High in the Himalayan mountains, up to 19,000 feet in fact, this incredibly tough, hardy, and exceptionally beautiful plant, opens its sweetly-perfumed pink-to-wine-coloured, flared, funnel-shaped flowers in early spring. These are borne in umbels on long slender stalks, above low clumps of shiny, bluish-green leaves. It does perfectly well at sea level though given some shade and moisture! ... Learn More

This beautiful and very rare plant makes a tiny, prostrate rosette of rounded very hairy leaves with short stems bearing heads of flared, tubular, deep indigo-purple flowers. In the muscarioides section (along with the more commonly grown Primula viallii)and probably not in general cultivation, it comes from snow fields and rocky meadows in very high places (up to 4,600 m) in SW Sichuan, SE Tibet and Yunnan. Sorry, no picture until next year, we forgot to take some when it was in flower, so just the rosette at the moment! ... Learn More

Created in the early 1900's at Kew gardens, this quite incredible hybrid between Primula verticillata and Primula floribunda is fertile and comes true from seed. It bears heads of brightest lemon yellow on strong stems above rosettes of deeply-crinkled leaves, all of which are heavily covered withv attractive white farina. However it cannot breed with either of its parents and is a most beautiful stable cross which unfortunately produces only a small number of good viable seeds here. ... Learn More

Up to seven creamy white flowers, partly hidden by the foliage, emerge in early spring at the end of each branch, on thin wiry stems, which emerge from the ground and branch in lovely layered patterns. Bright green leaves mature to a rich dark green, then later in summer large, conspicuous, bright orange-red berries dangle from the tips, making this a beautiful and interesting easy-to-grow perennial. This species is native to western North America from Vancouver Island in British Columbia south, to Monterey County in California, where It grows in shady forest and woodland including redwood for ... Learn More

Classed as very rare in the UK, this small, slowly-spreading, semi-evergreen plant has flared, snapdragon-like, tubular flowers which are usually white to cream, but sometimes rarely pink or purple-flushed. It is similar to Prunella vulgaris, but instead the upper stem leaves are cut into narrow lobes. In the wild it also frequents calcareous grassland in Europe, north to Belgium and east to Poland and North Africa. ... Learn More

This species is most popular as a spring flowering bulb, Brian Mathew describing it as "a delightful plant", to be used in rock gardens or under shrubs. It is completely frost-hardy and prefers to be in full sun. ... Learn More

This is the even more lovely pure white form of the species that is most popular as a spring flowering bulb, Brian Mathew describing it as "a delightful plant", to be used in rock gardens or under shrubs. It is completely frost-hardy and prefers to be in full sun. ... Learn More

Rare and delicate, this plant is quite similar to Pseudomuscari azureum, but has a longer raceme of larger mid-blue flowers. In the wild, its few loci are in Northern Iran, where it survives on rock ledges and in light woodland. ... Learn More

An unusual "grape hyacinth" from the cold wastes of Russia with short stems holding massed flowerheads of an unusual and most attractive, pale milky blue which are looser and not as tightly-packed as in many species, resembling tiny hyacinths to which they are of course related. ... Learn More

This rare miniature pasque-flower has nodding flowers of soft primrose yellow, and after the flowers fade, the beautiful silvery plume-heads develop. Easily grown from seed which is scarce and difficult to collect. ... Learn More

Found in the mountain ranges of central and southern Europe, from central Spain to Croatia, this desirable plant has beautiful, golden-eyed, pure white, silky flowers which are more upward-facing than most of the other species which generally have drooping flowers. They are produced very early, often opening whilst still under snow cover. ... Learn More

Found in the mountain ranges of central and southern Europe from central Spain to Croatia, this fabulous flower has more upright flowers than other species of Pulsatilla, which generally have drooping flowers. They are yellow (compared with the more usual white). The flowers are produced very early, often opening while still under snow cover. ... Learn More

This beautiful alpine perennial has purple bell-shaped flowers which are covered small delicate hairs, and a bright yellow centre for contrast. The foliage is feathery and coated in silver hairs and is slightly more compact in nature than other pulsatillas. Blooming in the spring to early summer it makes a lovely addition to any rock or alpine garden. Prefers full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil. ... Learn More

A rare and beautiful dwarf pulsatilla, which only produces a few, low, carrot-like tufts of foliage. If size is important this is not the one for you, as the flowers, which can vary from deep blue to white, are quite small, resembling hairy, pendent eggs, and which sometimes do not fully open, and when they do, the narrow petals make a neat star displaying the golden anthers. From remote high places in Asia including Turkey and the tundra of the Tian Shan. ... Learn More

This gorgeous, short, hairy perennial from China makes compact tufts of finely divided foliage with attractive sprays of blue-violet or lilac flowers in early spring. Totally hardy and very long-lived it makes a superb complement to any rock garden. ... Learn More