Bigger Blooms

Tulipa 'Blue Diamond' is a decidedly refined Double Late tulip, opening in a deep, velvety purple and softening to handsome grey-silver nuances as the blooms mature. The flowers are generously petalled with a quietly luxurious presence—particularly effective in smart pots, or threaded through spring borders where richer tones are welcome.

For best results, plant in a sunny, sheltered position in fertile, well-drained soil, and avoid winter waterlogging. At around 40cm tall, it brings polished structure to late spring planting schemes without ever feeling showy.

• Colour progression: rich purple, ageing to grey-silver tones
• Form: Double Late (double flowers) with an elegant, full finish
• Best for: pots & containers, and spring borders

Tulipa ‘Beauty of Apeldoorn’ is a classic Darwin Hybrid tulip with a wonderfully confident presence. Each upright, cup-shaped bloom opens in late spring in a rich golden orange, boldly flamed with red—an impeccable choice for adding warmth and structure to borders, and equally handsome in a well-chosen pot.

With grey-green foliage and stems reaching around 60cm, it sits beautifully amongst emerging perennials and spring companions, and it is particularly fine for cutting when you want something smart, clean-lined, and thoroughly seasonal indoors.

• Colour: Golden orange flamed red
• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 60cm
• Use: Borders, containers, cut flowers

Tulipa 'Apeldoorn's Elite' is a distinguished Darwin Hybrid tulip, prized for its generous, open goblet blooms in rich red, finished with the lightest pastel-orange edging. Planted in autumn, it rises in early spring with an assured presence—excellent for giving borders a polished sweep of colour, and equally handsome in pots and patio containers.

• Colour: Rich red with soft pastel-orange edging
• Flower form: Goblet
• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 40–60cm
• Best for: Borders, pots & containers

For best results, plant into moist but well-drained soil in a sheltered position, allowing the foliage to die back naturally after flowering to feed the bulb for the following season.

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 ‘Acuminata’ is a wonderfully characterful tulip, prized for its long, finely pointed petals and painterly spring colouring. Each bloom combines warm yellow and red tones, often finished with a subtle green tinge, creating an elegant, slightly untamed look that suits both pots by the door and well-drained borders.

With an upright habit and grey-green foliage, it brings height and movement without fuss. Plant in autumn, allow it a sheltered position, and look forward to its distinctive, species-style presence from March to April.

• Distinctive shape: slender, pointed petals with a refined, flame-like silhouette
• Colour: yellow and red, often lightly tinged green
• Versatile planting: particularly handsome in spring containers and neat drifts through borders

Triteleia 'Hyacinthina' (wild hyacinth) is a charming, bulb-like corm for those who appreciate a lighter touch in late spring and early summer planting schemes. Slender, upright stems carry airy umbels of neat, funnel-shaped white flowers—fresh, poised, and effortlessly elegant when threaded through borders or gravel gardens.

It also makes a particularly refined cut flower, lending a calm, meadowy sophistication to simple arrangements.

• Flowering: May–July
• Height: 40–60cm
• Spread: 10–20cm
• Position: Full sun or partial sun; sheltered
• Soil: Well-drained loam (any pH)

Scilla siberica is one of those quietly brilliant early-spring bulbs that makes a garden look effortlessly considered. Its vivid blue, nodding flowers are carried on fine stems above narrow green leaves, creating a light, natural effect that sits beautifully in grass, beneath shrubs, or among gravel and stone.

Ideal for naturalising, this small bulb is best planted in generous drifts for a painterly sweep of colour just as the season begins to wake.

• Colour: Blue (Purples & Blues)
• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 20cm
• Best for: naturalising, grass, gravel and rock gardens, containers, underplanting shrubs
• Pollinator friendly: Yes

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

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

Scilla 'Bifolia Blue' is a small but beautifully poised spring bulb, sending up clear blue, star-shaped flowers on a neat, low habit. It is particularly well suited to naturalising—tucked through grass, beneath shrubs, or threaded into the front of borders—where it will quietly return each year with minimal fuss.

It is equally charming in pots and troughs, where the colour reads as crisp and fresh in early spring. Plant in autumn, then allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering to build strength for seasons to come.

Why you’ll love it

• Refined, clear blue flowers with a star-shaped form
• Excellent for naturalising in lawns, under shrubs, and in borders
• Ideal for pots, troughs, and small-space planting
• Pollinator-friendly and fully hardy

At a glance

• Botanical name: Scilla bifolia
• Variety: 'Bifolia Blue'
• Bulb size: 5/6
• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 25cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Spacing: 5–8cm
• Position: Borders, under shrubs, lawns/grass, pots and containers
• Sun: Full sun or partial sun
• Soil: Well-drained soil
• Moisture: Moist but well-drained
• Hardiness: Fully hardy

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

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

Ranunculus 'Picotee Café' is a particularly refined ranunculus, celebrated for its richly toned, picotee-edged blooms in deep, coffee-and-caramel shades. Whether planted in smart pots by the door or woven through the front of a border, it brings a composed, curated look—and the stems are equally at home in a cut-flower arrangement.

For best results, choose a sheltered position with moist but well-drained soil and steady moisture while in growth. In colder spells, protect from hard frosts, as this variety is Half Hardy.

• Ideal for: Borders, containers and the cut flower garden
• Colour: Burgundy red with warm orange-gold tones
• Flower form: Double
• Height: 40–60cm

Ranunculus asiaticus ‘Elegance Rosa Striato’ is a wonderfully refined choice for spring colour, with rose-pink blooms brushed and striped with deeper magenta. Part of the coveted Elegance Series, it brings a tailored, couture finish to pots, and a gracious lift to the front of borders.

Planted in autumn in a sheltered spot, these top-size corms produce clump-forming plants with mid-green foliage and beautifully bowl-shaped flowers—ideal for cutting when the buds are just beginning to loosen.

• Colour: Rose pink with magenta striping
• Flowering: March to June
• Height: 30–45cm
• Best for: Cutting, containers, beds & borders

Ranunculus 'Elegance Pastello Striato Mix' brings a quietly sumptuous air to spring planting schemes, with generous, rose-like blooms in a refined pastel mix. Each flower is lightly striped and delicately contrasted, creating a painterly effect that reads beautifully in pots and lends a polished touch to the cutting garden.

Part of the Italian Elegance® range, this selection is valued for sturdy stems and a neat, clump-forming habit—ideal for tucking into containers by the door or threading through the front of a border where the detail can be admired up close.

• Colour palette: pastel mix with subtle striping
• Flowering: March to June
• Height: 25–40cm
• Perfect for: pots & containers, borders, and cutting

Ranunculus ‘Elegance Cioccolato’ is a notably refined choice for spring, offering richly toned, layered blooms with a beautifully tailored finish. The colour sits in a warm, rusted orange, deepening towards a burgundy-red centre—exactly the sort of nuanced shade that elevates borders, pots, and cutting beds with quiet sophistication.

Part of the Elegance Series, it makes a charming, clump-forming plant at a neat height, ideal for threading through the front of a mixed border or planting in generous drifts in containers. Cut a few stems for the house and you’ll find the palette works effortlessly with creams, soft pinks, and plum tones.

• Botanical name: Ranunculus asiaticus ‘Elegance Cioccolato’ (Elegance Series)
• Form: Double flowers
• Colour: Rust orange with deep burgundy/red centre
• Height: 30–40cm
• Spread: 15–25cm
• Ideal for: Borders, containers, cut flower garden

Ranunculus ‘Aviv Picotee Pink’ is a rather refined choice for spring, with soft pink petals finished with a crisp picotee edge in white. Neat, romantic and wonderfully well-mannered in pots by the door, it also makes an elegant cut flower—perfect for bringing a little spring composure indoors.

Plant the corms in autumn for flowering from early spring into early summer, choosing a sheltered position and soil that drains beautifully. At 30–40cm tall, it sits neatly at the front of borders and in containers, where the blooms can be appreciated up close.

• Colour: Pink & White
• Flowering: March to June
• Height: 30–40cm
• Spread: 15–20cm
• Planting months: September to December
• Best in: Borders, pots & containers, and for cutting

Ranunculus asiaticus ‘Aviv Picotee Orange’ is a decidedly elegant ranunculus, with neatly double blooms in glowing orange tones, each petal finished with a refined picotee edge. Compact and clump-forming, it brings a poised, jewel-like richness to spring pots and front-of-border planting, and it is equally at home in a cutting patch for small, luxurious bunches.

As a Half Hardy choice, it appreciates a sheltered position and moist but well-drained soil—perfect for those who enjoy a little extra finesse in their spring displays.

• Colour: Orange with picotee edging
• Flower shape: Double
• Best for: Cutting, Pots & Containers, Borders
• Position: Full-Sun, Partial Sun (sheltered)
• Supplied as: Corms (size 4/5)

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

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 '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

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

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

Narcissus ‘Sweetness’ is a refined jonquil-type daffodil, prized for its beautifully fragrant golden-yellow blooms. Compact and clump-forming, it lends itself perfectly to pots and containers, neat drifts through borders, or a more natural look when naturalised in grass and beneath shrubs.

With a quietly luxurious perfume and a bright, polished colour, it is an elegant choice for early spring—particularly near paths, doorways, and seating, where the scent can be properly appreciated. An easy perennial, it settles in well and improves year on year.

• Botanical name: Narcissus ‘Sweetness’
• Type: Bulb (Fully Hardy, Perennial)
• Flower colour: Golden yellow
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 40cm
• Fragrance: Yes
• Pollinator friendly: Yes
• Deer resistant: Yes
• Bulb size supplied: 12/14cm