TEN EARLY STARTERS

PULMONARIA RUBRA

‘Redstart’

A step ahead of all the blue-flowered pulmonarias, ‘Redstart’, with its coral red flowers set against paler foliage, combines early flowers with impressive weed smothering. 40cm

RHODODENDRON

‘Cilpinense’

Deep pink buds open to blushed white March flowers on compact, bushy plants. Blooms in February, or sooner, in pots in a cold greenhouse. 60cm

HELLEBORUS ICE ’N’ ROSES SERIES

Dependably December flowering, these hybrids between Christmas roses and Lenten roses come in reds, pinks, picotees and pure white. The variety Early Rose sometimes blooms in October! 35cm

SKIMMIA

‘Kew Green’

Fragrant heads of greenish white flowers open above glossy evergreen foliage while other varieties are still in bud. 1m

CAMELLIA

‘Cornish Snow’

White single flowers line the branches before most of the other camellias. Ideal in a porch in a pot of ericaceous compost. 5m (eventually).

TULIPA BIFLORA

Most tulips start to flower in spring, some not till May, but if you’d like tulips in February, choose the dwarf, sun-loving Tulipa biflora with up to five yellow-hearted white flowers from each bulb. 10cm

PRUNUS MUME ‘Beni-chidori’

Fragrant rich pink flowers line the branches of this early March flowering cherry; ‘Alboplena’ is even earlier,

but very rare. 2m

CROCUS

‘Firefly’

Has the vivid colour of a spring crocus but, in January and February, the pale violet flowers feature a golden splash that shines whether they are open or closed. 8cm

TIARELLA

‘Pink Skyrocket ’

Spikes of early rosy buds open to fluffy white flowers over many weeks in a cold greenhouse with the bonus of bronzed autumn foliage. 12in

PRUNUS SUBHIRTELLA

‘Autumnalis’

Less brash than the spring flowering cherries, and flowering on and off through winter with a final blushed white flourish in March before all the other flowering cherries open. 5m