Purples & Blues

Camassia 'Caerulea' is an elegant, statuesque bulb for late spring, sending up refined spires of star-shaped violet-blue flowers above fresh, linear foliage. It has a wonderfully natural poise—equally at home threaded through meadow-style grass, used in generous drifts at the woodland edge, or brought forward in mixed borders where its height adds calm structure.

Plant in autumn and allow it time to settle; once established, it returns faithfully and can gently increase over the years. For the most effortless look, weave through grass and let the stems rise like a quiet flourish in May and June.

• Colour: blue-purple
• Flowering: May–June
• Height: 100–150cm
• Best for: naturalising, borders, woodland gardens, cottage & informal planting, cut flowers
• Pollinator friendly: yes

Camassia 'Cusickii' is a wonderfully refined naturaliser for those parts of the garden that hold a little moisture. In late spring it rises on upright stems with neat, starry flowers in a clear, azure-blue—an elegant way to thread height and colour through borders, meadow-style planting, and naturalised grass.

Plant in generous drifts for a quietly impressive display that returns each year, settling in steadily and looking increasingly at home as it matures.

• Colour & form: star-shaped, blue-purple flowers held in stately spires
• Where it shines: borders, naturalised grass, meadow-style schemes
• Garden value: pollinator friendly and reliably perennial

Camassia ‘Esculenta Quamash’ is a wonderfully graceful bulb for late spring, sending up refined spires of star-shaped violet-blue flowers above fresh, strap-like green foliage. It lends an effortless, natural air to meadow-style planting, relaxed borders, and lightly wild corners—particularly lovely woven through ornamental grasses and other naturalising favourites.

Dependable, fully hardy, and easy to grow, it settles in quickly and returns year after year, forming neat clumps that look increasingly assured with each season.

Why you’ll love it

• Starry violet-blue blooms held on elegant, upright stems
• Ideal for naturalising, informal drifts, and airy border planting
• Pollinator friendly, with flowers that are welcome in spring gardens
• Excellent structure for cutting gardens, with a poised, long-stemmed look

Planting notes

Plant in autumn for spring flowering. Choose a position in full sun or partial sun, in moist but well-drained loam. For a relaxed, meadow-like effect, plant in generous groups and allow the clumps to build over time.

For a quietly enchanting start to spring, Chionodoxa forbesii brings neat, starry flowers in an intense blue, each one finished with a crisp white eye. Small in stature yet wonderfully effective, it settles into clumps over time and is particularly handsome when allowed to naturalise—threaded through short grass, tucked into gravel, or dotted along the very front of the border.

Plant in autumn and look forward to a refined haze of early colour from March into April. It is equally charming in containers, where the clear blue reads as distinctly fresh against stone, terracotta, and evergreen foliage.

• Colour: Intense blue with a clear white eye
• Flowering: March–April
• Height (established): 15cm
• Spread: 10cm
• Habit: Clump-forming perennial bulb
• Best for: Naturalising, gravel gardens, containers, underplanting

Crocus 'Aqua' is a refined, early-spring crocus in violet-purple with warm orange centres—just the thing for threading through lawns, gravel and the very front of the border when the garden is beginning to stir again.

Neat, goblet-shaped blooms sit above green foliage marked with a silvery stripe, forming tidy clumps that look particularly smart in pots by the door, scattered through a rockery, or allowed to naturalise beneath deciduous trees.

• Colour: Violet-purple with orange centers
• Best for: Naturalising in lawns, rockery & gravel gardens, pots & containers, and front-of-border detail
• Season: Plant in autumn for flowers from late winter into spring
• Growing level: Easy, fully hardy, and reliably perennial

Crocus vernus 'Grand Maitre' is an early spring classic, opening in rich lilac-purple with a deeper purple base and a warm golden centre. It is precisely the sort of small luxury that makes March feel optimistic again—especially when planted in generous drifts through grass, or displayed in pots by the front door where it can be enjoyed at close quarters.

These large-flowering crocus are naturally neat and well-mannered, forming tidy clumps and returning year after year. Plant in autumn and allow them to settle; by their second season they reward with a more confident show.

• Colour: Purple with yellow centre
• Best for: Naturalising in lawns, pots & containers, rockeries and the very front of the border
• Pollinator friendly: Yes

Crocus tommasinianus 'Ruby Giant' is a splendid little herald of spring, opening early with rich purple cups that soften elegantly to a paler base. Tucked into short grass, threaded beneath deciduous shrubs, or arranged in pots by the front door, it lends a quietly luxurious lift just when the garden most needs it.

A dependable tommasinianus crocus, it settles in happily and, in time, forms pleasing drifts—ideal for naturalistic planting where you’d like the display to feel effortless and established.

• Colour: Purple with softer, paler base tones
• Best use: Naturalising in lawns & meadows, under shrubs, or in pots and containers
• Flowering: February to March
• Growing skill: Easy

Crocus tommasinianus is one of the most graceful ways to welcome spring. Its lilac-to-rich purple goblet flowers open neatly above slender stems just as the first narrow leaves appear, creating a light, natural-looking display that sits beautifully in lawns, borders and pots.

Plant in autumn and allow it to settle; it will return each year with quiet reliability, offering early colour at ground level and a welcome source of interest in late winter and early spring.

• Colour: Purple (lilac to rich purple tones)
• Best for: Lawns & naturalising, borders, containers, rock gardens, under deciduous trees
• Style: Refined, naturalistic drifts with a delicate, early-season presence

Dracunculus vulgaris is not a bulb for the timid. For collectors and connoisseurs of the unusual, this is a gloriously theatrical plant: bold, green architectural foliage crowned in early summer by a deep maroon-purple spathe with a near-black spadix. Planted in a warm, sheltered position, it brings a distinctly exotic note to borders and large containers—an elegant talking point that looks particularly assured against grasses and silver-leaved companions.

Supplied as a premium-sized bulb (20/25 cm), it establishes readily and will return year after year when given good drainage and protection in colder spots. Best appreciated up close, where its sculptural form can be enjoyed as part of a carefully curated planting scheme.

Why you’ll love it

• Rare & unusual character with collector’s appeal
• Striking colour: deep maroon-purple with a black spadix
• Architectural presence for exotic borders and statement pots

Planting & care at a glance

• Planting time: September–December
• Flowering time: June–July
• Position: Full sun or partial sun, ideally sheltered
• Soil: Well-drained; suitable for chalk, clay, loam or sand
• Spacing: 30–45 cm apart
• Height: 90–120 cm
• Spread: 30–45 cm
• Hardiness: Half Hardy

English bluebells (Hyacinthoides non‑scripta) create one of the most recognisable spring displays: arching stems lined with fragrant, bell‑shaped blooms in deep, woodland blue. They’re a lovely way to bring a natural, British feel to gardens and wild corners.

They’re ideal for naturalising beneath deciduous trees, along shady hedgerows, or at the edge of a border where the soil stays cool. In the right spot, bulbs will spread steadily and form a beautiful carpet over time, returning reliably each spring and filling gaps before summer perennials wake up.

Bluebells prefer humus‑rich, moderately fertile soil that drains well but doesn’t dry out. If your soil is heavy or very sandy, improve it with leaf mould or compost to boost structure and moisture retention, and choose partial shade to keep the ground from baking.

Plant bulbs in autumn about 8cm deep and 8–10cm apart. Leave them undisturbed once planted—bluebells bulk up best when they’re allowed to settle and multiply in place, creating thicker clumps and more flower stems each year.

After flowering, let the foliage die back naturally to feed the bulbs for next year. Bluebells can spread in favourable conditions, so choose a planting area where you’re happy for them to roam and mingle, especially in woodland-style planting, alongside ferns and other shade lovers.

Fritillaria persica 'Adiyaman' is a wonderfully architectural spring bulb, sending up poised, upright stems lined with slender green foliage and finished with a refined spire of nodding, bell-shaped blooms. The colouring sits in the deepest purple-brown, reading almost black in certain light—quietly dramatic, and effortlessly sophisticated.

Plant through autumn for a statement in mixed borders, gravelly schemes, and naturalistic planting where its vertical form brings a sense of intention. Equally handsome in large containers in a sheltered courtyard position, where the flowers can be admired up close.

• Colour: Deep purple (near-black)
• Flower shape: Bell-shaped, nodding
• Height: 50–100cm
• Ideal for: Borders, containers, courtyard gardens, naturalising

Fritillaria persica 'Purple Dynamite' is a particularly polished form of the Persian lily, producing stately spires set with glossy, plum-purple bells. The dark flowers and fresh green foliage make a sophisticated contrast in late-spring borders, gravel gardens and generous containers.

Supplied as impressive 20/24 bulbs, this RHS Award of Garden Merit variety has the presence to stand alone yet associates beautifully with pale tulips, alliums and airy perennials. It is an unusual, architectural choice for gardeners who favour plants with real distinction.

Hyacinthus orientalis 'Blue Jacket' brings a wonderfully saturated note to early spring, with dense, fragrant spikes of deep blue, single bells. Each petal is neatly traced with a darker purple stripe, creating a poised, tailored look above fresh, rich green foliage.

Ideal for borders and pots alike, this is a compact hyacinth that looks particularly smart planted in generous drifts, or placed near paths and doorways where the perfume can be properly appreciated. It also makes an excellent cut flower for small, elegant arrangements.

• Colour: Deep blue with dark purple stripe
• Flower form: Bell-shaped, single blooms on sturdy spikes
• Scent: Fragrant
• Best for: Borders, pots and containers, cutting

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Delft Blue’ is a spring classic: neat, glossy green foliage topped with a well-filled spike of softly scented, mid-blue bells. It brings a calm, composed note to the front of the border and is especially charming in pots placed by the door, where the fragrance can be properly enjoyed.

• Colour: mid-blue with a gentle violet cast
• Fragrance: softly scented
• Best for: pots and containers, edging paths, and drift planting for a serene wash of colour
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy

Bulb size: 15/16. Plant in autumn for a polished display in March and 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