RHS Award Winners

Tulipa 'Orange Princess' is a thoroughly elegant Double Late tulip, opening into sumptuous, peony-like blooms in glowing apricot-orange. Soft yellow warmth and fine feathering in red and green lend a painterly finish—perfect for adding quiet richness to spring borders and smart container displays.

Flowering towards the end of the tulip season, it partners beautifully with creams, deep plums and fresh spring greens, and is equally at home as a refined cut flower for the house.

Why we love it

• Double Late form for a luxuriously full, layered look
• Glowing apricot-orange tones with subtle yellow, red and green detailing
• Excellent for pots, spring bedding and cutting

Tulipa 'Carnaval de Nice' is a decidedly indulgent double late tulip, unfurling creamy white petals boldly flamed and feathered in deep red. In late spring it brings a touch of theatre to borders and looks wonderfully composed in generous pots—particularly when planted in confident drifts.

With an upright habit and elegant grey-green foliage (subtly white-edged), it is a refined choice for cutting too; allow the blooms to colour fully for the most sumptuous stems.

• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 40cm
• Bulb size supplied: 12/14cm
• Position: Sheltered

Tulip 'Angelique' is a study in quiet luxury: a fully double, peony-flowered tulip in soft shell-pink, with a subtle green flush at the base. Poised and romantic in borders, it is equally impeccable in generous pots by the door, and makes a beautifully refined spring cut flower.

Flowering late in the tulip season, Tulipa 'Angélique' is a particularly elegant way to carry your spring display through to its grand finale.

• Style: fully double blooms with a silky, layered finish
• Colour: soft pink and white, with gentle green at the base
• Best for: pots, borders, cutting garden and courtyard gardens
• Seasonal note: plant in autumn for flowers from March to May

Narcissus 'Mount Hood' is the sort of daffodil that never feels showy—simply assured. Tall and beautifully proportioned, it carries refined trumpet blooms in spring, opening in soft creamy tones and maturing to a handsome milky white. Plant in drifts for a poised, natural look through lawns and woodland edges, or use as an elegant punctuation along borders and in generous pots by the door.

• Flower shape: classic trumpet
• Colour: white with gentle yellow notes as flowers open
• Ideal for: borders, containers and naturalising
• Reliable performer: fully hardy and easy to grow

Supplied as: premium-grade bulbs (12/14cm).

Tulipa 'Apricot Beauty' is a beautifully mannered Single Early tulip, admired for its cup-shaped blooms in soft apricot-salmon pink, gently warmed with a hint of orange. In the spring garden it reads as quietly luminous—equally at home in smart pots by the front door as it is threaded through a border among fresh greens and early perennials.

Plant in autumn for a mid-spring performance, and allow the stems to rise to an elegant, upright finish. A refined choice for gardeners who prefer their colour nuanced rather than brash.

Allium 'Ambassador' is a quietly dramatic choice for early-summer structure—generous, rich purple flower globes held aloft on tall stems, rising elegantly above neat green foliage. Planted in autumn, it returns as a reliable perennial, lending height and poise to borders and looking particularly accomplished weaving through perennials and ornamental grasses.

• Colour & form: rich purple, perfectly rounded globe heads
• Where it excels: borders, pots and containers, naturalising, and cutting for the vase
• Garden allies: pollinator friendly and noted as deer resistant
• Planting season: autumn planting for flowers in early summer

Choose a sunny, well-drained position and allow space for those impressive stems to stand with confidence. Whether dotted through a mixed border or repeated in a considered drift, 'Ambassador' delivers a refined, architectural finish just when the garden begins to gather pace.

Tulipa 'Exotic Emperor' is a beautifully refined Fosteriana tulip, prized for its softly sumptuous, semi-double blooms. Creamy petals are warmed with a gentle yellow flush and elegantly brushed with green, creating a poised, painterly effect that sits just as handsomely in a smart pot as it does threaded through spring borders.

With sturdy, upright stems to around 45cm and grey-green foliage, it’s a dependable choice for early-season colour and a particularly graceful cut flower for the house.

• Flower style: Semi-double, creamy-yellow with subtle green streaking
• Where it excels: Borders, containers and spring cutting
• Type: Fully hardy, perennial bulb
• Easy to grow: An unfussy favourite for beginners and experienced gardeners alike

Tulipa 'Foxy Foxtrot' is a refined choice for spring—bringing crisp structure and dependable colour to borders, pots and cutting beds. Plant in autumn for a composed display in April and May, with upright stems that sit neatly towards the front to middle of the border.

• Season of interest: April–May
• Ideal for: pots & containers, borders, cutting gardens
• Style note: particularly smart planted in generous drifts, or in repeated pots for a tailored terrace look

Supplied as quality bulbs sized 11/12, ready to plant from September to December into moist but well-drained soil. Fully hardy and refreshingly straightforward to grow.

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

Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant' is a beautifully mannered naturaliser, particularly at home where the soil stays reliably moist. From glossy, strap-like foliage rise tall stems carrying nodding white bells, each one finished with a precise green tip—quietly distinctive, and wonderfully elegant in spring.

Use it to stitch refinement through grass, drift it along woodland margins, or place it beside water where the ground never fully dries. Left undisturbed, it settles into generous clumps over time and returns with pleasing regularity.

• Flower: White bells with green tips
• Best for: Naturalising in grass, woodland edge, damp borders and waterside planting
• Character: Clump-forming, perennial, fully hardy

Fritillaria imperialis 'Red Beauty' brings a touch of old-world drama to the spring border: tall, upright stems carrying rich orange-red, bell-shaped blooms, finished with a crisp green crown. It is wonderfully architectural—perfect for adding height, rhythm and a little theatre amongst late daffodils and early tulips.

Best planted in autumn in a sheltered, sunny position with excellent drainage, this is a confident choice for gardeners who enjoy distinctive bulbs with presence. Given time to settle, it forms a handsome clump and returns each spring with increasing poise.

• Colour: Dark orange-red with green crown
• Flower shape: Bell-shaped
• Height: 50–100cm
• Ideal for: Borders; Naturalising
• Wildlife: Pollinator friendly

Pre-order for autumn planting.

Fritillaria imperialis 'Orange Beauty' is a crown imperial of real presence: tiers of rich orange, bell-shaped flowers held beneath a jaunty tuft of glossy green foliage. It brings a composed, architectural note to spring borders and looks particularly handsome threaded through naturalistic planting where its strong vertical line can be appreciated.

Plant in autumn while the soil is still workable, choosing a sunny, well-drained spot. With a little patience as the bulbs settle, it will reward you with a reliably distinctive spring display.

• Colour: Orange with yellow accents
• Flower form: Bell-shaped
• Position: Borders, beds, rock gardens; also excellent in containers
• Habit: Clump-forming, upright
• Pollinator friendly: Yes
• Deer resistant: Yes

Narcissus poeticus 'Actaea' is a quietly luxurious late-spring narcissus, admired for its pristine white petals and a neat, butter-yellow cup finished with the finest red rim. It’s a variety with real poise—beautiful in the border, superb in generous drifts, and particularly charming when allowed to naturalise through grass beneath deciduous trees.

Notably fragrant, it brings a soft, classic perfume just as the garden moves from spring into early summer. Stems reach an elegant 45cm, making it an excellent choice for cutting—refined in a simple vase and effortlessly at home in cottage-style planting.

• Seasonal interest: flowering April–May (late spring)
• Style notes: white petals, yellow cup with a red rim; fragrant
• Best used: borders, containers, naturalising in grass, and cut flowers

Scilla siberica 'Alba' is the quietly sophisticated, white-flowered form of Siberian squill. Each bulb produces neat stems carrying nodding, bell-shaped blooms above slender green leaves—an exquisitely simple way to brighten the first weeks of spring.

Superb for naturalising, it threads effortlessly through lawns, settles happily beneath shrubs, and looks particularly poised in gravel and rock gardens. Plant in generous drifts for a calm, luminous effect that returns year after year.

• Refined white, bell-shaped flowers for early spring elegance
• Ideal for naturalising in grass and informal planting schemes
• Fully hardy and easy to grow
• Pollinator friendly spring forage

Paeonia 'Cora Louise' is an impeccably refined Itoh (intersectional) peony, valued for its generous, saucer-shaped blooms in the most flattering palette: pale pink petals with a richer magenta ring and a warm yellow centre. Lightly scented and held proudly above handsome, finely cut foliage, it brings a composed elegance to borders and the cutting garden alike.

Supplied as a bare root division for autumn planting, this fully hardy perennial settles in steadily, then rewards patience with a truly distinguished display in late spring to early summer.

• Flowering: May–June
• Colour: Pale pink with magenta ring and yellow centre
• Form: Bowl-shaped, saucer-like blooms
• Foliage: Dark green, bronze-tinged in spring and autumn
• Habit: Upright, compact
• Best in: Borders, cottage & informal gardens, city & courtyard gardens, cutting gardens

Fritillaria imperialis ‘Sunset’ is a wonderfully architectural crown imperial, prized for its glossy green foliage and a ring of burnished orange, bell-shaped flowers, finished with a jaunty tuft at the top. It brings a composed, statuesque note to spring borders and looks equally at home threaded through naturalistic planting.

Plant in autumn into fertile, well-drained soil in a sheltered position, and allow space for its upright, clump-forming habit. As the stems rise in spring, ‘Sunset’ provides height, colour and a confident vertical accent—particularly effective repeated in small groups.

• Botanical name: Fritillaria imperialis ‘Sunset’
• Common name: fritillary (crown imperial)
• Flower colour: Orange with green foliage
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 50–100cm
• Bulb size: 24/26

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 'Poeticus Recurvus' is the sort of late-spring classic that never slips out of fashion. Each bloom opens a pristine white, with lightly recurved petals framing a neat yellow cup, finished with the most refined red edging and a fresh green eye. Wonderfully fragrant and effortlessly elegant, it settles into grass with a natural ease, while looking equally at home in borders and handsome pots.

Reliable, fully hardy, and pleasingly unfussy, this is a charming choice for drifts and informal planting schemes—yet with enough poise to stand alone in a curated container by the door. Also excellent for cutting, bringing its clean palette and scent indoors.

• Botanical name: Narcissus poeticus var. recurvus Haw. (13)
• Bulb size supplied: 12/14
• Flowering: April to June
• Height: 35cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Position: Sheltered
• Sunlight: Full sun or partial sun
• Soil: Loam
• Moisture: Moist but well-drained
• Hardiness: Fully hardy

Tulipa ‘Foxtrot’ is a quietly glamorous Double Early tulip, opening in soft, ballerina pink before deepening at the edges as each bloom matures. The result is impeccably polished in spring pots by the front door, and equally at home bringing a gentle, romantic note to smart borders.

Neat, clump-forming and reliably perennial, it reaches around 30cm with mid-green foliage and a pleasingly considered silhouette. Plant in autumn into fertile, well-drained soil, give it a sheltered position in full sun, and look forward to a poised display from March to April.

• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 30cm
• Best for: pots & containers, borders, city gardens, cottage-style planting, and underplanting roses & shrubs

Narcissus ‘Tahiti’ is a richly coloured double daffodil, opening in glowing yellow and finished with warm orange-red tones at the centre. With strong stems and handsome, strap-like foliage, it brings a well-bred sense of spring cheer to borders, gravelly edges, lawns and generous pots.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; by its second season it forms a dependable clump, returning each year with an elegant, full-petalled look that sits beautifully alongside tulips, muscari and early perennials.

• Colour: Yellow petals with orange-red centre
• Form: Double
• Best for: Borders, containers, naturalising in grass
• Wildlife: Pollinator friendly

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

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 'White Beauty' is a quietly exquisite fawn lily for woodland-style planting, admired for its softly mottled foliage and poised, nodding flowers. In late spring, creamy-white, starry blooms open with a warm reddish-brown throat marking—an understated detail that looks particularly refined beneath shrubs, roses, and light-canopied trees.

Best in dappled shade and humus-rich soil that stays gently moist yet drains well, this clump-forming perennial settles in beautifully and will naturalise with time, bringing a calm, considered elegance to shady borders.

• Flowering: April to June
• Height: 30cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Position: Sheltered, Partial Sun
• Soil: Humus-rich, fertile, well-drained; moisture-retentive
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy
• Bulb size: Grade 1

Fritillaria imperialis 'Maxima Lutea' is a wonderfully statuesque crown imperial, prized for its bright yellow, nodding bells held beneath a jaunty tuft of pale green foliage. Rising with calm assurance through spring borders and naturalistic plantings alike, it brings height, structure and an unmistakably refined drama just as the garden begins to gather pace.

Plant in generous groups for the most convincing effect, allowing the tall stems to thread through tulips, late daffodils and fresh spring greens. A sheltered position is particularly flattering, keeping the stems looking immaculate as they reach their full 100–150cm stature.

• Colour: Yellow flowers with pale green foliage
• Shape: Bell-shaped, nodding blooms
• Ideal for: Naturalising, cottage & informal gardens, and smart city courtyards
• Reliable character: Fully hardy; noted as deer resistant and pollinator friendly