12 SPRING PLANTS
1 Tulipa ‘Flaming Purissima’
A creamy-coloured base to the bowl-shaped flowers flushes to a rosy-pink at the top, with a rich raspberry tint inside. Strong stems are good for cut flowers. 35cm. RHS H6†.
2 Fritillaria meleagris
Chequered maroon-and-pink, bell-shaped flowers dangle from fine stems. Prefers moist, rich soils where it will self-seed. 30cm. AGM*. RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b.
3 Tulipa ‘Fancy Frills’
Frothy, fringed tulip in white blending to rose-pink up the petals. 50cm. AGM. RHS H6.
4 Primula elatior
Our native oxlip with a rosette of oblong leaves and a flower stem topped by a whorl of flowers in creamy yellow with a darker yellow eye. Prefers damper conditions. 30cm. AGM. RHS H6.
5 Amelanchier x lamarckii
Small tree with slender, arching branches adorned with early white, star-shaped blossom that opens just ahead of the coppery-pink young leaves. 10m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b.
6 Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’
Striking, heart-shaped silver leaves veined and edged in green with sprays of small, blue, forget-me-not-like flowers are a highlight in spring. 50cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b.
7 Tulipa ‘Black Parrot’
Glamorous, parrot-type tulip with fringed petals in almost-black. 50cm. AGM. RHS H6.
8 Puschkinia scilloides
The striped squill is an early spring delight with pretty, palest-blue, star-shaped flowers, each with a darker-blue central stripe. Best grown in drifts under deciduous trees or in a border. 10cm. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.
9 Malus ‘Rudolph’
Lovely choice of crab apple with showy, red-pink blossom in spring, and added bonus of good autumn leaf colour and reddish-yellow fruits. 7m. RHS H6.
10 Muscari armeniacum ‘Dark Eyes’
Clump-forming grape hyacinth with tight clusters of bell-shaped flowers in dark blue edged in white. 15cm. RHS H6,
11 Tulipa ‘China Pink’
Lily-flowering tulip with small flowers on tall stems in soft pink, graduating to a darker pink in the centre of each petal. Complemented by greyish foliage. 50cm. AGM. RHS H6.
12 Spiraea ‘Arguta’
Deciduous shrub with arching sprays covered in clusters of white flowers and fresh-green leaves. 2.5m. AGM. RHS H6. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.