Underplanting Trees & Shrubs

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

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Blue Pearl' PBR is a decidedly elegant spring hyacinth, sending up dense, upright spires of waxy, bell-shaped flowers in a vivid blue-purple, each bloom subtly refined with paler edging. As the fragrance unfurls, it brings a welcome sense of occasion to early-season borders and pots alike.

Plant in autumn for a poised display in March and April. Particularly handsome threaded through underplanting, or arranged in generous drifts where the colour can read as a cool, confident ribbon through the garden.

• Colour: blue-purple with lighter blue margins
• Flowering: March–April
• Height: approx. 25cm
• Position: borders, containers, underplanting
• Character: fragrant, pollinator friendly

Please note: This variety is supplied as bulbs for planting. Protect container-grown bulbs from excess winter wet and hard frost.

Chionodoxa luciliae ‘Alba’ is a small bulb of impeccable manners—sending up neat, green, narrow leaves topped with clusters of crisp, starry white flowers as the garden begins to stir. It is particularly handsome naturalised through grass, threaded into gravel, or tucked at the front of borders where its quiet brightness reads as effortlessly considered.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; over time it forms clumps and lends a refined, early-season lift beneath shrubs and around spring companions.

• Colour: White (Whites & Creams)
• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 15cm
• Best for: Naturalising, gravel and rock gardens, underplanting shrubs

Tulipa 'Blue Spectacle' is a beautifully poised double late tulip, with sumptuous, peony-flowered blooms in polished violet-purple, touched with magenta and finished with a deeper, inky-blue glow towards the centre. At around 50cm, it brings height and composure to spring borders and looks particularly handsome in generous pots, where the layered petals can be appreciated up close.

Plant in autumn, allow winter to do its quiet work, and enjoy an elegant late-spring display that sits effortlessly alongside roses and shrubs, or in a more contemporary courtyard scheme.

• Flower style: Peony Flowered (Double Late) blooms with refined depth of colour
• Best for: Borders, containers, and underplanting roses & shrubs
• Reliable presence: Sturdy, upright stems to approximately 50cm

Tulipa 'Gudoshnik Double' is a truly opulent Double Late tulip, opening to large, peony-shaped blooms brushed in a richly warming blend of butter-yellow, orange and red. Held on sturdy, upright stems above smart grey-green foliage, it brings a composed sense of theatre to late spring borders and pots alike.

Plant in autumn for flowering through April–May. Particularly handsome in generous drifts, and equally refined as a cut flower for indoor arrangements.

• Colour: Yellow, orange and red (multi-toned)
• Flower form: Peony Flowered (Double Late)
• Height: 50cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Best for: Borders, Containers, Cutting Garden, Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Delightfully early and wonderfully natural in spirit, Chionodoxa forbesii 'Blue Giant' (now placed within Scilla) brings a crisp drift of starry blue blooms, each finished with a neat white eye. It sits prettily above fresh green foliage, lighting up borders, gravel gardens and the edges of lawns just as winter begins to loosen its hold.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle in quietly; in the right place it will look increasingly at home year after year. Particularly charming threaded through meadow grass, beneath shrubs, or in containers near the doorstep where those first flowers are best appreciated.

• Colour: blue with white centres
• Style: star-shaped flowers, naturally elegant in informal plantings
• Best for: naturalising in lawns & meadow grass, gravel and rock gardens, underplanting shrubs and roses
• Pollinator friendly: yes

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

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

Cyclamen coum is the sort of quietly exquisite plant that earns its keep when the garden feels at its most spare. Nestled low to the ground, it forms neat, clump-forming colonies of rounded, dark green leaves, often handsomely silver-marbled, followed by nodding, starry flowers in pink to purple-pink from mid-winter into early spring.

Superb for naturalising in a woodland-style setting, tucking beneath shrubs, or bringing a little refinement to pots by the door. Given a sheltered position in dappled shade and reliably well-drained soil, it will return each year with increasing presence.

• Season of interest: late winter to early spring
• Perfect for: naturalising, woodland gardens, underplanting shrubs, pots & containers
• Foliage: rounded green leaves, often silver-marbled
• Flower colour: pink to purple-pink (mixed shades)

Cyclamen hederifolium is a quietly luxurious woodland cyclamen, admired for its ivy-shaped leaves brushed with silver marbling and its poised, pink, nodding blooms. Flowers often arrive ahead of—or alongside—the foliage, bringing a refined lift to late summer and early autumn, just as the garden begins to soften.

Equally at home naturalised beneath deciduous trees and shrubs or arranged in a handsome pot near the doorstep, it settles into a neat clump over time and returns with reassuring regularity.

• Seasonal flourish: pink flowers from August–October
• Foliage interest: green leaves with elegant silver marbling
• Placement: ideal for woodland edges, underplanting and containers
• Reliable character: fully hardy, easy to grow, and pollinator friendly

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 'Double Blizz' is a late-spring, double tulip with a distinctly couture air—sumptuous, peony-flowered blooms in fuchsia-pink and white, with a crisp wash of green on the outer petals. Planted in drifts through borders or arranged in generous pots by the door, it brings a composed flourish just as the season turns towards summer.

With sturdy, upright stems and a refined mid-height presence, it pairs beautifully with fresh greens and soft pastels, and looks particularly assured beneath roses and shrubs where its colour lifts emerging foliage.

Why you’ll love it

• Peony-flowered, double blooms for an opulent late-spring display
• Striking bicolour finish of fuchsia-pink and white with green striping
• Ideal for pots and borders, with a neat, upright habit

At a glance

• Botanical name: Tulipa 'Double Blizz'
• Bulb size: 11
• Height: 50cm
• Spacing: 10–15cm
• Spread: 10–50cm
• Flowering: May–June
• Planting: September–December
• Position: Sheltered

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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Ipheion uniflorum ‘Wisley Blue’ is a delightfully refined spring starflower, offering lilac-blue, starry blooms with a gentle fragrance. Sitting neatly above light green, strap-like foliage, it lends itself beautifully to informal drifts through borders, the gravel garden, and quietly charming containers near a doorway or terrace.

Compact and clump-forming, it is particularly well suited to underplanting beneath shrubs and at the woodland edge, where it will settle in and return reliably each year.

• Colour: Lilac-blue
• Flowering: February to April
• Height x spread: 10cm x 10cm
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy
• Position: Full-Sun or Partial Sun
• Soil: Well-drained loam, any pH
• Planting time: September to December
• Supplied as: Bulbs (5/6cm)

Narcissus 'Geranium' is a beautifully mannered tazetta-type daffodil, valued for its neat clusters of white blooms, each one finished with a richly coloured orange-red cup. Lightly scented and effortlessly smart, it brings a refined lift to spring containers, the front of borders, and underplanting beneath shrubs and roses.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; in return, you’ll enjoy a poised display that looks as at home in a formal pot as it does naturalised through an informal planting scheme.

Why we love it

• Fragrant, clustered flowers with a distinctive orange-red cup
• Excellent in pots and for threading through borders
• Reliable, fully hardy spring performer

Narcissus 'Double Fashion' is a beautifully composed double daffodil, opening in soft primrose-yellow with a richly ruffled orange centre. It brings a considered note of spring cheer to borders, underplanting and smart containers, with each stem carrying a generously filled bloom of pleasing substance.

• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 40cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Flower form: Double
• Bulb size supplied: 12/14

Plant in drifts through the front of a border, tuck into grass edges, or layer into pots with early tulips and muscari for a quietly luxurious spring display. Allow the grey-green foliage to die back naturally after flowering to support strong performance in years to come.

Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica is the sort of small bulb that earns its place by sheer refinement. Low, neat and quietly pretty, it sends up slender green leaves followed by dainty, star-shaped flowers—white with the faintest pale blue striping—just as the garden begins to wake in early spring.

Ideal for naturalising, it weaves beautifully through grass, beneath deciduous shrubs, or at the front of borders. It is equally charming in pots, where its fine detail can be enjoyed up close.

• Flower: Star-shaped, white with pale blue stripe
• Best for: Naturalising, rock gardens, containers, underplanting shrubs
• Season: Plant in autumn for spring display

Anemone 'Lipsiensis Nemorosa' is a quietly distinguished woodland anemone, offering soft yellow-white, single blooms as spring begins to stir. Ideal for weaving through shaded borders and beneath deciduous trees, it settles into humus-rich ground and, in time, forms an elegant, low carpet of fresh green foliage and flowers.

Plant in autumn and allow it to establish at its own unhurried pace; the effect is particularly lovely when naturalised in drifts, or used to soften the edge of a woodland path. It is fully hardy and well-suited to pots and containers where light is dappled and the soil stays gently moist.

• Flowering: March–April
• Colour: pale yellow to yellow-white
• Habit: ground cover, perennial
• Best position: woodland edge; under deciduous trees and shrubs

Ipheion ‘Alberto Castillo’ is a quietly distinguished little starflower, prized for its crisp white, starry blooms, each petal finished with the most delicate hint of green at the centre. Emerging in late winter and carrying on through early spring, it makes a neat, light-green carpet that looks wonderfully composed in drifts.

Superb for naturalising through grass, threading beneath shrubs and roses, or bringing a fresh note to patio pots by the door. Fully hardy and notably unfussy, it’s an elegant way to lift the garden when the season still feels young.

• Flowering: February–April
• Height: 20cm
• Bulb size: 5/6cm
• Best for: naturalising, containers, underplanting

Please note: Deer resistance can vary by location and pressure; this variety is generally avoided, but cannot be guaranteed.

Anemone blanda 'Mixed' is one of spring’s most charming little luxuries: a low, naturalising drift of starry, daisy-like flowers in jewel shades of blue, purple and pink, each finished with a neat golden centre. Thread it through borders, underplant deciduous shrubs, or tuck into pots by the door for early-season colour with a light, effortless air.

These fully hardy corms settle in quickly and, in the right spot, will return to form a fresh carpet year after year—particularly lovely in rock gardens, at the front of borders, and dotted through lawns for a quietly romantic look.

• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 10–15cm
• Spread: 10–15cm
• Position: Full sun or partial sun (sheltered)
• Soil: Moist but well-drained loam; any pH
• Type: Perennial corm (Fully Hardy)

Narcissus 'Sun Disc' is a delightful dwarf jonquilla daffodil, prized for its rounded, soft yellow blooms that gently mellow to a pale creamy tone as spring unfolds. Petite and perfectly proportioned, it brings a polished finish to pots by the door, neat edging at the front of the border, and jewel-like moments in rock gardens.

Each stem may carry up to three flowers, creating a surprisingly generous display for such a compact plant. Plant in autumn, then look forward to a refined flourish in March and April.

• Colour: Yellow with orange-yellow centre, fading softer with age
• Best for: Patio pots, containers, edging, rock gardens, and underplanting shrubs
• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 15cm
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy

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Narcissus 'Tamara' is a quietly elegant, large-cupped daffodil in soft yellow tones, bringing a refined lift to the garden in early spring. Lightly creased petals frame a ruffled golden cup, creating a look that feels both classic and freshly composed.

Ideal for borders, containers and naturalising in grass, it forms neat clumps with grey-green foliage and returns reliably year after year. Plant in autumn and look forward to a poised flourish from March to April.

• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 40cm
• Bulb size supplied: 12/14cm
• Position: Borders, containers, naturalising in grass

Muscari aucheri 'Blue Magic' is a most polished little grape hyacinth, sending up densely packed spires of rich blue, each tiny bell neatly finished with a fine white rim. It has a wonderfully composed look—ideal for threading through the front of borders, tucking into pots, or slipping beneath spring perennials and shrubs for a calm, well-dressed understory.

Compact at around 20cm tall, it’s perfectly scaled for small spaces and elegant containers, yet generous when planted in drifts. As a fully hardy perennial bulb, it settles in readily and returns with quiet reliability.

• Colour: Blue with a crisp white edge
• Best for: Borders, containers and underplanting
• Flowering: March to May
• Pollinator friendly: Yes