Spring Bulbs & Plants

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 '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 pallidiflora is a quietly sophisticated fritillary, prized for its glaucous foliage and poised, nodding bells in soft greenish-yellow. Flowering from late spring into early summer, it brings a natural, woodland elegance to lightly shaded borders, tree-line planting and informal drifts where it can settle in and look entirely at home.

At around 50cm tall, the upright stems carry a refined cluster of bell-shaped blooms above cool-toned leaves—particularly handsome when threaded through ferns, early grasses and other spring bulbs for a gently layered effect.

• Colour: pale yellow with green tones
• Flower shape: bell-shaped, nodding
• Best for: borders, woodland edges, naturalised planting
• Pollinator friendly: Yes
• Hardiness: Fully Hardy

Fritillaria meleagris Mix is a wonderfully characterful spring bulb, prized for its gently nodding, bell-shaped flowers in a refined mix of rich purple, occasionally joined by the odd white bloom. Each petal carries an intricate chequered pattern that reads beautifully at close quarters and feels perfectly at home in lightly wild planting.

Thread it through grass, naturalise it at the edge of a woodland path, or tuck it into pots where its delicate detailing can be enjoyed up close. Given a consistently moist yet well-drained position, it will settle in quietly and return with poise each April.

• Distinctive detail: chequered bells in purple with occasional white
• Perfect for naturalising: especially elegant through grass and woodland edges
• Wildlife-aware choice: pollinator friendly and noted as deer resistant

Important: Fritillaria bulbs dislike drying out. Plant as soon as possible after delivery for the best results.

Fritillaria meleagris ‘Alba’ is a quietly exquisite spring-flowering bulb, bearing pristine white, nodding bells on slender stems above grey-green foliage. It lends a refined, natural charm when threaded through grass, tucked into woodland-style planting, or placed neatly at the front of a border—an elegant alternative to the more familiar chequered forms.

Best planted in early autumn for a relaxed, naturalised effect, this fully hardy perennial settles in gently and rewards patience with an increasingly lovely showing year by year.

Why you’ll love it

• Pure white, bell-shaped flowers with a graceful, nodding habit
• Superb for naturalising in grass and weaving through spring borders
• Fully hardy and pollinator friendly
• Compact and refined at around 30cm tall

Fritillaria persica ‘Ivory Bells’ is a beautifully poised fritillary, valued for its tall, architectural spires of softly nodding, green-tinted ivory bells. Rising above cool grey-green foliage, it lends a composed, contemporary note to spring borders and looks equally distinguished when threaded through meadow-style planting.

Plant in autumn into fertile, well-drained soil and allow it a little time to settle; by its second or third season it will reward you with a statuesque presence from April through to June. An assured choice for gardeners who appreciate structure as much as flower.

• Quiet drama for late spring — elegant, bell-shaped flowers in refined ivory with a fresh green touch
• Superb vertical form — ideal for borders, naturalising and handsome containers
• Pollinator friendly — a welcome stop for spring-foraging insects

Fritillaria imperialis ‘Aurora’ is a wonderfully statuesque crown imperial, raising tall stems topped with a neat tuft of glossy green leaves and a ring of nodding, bright orange, bell-shaped blooms. It brings a refined sense of theatre to spring borders, and sits particularly well amongst early tulips, narcissi and fresh, emerging perennials.

Plant in autumn and allow it time to settle; once established, this is a confident, architectural bulb for naturalistic planting, under open-canopied deciduous trees, or in a sheltered position where its form can be properly appreciated.

• Colour & form: bright orange bells beneath a leafy green crown
• Best for: borders, naturalising, cottage & informal gardens
• Flowering: March–May
• Delivered as: premium-grade bulb (20/+)

Echinops ritro (Globe Thistle) is part of our sun & pollinator perennials collection.

Echinops ritro, commonly known as Globe Thistle, 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 sativus is the saffron crocus: a quietly luxurious little autumn-flowering corm, bringing soft lilac, goblet-shaped blooms just as the garden begins to mellow. Look closely and you’ll find the signature crimson-red stigmas at the heart of each flower, picked out with warm golden tones—an exquisite detail at close quarters.

Neat, clump-forming and only 10cm tall, it is perfectly suited to pots by the door, gravel gardens, rockeries, and warm borders where drainage is assured. Give it sun and shelter, and it will settle in handsomely, returning as a fully hardy perennial and offering welcome late-season interest for pollinators.

• Autumn colour, refined scale—ideal for containers and front-of-border planting
• Best in sun with free-draining soil for crisp, healthy growth
• Distinctive floral detail—lilac petals with red and yellow accents

Delivery: Order Today, Receive in September!

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