Plant This Weekend

Allium atropurpureum brings a beautifully saturated note to late-spring borders: deep purple-red, half-spherical flowerheads poised on slender stems above neat green foliage. It slips effortlessly through tulips and early perennials, adding height and quiet drama without ever feeling heavy.

A refined choice for modern planting schemes, it also makes a smart cut flower and is notably attractive to pollinators. Plant in autumn for an elegant show in May and June.

• Colour: Deep purple-red globes
• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 60cm
• Best for: Borders, containers and cutting

Phlox paniculata - ‘White Admiral’ is part of our cottage garden perennials collection.

Phlox paniculata ‘White Admiral’ 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.

Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl' is a beautifully refined early crocus, opening in cool pearl-blue tones with a crisp, pale centre. Small in stature yet wonderfully effective, it is just the thing for threading through lawns, skimming the front of borders, or finishing a pot display with a calm, considered flourish.

Plant in autumn and allow the corms to settle; by late winter into early spring, this little classic brings a fresh lift when the garden most appreciates it. Particularly charming when planted in generous drifts for a natural, unforced look.

• Colour: White with pale blue-lilac
• Flower shape: Cup Shaped
• Best for: Naturalising in grass, rock gardens, containers, and the front of borders
• Pollinator friendly: Yes
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy

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

Tulipa 'Queen of Night' is the tulip for those who prefer their spring planting with a little intrigue. In late spring, tall, elegant stems carry glossy goblet blooms in a near-black shade, richly washed with maroon and deep purple. It brings instant depth to borders and a beautifully tailored look in pots—particularly when partnered with paler tulips or airy grasses.

• Colour: Near-black with deep maroon-purple tones
• Flowering: April–May
• Height: 60cm
• Bulb size supplied: 11/12

Plant in autumn into fertile, well-drained soil, and choose a sheltered position to keep the long stems looking pristine. A quietly dramatic classic for refined spring schemes.