PLANTING PARTNERS

In the garden, crown imperials are suitable for the middle of borders; planting the bulbs in clusters of three or five produces a greater impact than dotting them about singly. They are perfect partners for a host of other spring bulbs, early-flowering biennials and shrubs, and perennials. The zesty green bracts of euphorbias provide an attractive backdrop, and the evergreen pheasant’s tail grass, Anemanthele lessoniana, with its olive green and orange-tinged strappy foliage, adds a contemporary touch. For vibrant ground cover around the base of crown imperials, it is hard to beat wallflowers, with their superb range of colours, in soft yellows, fiery oranges, sumptuous reds and deep pinks. Orange-flowered crown imperials can hold their own alongside jewel-coloured wallflowers, such as ‘Sunset Orange’ and ‘Vulcan’, and tulips, such as the amethyst ‘Black Hero’ and the garnet hue of ‘Palmyra’. Once crown imperial flowers have faded, the foliage will begin to wither too, but it is important to allow this to die back naturally, as they will feed the bulb for next year’s display. This stage can look unsightly, so it is a good idea to team these bulbs with summer-flowering perennials, such as hardy geraniums, salvias and nepeta, whose foliage will fill out in May to disguise the fading fritillary leaves and produce flowers once the fritillaries have retreated underground.