A Spring Rainbow

These are some of our favourite bulbs to add splashes of strategic colour next spring.

Blue is the perfect colour to create a calm and serene garden environment. Mix with white for a carpet of relaxing garden borders or pots. These are our favourite four this season: Iris Reticulata, Iris Fabiola, Muscari Armeniacum (Grape Hyacinth) and Ipheion uniflorum ‘Wisley Blue’.

For splashes of hot pink (which will clash brilliantly with oranges and purples), try Tulip ‘Van Eijk’ (a Darwin hybrid which can flower for several years), Tulip ‘Pretty Princess’ (a gorgeous pink bloom cupped in purple, which makes an excellent cut flower), Tulip ‘Toronto’ or Tulip ‘Yosemite’.

For blush pinks, which will create a softer container or border addition, try Tulip ‘Angelique’ (a peony-like variety with soft pink double flowers), or Tulip ‘Finola’, a new variety of pink and white. ‘Chinatown’ is a vivid pink variety of tulip, edged in green, pairing perfectly with blue muscaris or lime-green plants such as Heuchera ‘Lime Marmalade’. Tulip ‘Eyelash’ is a fantastic new introduction, with large blooms and pink fringed edges.

Heat things up with our selection of red tulips for spring! Perfect for pots, Tulip ‘Rococo’ is an early parrot variety with facinating blooms. Tulip ‘Lizzy’ is an open star variety with dark centres, providing something more moody. Tulip ‘Red Riding Hood’ provides a dash of clearest red, with ‘Pinocchio’ as a fantastic bi-colour variety!

Go for bright yellow to add some sunshine to the spring garden! We love Tulip ‘Golden Apeldoorn’, Narcissus ‘Jumblie’ and Crocus ‘Dorothy’. We also love Narcissus ‘Quail’ a bright variety with attractive clusters of nodding flowers – a variety which will naturalise well.

You may prefer softer yellows, such as the beautiful two-toned Narcissus ‘Spring Dawn’ which is an early variety, ideal for the early days of spring.  Tulip ‘Akebono’ is a fabulous yellow variety, edged in pink, perfect for something a little different. We also like Crocus ‘Romance’ and Tulip ‘Muscadet’.

Create a firey scene with orange bulbs, matching well with yellow or white and clashing brilliantly with purples and blues. Opt for standout variety ‘Showgun’ for an eye-catching display. Our other favourites are ‘Daydream’, ‘Orange Emperor’ and the softer ‘Dordogne’.

White spring bulbs are extremely versatile, pairing well with all other colours. Try Muscari ‘Siberian Tiger’ paired with colourful tulips for an impressive display. We also like classic snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis), as well as the stunning Allium ‘Mount Everest’ and the beautiful open tulip ‘Mount Tacoma’.

We love these beautiful spring varieties which are white but edged with bold colour! Try these to spice up your white combinations. our favourites are Tulip ‘Flaming Flag’, Tulip ‘Danceline’, Crocus ‘Prins Claus’ and Tulip ‘Shirley Double’.

If you’re feeling brave, try these spectacular dark varieties of tulip, sure to prove a talking point! Tulip ‘Queen of Night’ is a dark maroon variety (appearaing almost black) whilst Tulip ‘Black Hero’ is a fantastic double version of ‘Queen of Night’. Tulip ‘Black Parrot’ is a gorgeous dark purple variety with a fantastic frilled shape. Finally, Tulip ‘Paul Scherer’ is the darkest tulip there is, appearing almost black!

Growing beautiful tulips and narcissi produces a classic spring garden, but you may wish to try something a little more special this year! If you want to add something extra special, try these spectacular varieties.

• Tulip ‘Amazing Parrot’ – A stunning variety with a blend of pink and orange tones and frilled edges. Plant alongside other pinks or oranges to add some real impact to a border or container.
• Narcissus ‘Rip Van Winkle’ – This unusual variety bears multi-petalled, yellow flowers which make it distinctive from other daffodils! A shorter variety, ideal for border fronts and containers.
• Tulip ‘Prinses Irene’ – A sunset variety, ablaze with orange and pink tones. A strong grower with attractive foliage.
• Tulip ‘Dream Touch’ – A purple double late variety with striking colour, fringed with white edges. It has a peony like appearance.
• Allium ‘Ambassador’ – Holding an RHS Award of Garden Merit, this impressive variety produces vibrant balls of purple flowers atop tall stems.
• Colchicum ‘The Giant’ – An Autumn blooming variety, with large lavender flowers and white throats.
• Tulip ‘Tarda’ – A pretty variety producing a mass of star shaped flowers in yellow and white.
• Allium ‘Schubertii’ – A showstopper of an allium, which produces vast flowers of pink.