Vivid green and oddly shaped, this extraordinary flower is still a relative of the familiar florists´ freesia, and is quite a collector's plant. It is found on stony clay and limestone in the north and south western Cape of South Africa, and flowers appear very early from late winter into spring. This curiosity must have a warm, sheltered rock garden or be grown in a pot to be viewed close-up. Oh, and it is pollinated by moths! ... Learn More

The waxy, drooping bells of this handsome rock garden or sunny border plant are pale green on the outside and stained red-brown on the inside, and are carried on 12" to 18" stems, with alternating narrow grey green leaves. It is easy to grow in the bulb frame or alpine house, or a hot, sunny, free draining position if grown in the open ground. It increases rapidly by offsets, the bulb producing 10 or more bulblets in a season. They should not be disturbed, as the roots do not re-grow once broken. It grows naturally in pinewoods, fields and stony places up to 7000 ft in Southern Turkey and a ... Learn More

This choice dwarf species bears plump waxy bells of lime green which are heavily brushed with chocolate. It will survive in a well protected scree but is best grown in a pot in an alpine house. One of the Middle Eastern species, this lovely flower is native to Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon and is sometimes now called Fritillaria kurdica . ... Learn More

Fritillaria eduardii, commonly known as Edward's Fritillary or Crown Imperial, is an elegant bulbous perennial native to Central Asia. This striking plant features tall, sturdy stems topped with a crown of pendulous, bell-shaped flowers in shades of orange to reddish-orange, often with a glossy sheen. Above the blooms, a tuft of green bracts adds to the plant’s regal appearance, making it a standout feature in spring gardens. Thriving in well-drained, fertile soils and full sun to partial shade, Fritillaria eduardii is an excellent choice for borders, rock gardens, or as a focal point in mi ... Learn More

With a dwarf stature and shiny, disproportionately large, brownish-purple bells, with a strong peppermint-green stripe along the petals, this spring plant, blooming between April and May, is a charmer, despite the the sombre sounding colours. The archetypal Greek fritillary, it is native to the Balkans (North-western Greece, Albania and southern Yugoslavia). where it thrives in woods, scrub and screes up to 2000m. ... Learn More

These seeds have been collected from the very largest cultivar of this stately gem which is a guaranteed conversation starter when in flower. From late April, through May and into June, it bears a prominent whorl of bright, downward facing flowers at the top of the stem, topped by a 'crown' of small leaves, hence the name. While the wild form is usually orange-red, various colours are found in cultivation, ranging from nearly a true scarlet through oranges to yellow. In the wild it is native to a wide stretch from Anatolia across the plateau of Iran to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalayan ... Learn More

A rare and choice plant with narrow leaves and thin stems carrying pale lime green bells, with a musky perfume, chequered all over in darker green or in pink-flesh-purple tones, and with the edges of the petals picked out in red-brown. The flowering period extends from April to June. In the wild it comes from South-east France and north western Italy, where it thrives in scrub, open woods and rough grassy places in the foothills at about 1000m. ... Learn More

The snake’s head fritillary is one of the most exquisite jewels in the treasure house of British wild flowers with a long list of common names which also include, Checkered Daffodil, Chess Flower, Frog-cup, Leper lily and Guinea-hen Flower. The bell shaped flowers are unmistakeable for their nodding heads, sometimes of pure white, or more frequently marked with a delicate chequerboard pattern in shades of purple. This rare British wild flower is now protected in its native meadows, but will always attract attention in a woodland garden, rockery, or naturalised in grass where they look magical. ... Learn More

The white form of this rare British native is rarely found in the wild. It flowers from March to May growing to between 15 and 40 cm in height. In the wild it is commonly found growing in grasslands in damp soils and river meadows and can be found at altitudes up to 800 metres, although it takes readily to garden culture where it makes a superb border plant or will even naturalise in long grass. ... Learn More

The snake’s head fritillary is one of the most exquisite jewels in the treasure house of British wild flowers with a long list of common names which also include, Checkered Daffodil, Chess Flower, Frog-cup, Leper lily and Guinea-hen Flower. The nodding bell shaped flowers are unmistakeable for their nodding heads, sometimes of pure white, or more frequently marked with a delicate chequerboard pattern in shades of purple. This rare British wild flower is now protected in its native meadows, but will always attract attention in a woodland garden, rockery, or naturalised in grass where they look ... Learn More

This lovely Mediterranean species bears flowers that are borne in groups of one to three at the apex and are flared hanging bells of chequered brown and green with a green stripe down the centre of each petal. This attractive plant is one which is easily grown outside, in a sunny well-drained spot. ... Learn More

Pendent bell flowers of chequered plummy-brown and green, with a green stripe down the centre of each petal, and pure yellow inside, are borne in groups of one to three. This slender species has stems bearing narrow whorled leaves. A plant of alpine meadows and light woodland, and well adapted to gardens in temperate regions, this sub-species of Fritillaria messanensis originally comes from Albania, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and the Ionian islands of Greece. In common with all fritillaries this choice plant is easily grown outside in a sunny well-drained spot. ... Learn More

Fritillaria michailovskyi is an unusual and striking dwarf fritillary, with several bell-shaped flowers, borne in late spring to early summer, and which are very dark purple with a bright yellow band at the outer end of each petal, and a shiny yellow and dark red interior. It can be easily grown in a pot, or even outside in a sunny, well-drained bed or a trough. Lance-shaped grey-green leaves grow out from upright stem. ... Learn More

A good mixture of seeds from all the varieties we grow, including some rarities. Species include Fritillaria acmopetala, affinis, amana, camtschatcensis, crassifolia, davisii, drenovskii, gracilis, graeca var. thessalica, involucrata, kurdican nigra, orientalis, pallidiflora, parnitha, pontica and others. ... Learn More

A rarely offered, dwarf Chinese plant which has pendent beige flowers, heavily marked and chequered in purple. It will do best in an organic, well-drained moist soil in a protected spot to thrive, or may be better suited to a pot in an alpine house. ... Learn More