Rockeries & Gravel Gardens

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

Welcome the new gardening year with the quintessential harbinger of spring, the Common Snowdrop. Galanthus nivalis brings delicate beauty to the late winter garden when little else is stirring. Its nodding, milky-white bell-shaped flowers, each tipped with a distinctive green V-shape on the inner petals, are a truly welcome sight. Winner of the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, this hardy little bulb is perfect for naturalising in lawns, underplanting deciduous trees, or creating enchanting drifts in woodland settings. For a classic winter display, pair them with the golden yellows of Winter Aconites or the rich purples of early Crocus.

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 '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.

Allium cristophii (Star of Persia) brings a composed sense of theatre to the late spring garden. Each stem carries a broad, shimmering head of rosy‑violet, star-shaped flowers—architectural without being overbearing, and particularly handsome rising through fresh greens at the front of a border.

As the colour softens, the seedheads remain beautifully sculptural, lending quiet structure well into summer. A natural choice for gravel gardens and contemporary planting schemes, and a superb subject for cutting and drying.

• Large, starry flower heads in May–June
• Excellent for cut flowers and long-lasting dried arrangements
• Pollinator friendly and notably deer resistant
• Fully hardy perennial—returns with increasing presence over time

Allium 'Moly Jeannine' (Yellow garlic) is a standout plant for pots & containers, borders, gravel gardens, rock gardens, offering A vigorous, clump-forming allium with neat grey-green foliage and cheerful, starry umbels of bright yellow in early summer—excellent for pots, gravel gardens and sunny borders..

Best grown in full-sun with well-drained soil, it suits gardeners who want clear structure, dependable flowering, and easy planting plans.

Use it in pots & containers, borders, gravel gardens, rock gardens and pair with complementary varieties to build a fuller seasonal display.

Allium nigrum is a quietly dramatic allium: creamy-white, cup-shaped flower heads with a distinctive dark central eye, held on sturdy stems above neat, grey-green foliage. Flowering in late spring into early summer, it brings a composed lift to borders and gravel planting, and lends itself beautifully to elegant, architectural arrangements indoors.

• Refined colour – creamy white with green centres and a deep, inky focal point
• Excellent structure – upright stems with crisp, modern presence
• Garden & vase – a handsome cut flower with lasting style
• Wildlife-friendly – pollinator friendly
• Dependable – fully hardy and straightforward to grow

Plant in autumn for a poised display in May and June, then allow the foliage to fade naturally to feed the bulb for next year’s performance.

Allium 'Silver Spring' brings a composed, architectural note to the late-spring border. Each tall stem is topped with a crisp white globe, the individual florets finished with a subtle purple‑pink eye—fresh, modern, and quietly striking among grasses, perennials and shrubs.

Equally at home threading through a cottage scheme or punctuating gravel planting, it also makes a refined cut flower, holding its form beautifully in arrangements. Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; by its second season it will be hitting its stride.

• Flower colour: white with soft pink‑purple detailing
• Best for: borders, gravel gardens, naturalising and cutting
• Style notes: elegant globes for height and structure without heaviness

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.

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 stipitatum 'Mount Everest' is a statuesque allium of exemplary poise, lifting perfectly rounded globes of crisp white, star-shaped flowers above grey-green foliage. In late spring and early summer, its tall, upright stems bring a clean, architectural note to borders and gravel planting, and the flower heads are equally superb in a vase.

Plant in generous drifts for a composed, contemporary look, or thread through perennials and ornamental grasses for height and rhythm. Once established, this perennial bulb returns with reliable presence and a polished finish.

• Colour: White with a light green flush
• Flower shape: Globe
• Excellent for: Borders, gravel gardens and cut flowers

Allium ‘Hair’ is the sort of plant that makes a border feel instantly more considered. Neat stems rise to curious summer umbels: compact purple centres surrounded by fine, green, hair-like tendrils. It’s delightfully architectural—perfect for contemporary schemes, gravel gardens, and adding a light, witty note among softer perennials.

• Distinctive purple-and-green flowerheads for a modern, design-led look
• Excellent in smart mixed borders, pots, and through gravel planting
• Pollinator friendly and generally left alone by deer

Plant in autumn in free-draining soil and let it settle quietly; by early summer it delivers its memorable silhouette with minimal fuss.

Allium 'Large Flowering Mix' is a generous selection of large-flowered ornamental onions, chosen for their poised, globe-shaped heads and a softly varied palette. Rising above fresh grey-green foliage, the blooms bring elegant structure from late spring into early summer—particularly effective threaded through borders, gravel gardens, or grouped in generous drifts for a naturalistic finish.

These fully hardy bulbs are wonderfully uncomplicated: plant in autumn, allow them to settle over their first seasons, and enjoy their refined, architectural presence year after year. They are also excellent for cutting—bringing a calm, contemporary note to arrangements.

• Large, globe-shaped flowerheads in a mixed colour palette
• Flowering: May–July
• Height: 60–85cm, with a neat, upright habit
• Pollinator friendly and deer resistant
• Superb for borders, gravel gardens and pots—and for cutting

Allium 'Aflatunense' (hollandicum) is a standout plant for borders, cottage gardens, cut flowers, naturalising, offering A stately ornamental allium for late spring, forming neat clumps of strap-like foliage topped by bold, spherical flowerheads on upright stems. An excellent choice for threading through tulips and cottage-garden perennials, and invaluable for adding height and structure to borders..

Best grown in full-sun, partial sun with moist but well-drained soil, it suits gardeners who want clear structure, dependable flowering, and easy planting plans.

Use it in borders, cottage gardens, cut flowers, naturalising and pair with complementary varieties to build a fuller seasonal display.

Allium 'Small Flowering Mix' is a thoughtfully balanced selection of small-flowered ornamental alliums, chosen for a natural, meadow-like finish. Rising neatly through late-spring planting schemes, the airy globes bring a refined lift to borders and gravel gardens, and they are equally at home in pots where their lightness can be appreciated up close.

Ideal for weaving between perennials and ornamental grasses, this mix is also a quietly excellent choice for cutting—adding a fine, architectural note to simple arrangements.

Why you’ll love it

• Graceful, small allium globes for an informal, naturalised look
• Beautiful threaded through borders, gravel gardens, and containers
• Pollinator friendly, and typically avoided by deer and rodents
• Fully hardy and straightforward to grow

At a glance

• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 40–60cm
• Spacing: 10–15cm
• Bulb size supplied: 4/5, 5/6
• Position: Borders, gravel gardens, containers; naturalising in grass

Iris reticulata is one of those small, early pleasures that makes late winter feel positively promising. This mixed selection offers jewel-like flowers in rich blues, violets and purples—each bloom a neat, refined accent above slender green foliage.

Ideal for tucking into the front of borders, threading through gravel gardens, or planting in generous drifts to naturalise in a sheltered, well-drained spot. It is equally handsome in pots and troughs by the door, where you can enjoy the detail at close quarters as the season turns.

• Colour palette: blue, violet and purple tones (mixed)
• Flowering: February–March
• Height: 25cm
• Perfect for: pots & containers, naturalising

Iris reticulata ‘Harmony’ is a small treasure for the earliest weeks of spring, bringing jewel-toned blooms when the garden is still politely waking up. Neat, clump-forming and wonderfully well-suited to close viewing, it is particularly handsome threaded through gravel, tucked into alpine pockets, or arranged in pots by the door for a refined seasonal welcome.

Plant in autumn and allow these diminutive bulbs to settle in; come late winter into early spring, ‘Harmony’ rewards with crisp violet-blue flowers, lifted and brightened by yellow and white accents. The effect is quietly dramatic, yet entirely elegant—especially when planted in generous drifts.

• Colour: Violet-blue with yellow and white accents
• Flowering: February–April
• Height: 10–15cm
• Ideal for: Pots & containers, rock gardens & alpines, naturalising, front of borders
• Helpful features: Pollinator friendly, deer resistant

Allium 'Cameleon' is a charmingly compact ornamental onion, prized for its light, globe-shaped flower heads that subtly shift from soft pink to white as they mature. Airy and refined, it slips beautifully into pots, gravel gardens and the front of borders—adding a gentle, modern note without ever feeling fussy.

Plant in autumn and look forward to a neat display in late spring, with flowers held above fresh green foliage. A particularly elegant choice for pollinator-friendly planting where a softer palette is desired.

• Colour: Soft pink to white
• Flower shape: Globe
• Ideal for: Pots & containers, borders, rockeries & gravel gardens

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

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

Scilla hyacinthoides ‘Blue Arrow’ is a wonderfully architectural spring bulb, sending up tall, airy spires of pale violet-blue, star-shaped flowers above neat, strap-like foliage. It’s the sort of plant that looks perfectly at home threaded through gravel, rising from a sunny border, or quietly naturalised through grass—an elegant way to extend the season into late spring and early summer.

Once settled, ‘Blue Arrow’ returns reliably, forming a clump with an upright habit and a refined, contemporary silhouette. Plant in generous drifts for the most assured effect.

• Flowering: May–June
• Style notes: tall, starry spires in a poised violet-blue
• Ideal for: naturalising in grass, gravel gardens, sunny borders