Early Spring Colour

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Gipsy Queen’ is a beautifully composed spring hyacinth, prized for its richly scented, salmon-peach bloom. Each sturdy flower spike rises neatly above glossy green foliage, bringing a warm, flattering note to pots by the front door and crisp definition to the very front of the border.

Plant in autumn and allow the bulbs to settle into well-drained soil; come March and April, you’ll be rewarded with a polished display that feels both classic and quietly distinctive.

• Colour: Salmon peach
• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 30cm
• Position: Front of border, containers
• Scent: Richly fragrant

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Jan Bos' is a wonderfully classic spring hyacinth, prized for its richly coloured flower spikes in deep rosy cerise and a beautifully strong perfume. Compact and poised at the front of a border, it is equally at home in smart pots by the door, where its fragrance can be properly enjoyed.

With glaucous green leaves and an upright habit, it also makes a refined cut flower—just a few stems bring instant polish to a small vase arrangement. Plant in autumn and look forward to an elegant flourish from March into April.

• Colour: Deep pink-red
• Fragrance: Highly scented
• Best for: Borders, containers and cutting
• Flowering: March–April

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Pink Pearl’ is a spring-time classic with an unmistakably refined presence. Broad flower spikes in rich deep pink—softly edged with a paler blush—rise neatly above glossy green foliage, carrying a deliciously heady perfume that feels entirely at home by the front door, along a path, or in smart pots on the terrace.

Plant in autumn and let ‘Pink Pearl’ do the rest: a compact, upright hyacinth that brings poised colour to borders and containers, and a wonderfully scented addition to cut-flower posies indoors.

• Colour: Pink (Pinks & Purples)
• Fragrance: richly fragrant
• Best for: containers, borders & beds, and cutting
• Pollinator friendly: Yes

Hyacinthus orientalis 'White Pearl' is a quietly luxurious spring hyacinth, carrying dense, bell-shaped florets in a clear, creamy white. Its perfume is richly traditional—perfect in pots by the front door, and equally poised when woven through the front of a border.

For an elegant scheme, let it glow against evergreens and dark foliage, or soften it with gentle blues and pale pastels. It also makes a refined cut flower, bringing a little spring ceremony indoors.

Why we love it

• Classic white spires with a clean, polished look
• Richly scented—ideal close to paths, doorways and seating
• Excellent in containers, yet naturally at home in borders
• Pollinator friendly in spring

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Woodstock' brings a quietly dramatic note to early spring: densely packed, bell-shaped florets in a deep plum-purple, carried on sturdy stems above rich green foliage. The perfume is classic hyacinth—sweet, familiar, and wonderfully welcoming near a doorway or along a path.

Plant in autumn for a refined show in March and April. This variety is particularly handsome in pots (where its colour can be appreciated up close), yet equally poised threaded through borders in small drifts. The flower spikes also make excellent, fragrant cut stems for small indoor arrangements.

• Colour: Deep plum-purple
• Scent: Sweetly fragrant
• Style notes: Striking in containers; elegant in borders; excellent for cutting

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.

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

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

Muscari armeniacum is the sort of spring bulb one comes to rely upon: neat, clump-forming foliage topped with dense, upright spires of violet-blue bells, each delicately tipped in white. Thread it through borders for a crisp early lift, tuck it beneath shrubs and roses, or let it quietly naturalise in grass where it will settle in and return with increasing charm.

Exceptionally easy to grow and fully hardy, it is a refined little workhorse for pots, pathways and rock gardens—particularly handsome when planted in generous drifts.

• Colour: Violet-blue with white tips
• Flowering: March to May
• Height: 20cm
• Best for: Containers, borders, underplanting, naturalising in grass

Muscari azureum ‘Blue’ is a particularly refined grape hyacinth, offering airy, light blue spires that arrive in the first true moments of spring. Neat, clump-forming and beautifully obliging, it threads a soft ribbon of colour through the front of borders, pots, rockeries and naturalistic planting beneath deciduous shrubs.

• Flowering: March–April
• Height: 25cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Position: Front of border, edging, under deciduous shrubs
• Bulb size: 6/7
• Pollinator friendly: Yes
• Deer resistant: Yes

Planted in generous drifts, it reads as quietly luxurious—cool blue notes with just enough freshness to lift mixed spring schemes. Allow around two seasons to settle properly, and it will reward you with a dependable return.

Muscari latifolium 'Grape Ice' is a quietly striking grape hyacinth, sending up neat, densely packed spring spires with a most pleasing two-tone finish: deep purple at the base, graduating to a crisp white tip. Lightly scented and eminently well-mannered, it slips beautifully through the front of borders, under shrubs and trees, and into pots where its detail can be appreciated up close.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; by spring it forms a tidy clump of fresh green foliage and elegant bell-shaped blooms—excellent for threading amongst tulips and other spring companions, and charming in small cut posies.

• Colour: Purple & White (bi-colour)
• Flowering: March to May
• Height: 20cm
• Habit: Clump-forming perennial
• Best for: Borders, containers and underplanting

Narcissus 'Avalanche' is a beautifully mannered daffodil, carrying generous clusters of small blooms—crisp white petals poised around a neat yellow cup, with a light, pleasing scent. It is particularly elegant threaded through the front of borders, tucked beneath deciduous shrubs, or gathered in pots by the door for a refined spring welcome.

Flowering reliably from March to May and reaching around 35cm, it forms tidy clumps over time and looks wonderfully at home in both traditional cottage planting and smarter city courtyards. Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; the display improves year on year.

• Colour: White with yellow
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 35cm
• Bulb size supplied: 12/14cm
• Best for: borders, containers and underplanting

Narcissus ‘Barrett Browning’ is a beautifully composed small-cupped daffodil, prized for its crisp white petals and a neatly defined orange cup. It brings a bright, clean note to spring planting schemes—equally at home threading through grass, lifting a border edge, or arranged in pots by the door.

Dependable and easy to grow, it forms clumps over time and returns year after year. Plant in autumn for a poised display from early to mid-spring.

• Colour: White with orange
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 50cm
• Where to plant: Borders, pots and containers, naturalising in grass
• Pollinator friendly: Yes

For a quietly enchanting start to spring, Narcissus 'Botanic Mixed' offers a naturalistic blend of botanical narcissus in gentle shades of yellow, white and cream. The effect is airy and unforced—just the sort of planting that looks as though it has always belonged, whether threaded through grass, tucked into borders, or arranged in pots by the door.

Flowering in March–April and reaching around 25–40cm, this mix is particularly well-suited to informal schemes and relaxed planting styles, while still feeling thoroughly refined. As a fully hardy bulb, it’s a dependable choice for autumn planting and a welcome early-season lift.

• Colour palette: soft yellow, white and cream
• Ideal for: pots & containers, borders, and naturalising in grass
• Season of interest: early spring (March–April)
• Noted for: deer resistant and pollinator friendly