20/25 cm), it establishes readily and will return year after year when given good drainage and protection in colder spots. Best appreciated up close, where its sculptural form can be enjoyed as part of a carefully curated planting scheme.

Why you’ll love it

• Rare & unusual character with collector’s appeal
• Striking colour: deep maroon-purple with a black spadix
• Architectural presence for exotic borders and statement pots

Planting & care at a glance

• Planting time: September–December
• Flowering time: June–July
• Position: Full sun or partial sun, ideally sheltered
• Soil: Well-drained; suitable for chalk, clay, loam or sand
• Spacing: 30–45 cm apart
• Height: 90–120 cm
• Spread: 30–45 cm
• Hardiness: Half Hardy

English bluebells (Hyacinthoides non‑scripta) create one of the most recognisable spring displays: arching stems lined with fragrant, bell‑shaped blooms in deep, woodland blue. They’re a lovely way to bring a natural, British feel to gardens and wild corners.

They’re ideal for naturalising beneath deciduous trees, along shady hedgerows, or at the edge of a border where the soil stays cool. In the right spot, bulbs will spread steadily and form a beautiful carpet over time, returning reliably each spring and filling gaps before summer perennials wake up.

Bluebells prefer humus‑rich, moderately fertile soil that drains well but doesn’t dry out. If your soil is heavy or very sandy, improve it with leaf mould or compost to boost structure and moisture retention, and choose partial shade to keep the ground from baking.

Plant bulbs in autumn about 8cm deep and 8–10cm apart. Leave them undisturbed once planted—bluebells bulk up best when they’re allowed to settle and multiply in place, creating thicker clumps and more flower stems each year.

After flowering, let the foliage die back naturally to feed the bulbs for next year. Bluebells can spread in favourable conditions, so choose a planting area where you’re happy for them to roam and mingle, especially in woodland-style planting, alongside ferns and other shade lovers.

Eranthis cilicica ‘Cilicica Group’ is a small but thoroughly distinguished winter aconite, bringing a welcome glint of bright yellow to the garden just as winter begins to loosen its grip. Neat, cup-shaped flowers sit above finely divided, rich green foliage, creating a jewel-like effect in woodland edges and beneath deciduous shrubs.

Ideal for naturalising, this tuberous perennial is particularly handsome when planted in generous drifts where it may settle in over time. A lovely choice for lawns (where mowing can wait until the foliage has died back), as well as underplanting trees and shrubs for an early season flourish.

• Flowering: February–April
• Height: 10cm
• Habit: Clump-forming; well-suited to naturalising
• For: Woodland gardens, underplanting, naturalising in grass

Erythronium 'D.C. Mixed' is a quietly beautiful, naturalising blend for early spring—each bulb producing poised, starry blooms in a gentle palette of white through to rosy purple, often set off by attractively mottled foliage. Tuck into borders, beneath deciduous shrubs, or drift through woodland-style planting for an effortless, established look that improves with time.

Best in a sheltered position with dappled shade, this refined mix is particularly charming when planted in groups, where the subtle variation reads as deliberately curated rather than busy. Fully hardy and pollinator friendly, it’s an elegant way to soften the season’s first weeks.

• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 1–25cm (Short)
• Position: Sheltered; best in dappled shade under deciduous trees
• Ideal for: Naturalising, woodland-style planting, borders, and underplanting deciduous shrubs

Erythronium 'Pagoda' is a particularly graceful woodland bulb, producing swept-back, star-shaped flowers in soft yellow above handsome, mottled foliage. It settles in beautifully beneath deciduous shrubs and at the front of lightly shaded borders, where its refined spring display feels both natural and quietly special.

Clump-forming and fully hardy, this dog’s tooth violet is well suited to naturalising in a well-drained soil—especially where the ground holds moisture in spring yet never sits waterlogged.

• Flower colour: Yellow
• Flowering period: April–May
• Height: 25–35 cm
• Spread: 10–20 cm
• Position: Partial sun (ideal for woodland gardens and the shaded edge of borders)

Erythronium d.c. 'Purple King' is a quietly distinguished spring-flowering bulb, prized for its poised, nodding blooms in polished purple-rose tones. It slips beautifully into lightly shaded borders and woodland-style planting, where it reads as wonderfully natural rather than ‘placed’.

In mid to late spring, slender stems rise above attractively mottled foliage, bringing a refined flourish beneath deciduous trees and at the edge of shrubs. Given a settled spot with moisture and good drainage, it will form graceful clumps over time.

• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 25–40cm
• Best for: naturalising, woodland gardens, shady borders
• Position: sheltered, lightly shaded sites; woodland edges and beneath deciduous trees