Naturalising & Interesting Bulbs

Fritillaria imperialis 'Red Beauty' brings a touch of old-world drama to the spring border: tall, upright stems carrying rich orange-red, bell-shaped blooms, finished with a crisp green crown. It is wonderfully architectural—perfect for adding height, rhythm and a little theatre amongst late daffodils and early tulips.

Best planted in autumn in a sheltered, sunny position with excellent drainage, this is a confident choice for gardeners who enjoy distinctive bulbs with presence. Given time to settle, it forms a handsome clump and returns each spring with increasing poise.

• Colour: Dark orange-red with green crown
• Flower shape: Bell-shaped
• Height: 50–100cm
• Ideal for: Borders; Naturalising
• Wildlife: Pollinator friendly

Pre-order for autumn planting.

Fritillaria imperialis 'Rubra' brings unmistakable theatre to the spring border: tall, assured stems crowned with a whorl of glossy green leaves, then finished with a dramatic ring of rich scarlet, bell-shaped blooms topped by a jaunty tuft of leafy bracts. It is a wonderfully architectural choice for naturalistic planting as well as more formal schemes, rising confidently through fresh spring growth.

Plant in autumn in fertile, well-drained loam and choose a sheltered position to protect those statuesque stems. The bulbs are best handled with care and planted deeply for a secure, long-lived display. Once settled, 'Rubra' will reward you year after year, taking a little time to build to its full presence.

Fritillaria imperialis ‘Sunset’ is a wonderfully architectural crown imperial, prized for its glossy green foliage and a ring of burnished orange, bell-shaped flowers, finished with a jaunty tuft at the top. It brings a composed, statuesque note to spring borders and looks equally at home threaded through naturalistic planting.

Plant in autumn into fertile, well-drained soil in a sheltered position, and allow space for its upright, clump-forming habit. As the stems rise in spring, ‘Sunset’ provides height, colour and a confident vertical accent—particularly effective repeated in small groups.

• Botanical name: Fritillaria imperialis ‘Sunset’
• Common name: fritillary (crown imperial)
• Flower colour: Orange with green foliage
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 50–100cm
• Bulb size: 24/26

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

Fritillaria imperialis ‘William Rex’ brings a wonderfully architectural note to the spring border. Each tall stem carries a rich crown of bronze-red to orange, nodding bells, finished with a crisp tuft of leafy bracts—formal enough for a structured scheme, yet perfectly at ease in a relaxed cottage planting.

Plant in autumn and allow this crown imperial to settle in; once established it makes a refined statement among tulips, early perennials and fresh green foliage, and it is also valued for being pollinator friendly and deer resistant.

• Why we love it: statuesque, theatrical spring flowers with a beautifully tailored silhouette
• Best for: borders, naturalising, cottage and informal gardens, and smart city plots
• Seasonal moment: a confident flourish from early to late spring

Fritillaria ‘Yellow Beauty’ brings a poised note to the spring garden: tall, upright stems carrying soft yellow, bell-shaped blooms above glossy green foliage. It is particularly handsome threaded through mixed borders, and equally at home naturalising in well-drained ground where it can settle in and return with quiet regularity.

• Colour & form: soft yellow, bell-shaped flowers with fresh green foliage
• Garden use: borders, naturalising, and cutting
• Season of interest: spring flowering (March–May)
• Bulb size: 18/20
• Hardiness: fully hardy

Plant in autumn and allow two seasons to properly establish; the resulting spires are wonderfully architectural among tulips, late daffodils, and early perennials.

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.

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)

Iris × hollandica 'Blue Magic' is a refined Dutch iris, offering rich blue-violet blooms neatly finished with a golden marking. It’s a quietly dependable spring bulb—excellent in sunny borders, smart in pots, and particularly good for cutting, where the clean, architectural lines sit beautifully in a vase.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle into a free-draining position. In the right conditions it will return well year after year, forming elegant clumps that lift the late-spring garden with crisp colour and poise.

• Colour: Blue/Purple with Yellow
• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 60–85cm
• Best for: borders, pots & containers, cutting, naturalising

Iris 'Blue Planet' (Reticulata) is a small treasure for the late-winter garden—soft, pastel-blue flowers neatly finished with a golden-yellow stripe, held above fine grey-green foliage. Compact and well-mannered, it slips beautifully into pots, gravel gardens and sunny edges, and will also naturalise with quiet ease where drainage is sharp.

Plant in autumn and look forward to a crisp, bright flourish from February to March. For the most refined display, tuck bulbs into a sheltered, sunny spot—especially welcome where winter colour is prized at close quarters near paths, steps and terraces.

• Perfect for: containers, rockeries & gravel gardens, naturalising
• Flowering: February–March
• Character: pastel-blue with yellow markings; charmingly miniature

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 hollandica ‘Mixed’ is a charming blend of Dutch iris in harmonising tones, chosen for elegant, upright flowers that lend a composed, architectural note to late spring planting schemes. Tuck them through borders for refined colour punctuation, or pot up in generous groups for a clean, modern look on terraces and steps.

With slender stems and a naturally poised silhouette, this mixture is also a lovely choice for the cutting garden—particularly when you’d like a succession of stems that feel effortless rather than over-styled. Where conditions suit, it will also settle in and return, quietly improving year on year.

• Bulb size: 7/8
• Height: 45–60cm
• Flowering: April to June
• Planting time: September to December
• Ideal for: borders, pots & containers, cutting garden, naturalising

Iris hollandica 'Purple Sensation' is a Dutch iris of impeccable poise, producing richly purple blooms neatly highlighted with sunny yellow markings. Rising above slender, bright green foliage on elegant stems, it brings a crisp, contemporary note to spring borders and is equally accomplished in pots.

It is also a superb choice for cutting—refined in a vase, and effortlessly smart when gathered into simple, tailored arrangements.

• Colour: Deep purple with yellow markings
• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 60cm
• Bulb size supplied: 7/8
• Position: Full sun; sheltered spot preferred
• Best for: Cutting, containers, borders and naturalising

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

Leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake) is a quietly distinguished bulb for gardens that favour a little moisture and a natural, unforced elegance. In spring it sends up slender stems carrying nodding, bell-shaped white flowers, each neatly finished with fresh green tips—particularly lovely threaded through damp borders or at the edge of woodland.

Clump-forming and fully hardy, it settles in beautifully over time and is well suited to naturalising where conditions are kind. Plant in autumn and allow it to establish; the effect in drifts is gentle, poised, and effortlessly refined.

• Flowering: March to May
• Height: 50cm
• Position: Borders, woodland edges, damp ground, beside ponds
• Pollinator friendly: Yes

Leucojum aestivum 'Gravetye Giant' is a beautifully mannered naturaliser, particularly at home where the soil stays reliably moist. From glossy, strap-like foliage rise tall stems carrying nodding white bells, each one finished with a precise green tip—quietly distinctive, and wonderfully elegant in spring.

Use it to stitch refinement through grass, drift it along woodland margins, or place it beside water where the ground never fully dries. Left undisturbed, it settles into generous clumps over time and returns with pleasing regularity.

• Flower: White bells with green tips
• Best for: Naturalising in grass, woodland edge, damp borders and waterside planting
• Character: Clump-forming, perennial, fully hardy

Muscari botryoides 'Album' is a crisp, white form of grape hyacinth, sending up neat, spire-shaped flowers in early spring. Its refined colour palette sits beautifully at the front of borders, tucked beneath shrubs, or threaded through lawns in natural-looking drifts. Equally, it makes a charming feature in pots where the clean white blooms read as quietly modern.

Compact and clump-forming, it returns year after year and is wonderfully straightforward to grow—an excellent choice for creating those finishing touches that make a spring garden feel considered.

• Colour: White (Whites & Creams)
• Flowering: March to May
• Height: 15–20cm
• Best for: pots & containers, borders, 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 armeniacum 'Blue Spike' is a particularly refined grape hyacinth, admired for its densely packed, double flower spikes in rich blue, each neatly finished with the lightest white tipping. Lightly scented and quietly dependable, it settles in well as a perennial and looks superb naturalised through grass, beneath deciduous trees, or tucked into spring containers for close-up detail.

Neat, clump-forming and elegantly proportioned, it reaches around 20cm in flower—ideal for the front of borders and for weaving between later-emerging perennials. Plant in autumn and look forward to a poised, jewel-like display from early spring.

• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 20cm
• Bulb size supplied: 8/9
• Position: Front of border, under deciduous trees, naturalised 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 'Cool Blues' is a particularly refined grape hyacinth, valued for its cool-toned spring colour and neat, clump-forming habit. Slender green foliage rises to carry densely packed, bell-shaped flower spikes—an elegant detail at the very moment the garden begins to wake.

Thread it through the front of borders, edge a path with gentle repetition, or tuck into containers where the colour can be appreciated up close. It pairs beautifully with tulips and narcissus for a composed, early-season display, and also lends itself to naturalising in grass for an unforced, meadow-like finish.

• Colour: Cool blue
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 15–20cm
• Spread: 10–15cm
• Bulb size supplied: 6/7
• Position: Borders, containers, rockeries; ideal for naturalising in grass

Delightfully informal and effortlessly chic, Muscari ‘Mixed’ brings together a harmonious blend of crisp white, soft sky blue and deeper inky tones. These grape hyacinths are a small indulgence with a surprisingly polished effect—ideal for threading through the front of borders, dotting into grass for a gently naturalised look, or composing into pots for spring tables and doorsteps.

Plant in autumn and allow the bulbs to settle quietly; come April and May, neat bell-shaped blooms rise above fresh green foliage, creating a simple, high-impact display that feels both natural and curated.

• Colour palette: white, light blue and dark blue (mixed)
• Perfect for: pots, underplanting, and naturalising in grass
• Reliable performer: fully hardy, with an easy, accommodating nature
• Pollinator friendly: a welcome early-season food source

Muscari 'Night Eyes' is a particularly handsome grape hyacinth, sending up compact, bell-shaped flower spikes in rich violet-blue, each neatly finished with a crisp white tip. The effect is beautifully refined—ideal for threading through spring borders, edging paths with precision, or dressing pots where detail matters.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle in; it will return reliably each spring and, in the right place, will naturalise into charming drifts. Its early flowers are welcome to bees and other pollinators, and it makes an elegant companion to tulips, narcissus and early perennials.

• Deep violet-blue bells tipped in white for a clean, tailored look
• Excellent for naturalising, edging and spring containers
• Fully hardy and straightforward to grow
• Pollinator friendly
• RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM)

Muscari 'Valerie Finnis' is a rather distinguished grape hyacinth, producing dense, pale blue flower spikes from early to mid-spring. It is particularly handsome when planted in generous drifts, allowed to naturalise through grass, or threaded neatly along the front of a border for a calm, tonal effect.

With a tidy, clump-forming habit and fresh green foliage, it suits both classic garden schemes and contemporary planting alike. For the most refined finish, combine with early narcissus, species tulips, or white spring flowers and let the soft blue do the rest.

• Colour: Pale blue
• Flowering: March–May
• Height: 25cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Best in: borders, containers, naturalising

Narcissus poeticus 'Actaea' is a quietly luxurious late-spring narcissus, admired for its pristine white petals and a neat, butter-yellow cup finished with the finest red rim. It’s a variety with real poise—beautiful in the border, superb in generous drifts, and particularly charming when allowed to naturalise through grass beneath deciduous trees.

Notably fragrant, it brings a soft, classic perfume just as the garden moves from spring into early summer. Stems reach an elegant 45cm, making it an excellent choice for cutting—refined in a simple vase and effortlessly at home in cottage-style planting.

• Seasonal interest: flowering April–May (late spring)
• Style notes: white petals, yellow cup with a red rim; fragrant
• Best used: borders, containers, naturalising in grass, and cut flowers