Bare-Root Perennials

A truly exquisite and much sought-after Lenten Rose, 'Double Ellen Yellow Spotted' is a winter and early spring treasure. It produces beautiful, large, nodding or outward-facing, fully double flowers. The blooms are composed of multiple layers of ruffled petals in a gorgeous shade of creamy, primrose-yellow. Each petal is then delicately and artistically speckled and spotted with a contrasting rich shade of burgundy or deep red, with the spotting often being heaviest towards the centre of the flower. These stunning blooms are held on strong stems above handsome clumps of leathery, divided, deep green, evergreen foliage. They provide a vital source of colour and interest when little else is happening in the garden and are a welcome sight for early-emerging pollinators.

A truly charming and beautiful Hellebore, 'Double Ellen Pink' is celebrated for its romantic, fully double flowers that bring a soft flush of colour to the garden at the end of winter. Each large, downward-nodding bloom is packed with layers of ruffled petals in a lovely shade of clear, soft pink. The colour is pure and gentle, without any heavy veining or spotting, giving the plant a very elegant and refined appearance. The flowers are held on strong stems above the handsome, evergreen foliage, creating a beautiful display for many weeks from late winter into spring. This variety is perfect for adding a touch of gentle colour to shady corners, woodland gardens, or containers, where its early blooms can be appreciated up close. It is a reliable and graceful performer that is sure to win hearts.

A truly sophisticated and beautiful Lenten Rose, 'Double Ellen Green' is prized for its unique and elegant flowers. In late winter and early spring, it produces large, exquisite, fully double blooms. The flowers are composed of many layers of ruffled petals in a gorgeous shade of fresh, chartreuse or lime-green. Some flowers may have subtle, deeper green veining or a fine picotee edge of reddish-purple, adding to their complexity and charm. The nodding or outward-facing blooms are held on strong stems above handsome clumps of leathery, evergreen foliage. It brings a cool, refined elegance to the shady garden at a time when colour is scarce and provides a vital nectar source for early-pollinating insects. A must-have for any hellebore enthusiast or woodland garden.

A pristine and elegant member of the acclaimed 'Double Ellen' series, this Hellebore is a beacon of light in the late winter garden. It produces beautiful, large, fully double flowers of the purest, snow-white. Each perfect, cup-shaped bloom is packed with layers of silky petals, creating a magnificent, ruffled, rose-like effect that is simply breathtaking. The flowers nod gracefully on strong, upright stems above a handsome clump of leathery, deep green, evergreen foliage. 'Double Ellen White' is a sophisticated and reliable choice for illuminating a shady border or woodland garden, providing clean, classic colour when little else is in bloom. Like all hellebores, it is a vital early food source for emerging queen bumblebees, making it as valuable for wildlife as it is for its serene beauty.

A particularly enchanting and detailed Hellebore, 'Double Ellen Pink Spotted' offers intricate beauty for the late winter garden. Like its siblings in the 'Double Ellen' series, it produces large, gorgeous, fully double flowers that nod gracefully from strong stems. The base colour of the ruffled, layered petals is a soft, creamy pink. Each petal is then exquisitely decorated with a fine freckling of deep, magenta-purple spots, with the spotting often being more concentrated towards the centre of the bloom. This creates a wonderfully detailed and captivating effect. The leathery, dark green foliage is evergreen, providing a handsome backdrop for the flowers and year-round garden presence. This variety is perfect for a special spot in a shady border or a container where its unique, speckled beauty can be admired up close.

A timeless and elegant classic, 'Perry's White' is one of the most famous and beloved of all Oriental Poppies. It produces huge, breathtakingly beautiful, bowl-shaped flowers in early summer. The enormous petals are like pure white, crumpled silk, creating a wonderfully delicate and romantic effect. At the base of these pristine white petals is a dramatic and contrasting deep purple-black blotch, which surrounds the central, architectural, velvety-black seed pod. The flowers are held on tall, strong, bristly stems above a substantial clump of coarse, silvery-green, hairy foliage. Like all Oriental Poppies, it will enter a period of dormancy after flowering, dying back in mid-summer before new leaves emerge in autumn. It is a true garden aristocrat, bringing grace and drama to the border.

A tough, resilient, and charming evergreen perennial, Thrift or Sea Pink is a familiar sight in coastal areas. 'Splendens' is a particularly fine selection, forming neat, dense, tussock-like cushions of fine, grassy, deep green foliage. From late spring into early summer, these tidy mounds are topped by a profusion of slender, leafless stems, each carrying a perfect, globe-shaped flower head. The flowers are a vibrant, deep rose-pink and are held well above the foliage, creating a delightful 'drumstick' effect. This plant is incredibly tolerant of salt spray, wind, and poor, sandy soils, making it an essential plant for coastal gardens. It is also perfect for rockeries, gravel gardens, or for edging a sunny, well-drained border, where it will provide long-lasting colour with minimal fuss.

The ultimate red Oriental Poppy, 'Beauty of Livermere' is a truly magnificent and dramatic perennial that commands attention. It produces enormous, single, bowl-shaped flowers, up to 20cm (8 inches) across, with huge, silky petals of the most intense, pure, blood-red. The sheer vibrancy and size of the blooms are breathtaking. At the base of each petal is a large, jet-black blotch, which creates a bold and dramatic central eye. This is contrasted beautifully by a boss of purplish-black stamens. The flowers are held high on strong, bristly stems above a substantial clump of coarse, hairy, grey-green leaves. It puts on its unforgettable, flamboyant display in early summer before entering its summer dormancy. For a splash of pure, unadulterated drama, no other poppy can compare.

An iconic and highly sought-after Oriental Poppy, 'Patty's Plum' is celebrated for its uniquely beautiful and sophisticated flowers. It produces very large, papery, bowl-shaped blooms in a stunning, dusky shade of mauvy-plum, a colour that is both rich and elegantly muted. At the base of each delicate, crepe-paper petal is a dramatic, deep purple-black blotch, creating a bold and theatrical eye at the centre of the flower. The blooms are held on tall, bristly stems above a clump of coarse, hairy leaves. This variety brings a touch of drama and high fashion to the early summer border, pairing beautifully with blues, silvers, and other purples. After its spectacular but brief flowering period, the plant becomes dormant in mid-summer, a clever survival strategy for its native dry climate.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt' is the sort of herbaceous peony that never goes out of fashion. From late spring into early summer, it produces generously double, rose-pink blooms with a gentle fragrance—sumptuous in the border, and utterly proper in a vase.

Plant bare roots in autumn and allow this clump-forming perennial time to settle; it rewards patience with increasingly impressive flowering over the years. Best in a sheltered spot with deep, fertile, humus-rich soil that holds moisture without becoming waterlogged.

• Flower: Double, rose pink, lightly fragrant
• Season of interest: May–June
• For: Borders, cottage gardens, cutting gardens; charming beneath roses and shrubs
• Position: Full sun to partial sun, sheltered

Paeonia 'Bartzella' is an exquisitely composed peony, bringing a quietly luxurious air to the late-spring and early-summer border. Its lemon-yellow flowers, gently warmed with a soft red-pink flare at the centre, sit above handsome, mid to dark green foliage with a pleasingly shrubby, clump-forming habit.

Long-lived and dependable once settled, this fully hardy perennial makes a refined partner for roses, nepeta and early summer perennials, and is particularly fine for cutting—fresh stems lending a considered elegance to the house.

• Colour: Lemon-yellow with soft red/pink flare
• Habit: Clump-forming, bushy
• Best for: Borders and cutting gardens

Paeonia 'Red Sarah Bernhardt' is a handsome, traditional peony with indulgently full, double blooms in rich deep pink-red tones. It brings a wonderfully composed grandeur to the border, with lush mid-green foliage and a generous, clump-forming habit that looks elegant from spring onwards.

Planted in autumn as a bare root, this perennial settles in quietly and rewards patience—taking a couple of seasons to reach its best. In May through July, the flowers are superb for cutting: generous, romantic heads that sit beautifully in a vase and lend a classic note to arrangements.

• Ideal for: borders and the cutting garden
• Flowering: May–July
• Height: 80–100cm (with a spread of 60–90cm)
• Position: sheltered; full sun or partial sun
• Soil: moist but well-drained loam; any pH
• Hardiness: fully hardy

Paeonia 'Coral Sunset' is a beautifully mannered herbaceous peony, prized for its scented, semi-double blooms and effortlessly sophisticated colouring. The flowers open in a poised coral-pink, then mellow with age to softer, creamy tones—an elegant transition that brings a flattering light to late spring and early summer borders.

With deep green foliage and a neat, clump-forming habit, it settles into the garden with quiet assurance and becomes more impressive with each passing season. Plant in a sheltered spot with fertile, humus-rich soil and allow it the time it deserves—peonies are wonderfully long-lived once established.

• Fragrant, semi-double flowers with a refined colour shift from coral-pink to cream
• Fully hardy and well-suited to UK gardens
• Excellent for borders in cottage and courtyard settings
• Pollinator friendly when in bloom

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Duchesse de Nemours’ is an enduring favourite: a herbaceous peony of great poise, producing sumptuous, fully double white blooms with the faintest greenish nuance and a refined perfume. In early summer the flowers rise above handsome, deeply divided dark-green foliage, bringing quiet luxury to borders and cutting gardens alike.

Once established, it settles into a long-lived clump and becomes more generous with each passing season. Particularly lovely when threaded through roses and shrubs, where its sculptural flowers feel perfectly at home.

• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 80cm
• Spread: 50–100cm
• Position: Sheltered
• Supplied as: Bare root

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens', often called black mondo grass, is a striking evergreen perennial grown for its arching, near-black strap-like foliage that creates year-round contrast in pots and planting schemes.

In summer it produces short spikes of pale purplish flowers, followed by dark berries, but it is the dramatic foliage that makes this plant such a favourite for edging, gravel gardens and contemporary combinations.

Plant in sun or partial shade in well-drained soil enriched with organic matter. It is slow to spread, making it easy to place precisely where a dark accent is needed.

Water while establishing and trim away tired leaves in spring if needed. Once settled it is low maintenance and forms tidy, long-lived clumps.

Primula vialii (Vial's Primrose) is part of our winter & early-spring perennials collection.

Primula vialii, commonly known as Vial's Primrose, is supplied as bare roots in flexible pack sizes for individual planting or natural-looking groups.

Browse its linked perennial collection, sunlight and garden-use filters to find compatible planting companions for a more considered border.