Woottens, in the flat lands of Suffolk at Wenhaston, five miles from the sea, was founded in 1990 by Michael Loftus, who was much admired as a plantsman. In 2016, four years after he died, his widow sold the nursery to two women who, from working with Loftus, had absorbed much of his knowledge, and shared his particular interest in irises, pelargoniums, hemerocallis and auriculas.

Auriculas are fussy, and for these they have some help from Gillian’s partner Jenny Stafford – in the past, the propagation was done by Sandra Sutton, who bred more than 30 of Woottens’ own hybrids. After the polytunnel collapsed during a storm in 2018, it had to be reclad and it took a couple of seasons to rebuild the collection. In 2020, however, they bought the Drointon collection of 2,000 show auriculas, and now Woottens is one of the best places to buy auriculas.

What are auriculas?

In the 18th and 19th centuries, auriculas were among the most popular plants collected by members of the English Florists’ Societies, and they remain popular with collectors to this day. Although the alpine auriculas are generally robust enough to grow in borders, Luci and Gillian believe both show and alpine auricula types are best grown in individual pots, and perhaps displayed in a traditional Auricula Theatre, where the vast array of different flowers in wonderful colours can be fully appreciated.

Jump to

• How to grow auriculas
• Dividing auriculas
• Feeding auriculas
• Where to grow auriculas
• Where to buy auriculas
• How to propagate auricuas
• Top 16 auriculas to grow

How to grow auriculas

Root aphids have recently been a nuisance to growers of auriculas, so I wanted to learn how they manage their plants. Gillian says these picky alpines hate being too wet, but they also don’t like being too dry in summer, because root aphids thrive in dry conditions.

Dividing auriculas

Many growers divide their plants after flowering, but life on the nursery is too busy, so their plants are usually divided in July to August. When root aphids strike, it involves removing all the compost and then washing the roots with horticultural soap.

Feeding auriculas

The plants get a root feed high in phosphorous and very low in nitrogen in early February, and a potassium feed to encourage flowers a fortnight later and then every two weeks. Woottens use a compost that is 50 per cent peat substitute, 25 per cent grit or perlite and 25 per cent loam, such as John Innes, with some added slow-release fertiliser.

Where to grow auriculas

Auriculas grow in the crevices of rocks, so they do not like being overpotted. Ideally, they should be in a shady east-facing site, with protection from wet in winter.

Where to buy auriculas

If you are tempted to start your own auricula collection, look out for Woottens’ availability list, which is usually published on its website in February. You can order as soon as the list is published, for dispatch in March, but be quick, as this early release attracts lots of collectors and enthusiasts – last year’s list sold out within a week. Most years Woottens also holds an Auricula Open Day in late April.

Address Woottens of Wenhaston, The Iris Field, Hall Road, Wenhaston, Suffolk IP19 9HF. Tel 01502 478258/07802 507693.
Web woottensplants.com Open Every Saturday from March to October, 10am-4pm.

How to propagate auricuas

The only way to reproduce an auricula true to its parent is by taking offsets from that parent. You can do this at any time while the plant is actively growing, but it is probably best to take offsets after flowering, while repotting.

• Begin by removing all the old compost from the roots thoroughly, and cleaning if there are any signs of pest or disease.

• Split the clumps if necessary or desired and repot. Any offsets can be easily teased off the main root (known on auriculas as the ‘carrot’) and potted up. Always make sure you have a section of both root and leaf to make a viable new plant.

• After division, pot into 7-9cm pots and feed the young plants with a high-phosphate feed to encourage strong root growth.

• Don’t overpot auriculas. This may lead to overwatering, with roots sitting in wet compost, when they need excellent drainage.

Top 16 auriculas to grow

Primula auricula ‘Cuckoo Fair’

One of the Self group of auriculas that are the closest to the original auricula species, with petals of just one clear colour. Easily damaged and best grown in show pots. Bred by Pop’s Plants in 1996, it has deep-purple flowers and tall upright stems. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Weirdo’

Another from the Stripe group, this is an unusual form with lightly dusted, purple and lemon stripes. An often variable but handsome plant. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Gild Green’

One of the Edge group of auriculas, which are distinguished by having an unusual edge to the flower petals. In this case flowers have a black body with a green edge. The cultivar name is thought to be an abbreviated version of ‘Geldersome Green No.2’, bred by Jack Ballard in 1970, and so-called because the original plant flowered, was named and then died. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Arwen’

A plum-red cultivar that belongs to the light-centred alpine group that are strong growers and well-suited to growing in open borders. Petals fade from a dark colour to a lighter shade. One of a series named for Lord of the Rings characters, bred by John Radford. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Devons Road’

A Fancy type of auricula, technically the rejects of auricula breeding (those that didn’t fit in with the stringent rules of the other groups were categorised as Fancy). It has a purple body and a thick white edge, and was bred by Henry Pugh in 2006. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Strand’

A Stripe type with flowers that have stripes of red, bronze and white and the powdery markings known as farina on the petals. It was bred by Henry Pugh in 2003. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Stripey’

An unusual Double auricula with small, finely striped mauve and cream flowers. Unusually for a Double auricula, it shows an open centre. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Sandhills’

A floriferous, gold-centred alpine with flowers that are dark maroon with a narrow edge. A seedling of P. auricula ‘Sirius’, it was bred by Arthur Delbridge in 1989, and named after a local sand quarry near the raiser’s home. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Woottens Ragged Canary’

Another Fancy type, this one bred by Woottens in 2008. Lightly fragrant, it has attractive multi-coloured flowers that are yellow with a green edge. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Woottens Advent’

A Border type bred by Woottens in 2008. A cross between Primula auricula ‘May’ x Primula auricula ‘Old Yellow Dusty Miller’, it has soft purple flowers. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Minty’

A purple cultivar, with pale, mint-green stripes from the Stripe group, one of the oldest categories. Bred by Derek Parsons in 2006. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Brick Lane’

A Self type that has attractive orange-red flowers and was bred by Henry Pugh in 2009. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Voodoo Mama’

A Stripe type with flowers striped deep and pale purple. Bred by Derek Parsons in 2006. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Old Irish Scented’

One of the Border group that generally resemble the species Primula hirsuta, although this dusky yellow with a frilled edge is very different in appearance. It was discovered in the gardens of Lissadell House in Ireland. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Bright Ginger’

A Self type with striking golden orange colour. Thought to be a Tim Coop seedling, named by Brenda Hyatt in 1997. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Primula auricula ‘Helen Barter’

A Fancy type with flowers that have a purple body with a grey-green edge. It was bred in 1988 by R Barter. 15-20cm. RHS H5, USDA 3b-9b.

Growing new plants from seed is a magical process, and it is an economical way of growing, too – one packet of seeds will give you masses of plants, plus some to spare for family, friends and neighbours.

But sowing seeds can be daunting. Here, plant propagation expert Carol Klein and veg grower Aaron Bertelsen give us their seed sowing tips.

Jump to:

• Is indoors or outdoors best?
• Seed trays or small pots?
• The best compost for seed sowing
• Is a heated propagator necessary?
• How to water seeds
• How to sow seeds

Sowing seeds: is indoors or outdoors best?

Carol Klein: Most of my seed sowing is done under cover. There is greater control and higher success rates when seed is sown under glass. A cold frame can be used but a greenhouse is more versatile as it also provides the ideal environment for starting off half hardy annuals and tender perennials.

Aaron Bertelsen: Clay soil holds on to a lot of water and is slow to warm up in the spring. This is one of the reasons why I do most of my seed sowing under glass. It also give you greater control over the ultimate spacing of the plants – which is important, if you are a control freak like me – and there is less waste of seed.

Read our interview with no-dig guru Charles Dowding, who also sows his seeds under cover.

Seed sowing kit

Seed trays or small pots?

Carol Klein: I use the same seed trays year after year, washing them and drying them before filling them loosely to the brim with seed compost. I almost invariably use half seed trays as they are strong, stable and manageable. They have a big enough surface area to give a good number of seedlings a sound start and are deep enough to allow development of a strong root system.

It is preferable to plant large seeds in individual modules where they can grow on without competition and without unnecessary root disturbance. Fill and level a divided tray, then drop it sharply onto the work bench to settle the compost.

Aaron Bertelsen: I sow most crops with larger seeds straight into 7.5cm pots.

Which compost is best for seed sowing?

Carol Klein: There are different peat-free seed composts on the market, specially formulated to give seedlings a head start, but seeds will germinate fairly freely in most composts.

When my seed trays are half filled I flatten and slightly compact the compost using a presser board. This is a simple rectangle of plywood with a dowel handle on one side.

Aaron Bertelsen: Tamp the compost down by tapping the pot firmly against a hard surface, or lightly pressing it with your hand. You just need enough pressure to get rid of any air holes and make sure the compost doesn’t sink too much when you first water the pot, leaving the seeds exposed.

Is a heated propagator necessary?

A heated propagator can be useful if you are sowing early in the season – some seeds need higher temperatures to germinate, and some, such as chillies and tomatoes, need a long growing season, so need to be started off when the weather is still cold. However if you sow later in spring, a greenhouse or even a sunny windowsill will be sufficient.

Read our guide to the best heated propagators.

How to water seeds without them washing away?

It is best to wet the seed compost before you sow your seeds.

Carol Klein: Initially, rather than watering from overhead, which can wash away seeds, stand trays in a washing up bowl in shallow water. When the grit top dressing becomes damp, they can be taken out and drained.

Aaron Bertelsen: If using small pots, water the compost and allow that water to percolate through before sowing. This is a good technique to use with bean, sweet pea, courgette and pumpkin seeds, which may rot if they sit in too much water.

How to sow seeds

How deep to sow seeds?

Carol Klein: I surface sow everything except large seeds that need to be sown individually, and press them down into the compost. Many bigger seeds, like sweet peas, lupins and sunflowers, are attractive to mice and hiding them is a partial deterrent to full scale theft.

In every case I cover seeds with a fine, even sprinkling of horticultural grit. This replicates the sorts of conditions seeds would experience naturally, allowing light and warmth to get to work on the seed coat and providing the emerging seedlings with sharp drainage. It also retains moisture under the surface where it is most needed.

How to sow large seeds

Large seeds include lupins, sunflowers, beans and sweet peas. Some people prefer to start with these, as they are easier to sow.

Carol Klein: Push one or two seeds into each module and cover the surface with a thin layer of grit.

Sowing small seeds

Sowing finer seeds such as poppies can be daunting, as it is harder to control how many you sow. It is important not to sow them to thickly – you’ll get too many seedlings, and increase the risk of fungal disease.

Carol Klein: Separate a pinch or two of seeds on to your palm or saucer prior to sowing (remembering that each seed should have room to grow and develop its first leaves).

Like everyone else I know who sows seeds, I’m always tempted to sow them too thickly. This almost always results in damping off – a fungal infection that causes healthy looking seedlings to keel over.

Sow the seeds as evenly as possible over the surface of the compost. Start with a fine sprinkle of seed around the edge, then work backwards and forwards across the centre of the tray.

How long do seeds take to germinate?

Seeds can take anything from a few days to several months to germinate, depending on the type of seed. Salad leaves including rocket, for example, germinates quickly. The germination time should be shown on the packet.

You will know that seeds have germinated because one or two leaves, called cotyledons, will emerge from the soil. They are part of the seed’s embryo and provide nutrients to the seed until its ‘true’ leaves appear. You can tell cotyledons and true leaves apart easily, as the true leaves look like the typical leaves on the plant.

If you have grown your seeds in a heated propagator, remove them as soon as they have germinated and grow on in a warm, bright position such as a greenhouse or sunny windowsill.

Pricking out seedlings

‘Pricking out’ means separating out seedlings once they have developed their first pair of true leaves, and transferring them into their own plugs, modules or pots.

Carol Klein: When seedlings have developed their first true leaves they should be pricked out promptly.

Bang the seed tray on the bench to loosen the compost and separate it from the seed tray or pot. If the roots are extensive, each seedling should be pulled away gently by the cotyledon leaves. Once a seedling has developed true leaves, the cotyledon leaves are expendable.

Never pull up seedlings by their stems, which are very fragile at this stage. Very young, well-spaced seedlings can be gently lifted from the compost using a sharp stick (I use a wooden chopstick) – avoid prodding around clumsily, which can break fine, new roots.

Planting each seedling into an individual cell or module where it can grow and develop. When the time comes for its transference into a bigger pot or the open ground, the swap over can be made with the minimum of root disturbance. After pricking out, seedlings need a warm, bright position in which to grow on.

After a few weeks, each seedling will need transferring into its own small pot.

Hardening off young plants

When seedlings are well established in their own pots they should be introduced gradually to the outside over a week or so – a process known as hardening off. Put the pots outside during the day, but bring them back inside at night.

Sowing seeds outdoors

Sowing veg crops outdoors

Aaron Bertelsen: Many veg crops can be sown direct outdoors, but I tend to use this technique mainly for vegetables such as carrots and parsnips that have a tap root, and don’t like to be disturbed. It can work well, but do make sure the soil is warm enough before you sow: if it is too cold, at best the seeds will take longer to germinate and at worst they will just sit there and rot. You can use horticultural fleece both to warm the soil before sowing, and then to protect the newly sown area afterwards.

• Prepare the soil well, digging it over thoroughly and removing any stones and lumps that might prevent the emerging seedlings from pushing through – the phrase that is often used is ‘a fine tilth’. In practice this means that the texture of the soil should be rather like fine breadcrumbs, although this is much easier said than done.
• When you are ready to sow, mark out your eventual vegetable row with a twine string line and make a shallow drill along its length, using the point of a hoe or the prong of a fork. Your drill should be twice the depth of the seed you are sowing.
• Sow sparingly – remember, you will need to thin the emerging seedlings regularly in order to allow some of them to develop to maturity. In the case of a crop such as carrots, this is a bonus: the thinnings are delicious added to a salad.
• Cover the seeds with soil, and water in well. Don’t forget to label your rows clearly. I like to use a stout wooden label at either end, to avoid any confusion.

Sowing biennials

Carol Klein: Some plants are best off spending their entire lives outside from the word go, including biennials such as wallflowers (Erysimum), foxgloves, sweet rocket and sweet Williams. Seed is best sown in late May or in June. The traditional way to sow biennials is in rows in the open ground – the vegetable garden is often a good spot.

• Make a shallow 1.5cm trench with a stick in finely worked soil.
• Sprinkle seed along the row sparingly and cover with soil.
• Firm gently, rake and water with a watering can with a fine rose.
• Thin out seedlings, transplanting the thinnings along the row.
• When the plants are big enough, they can be transferred to their final positions.

Read our detailed guide to choosing and sowing biennials.

Dainty, charming and ever so slightly recalcitrant, hepaticas are among the loveliest flowers of spring. Part of the vast buttercup family, Rancunculaceae, Hepatica is made up of around 12 species. The plants are compact and perennial with diverse flowers and intriguingly patterned leaves, yet in British gardens, they remain something of a specialist subject.

In part, this is down to the fact that hepaticas are a challenge to produce in bulk for commercial distribution – the seeds need to be sown immediately when ripe and exposed to frost the following winter to germinate. As a result, they are only available from enthusiasts and specialist growers, such as Ashwood Nurseries, owned by hepatica expert John Massey. However the various species interbreed willingly, so once a collection is established, it can be easily expanded.

It can be a challenge to find the right growing conditions for hepaticas. They grow best in open, fertile, moist soil under trees and shrubs. In the wild, they are often found growing near rivers and streams.

The most reliable hepaticas for UK gardens are the two species of European origin, Hepatica nobilis and Hepatica transsilvanica, and their hybrid Hepatica x media. The majority of hepaticas are found growing in Asia. These include Hepatica maxima, the largest of all the hepaticas and an important breeding parent, which is hardy in the UK if given the right conditions.

The real horticultural epicentre of hepaticas is Japan. With numerous varieties across the region, they have been collected in Japan since 1603 and have achieved almost cult status there. There, they are called yukiwariso, or snow-breaking plants. Japanese cultivars are both more tender and more expensive.

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Where to buy Heptatica

Ashwood Nurseries

Ashwood Lower Lane, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 0AE. Tel 01384 401996 ashwoodnurseries.com

Edrom Nurseries

Coldingham, Eyemouth, Berwickshire TD14 5TZ. Tel 01890 771386 edromnurseries.co.uk

Hazelwood Farm (National Collection Holder)

Hollins Lane, Silverdale, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 0UB hazelwoodfarm.co.uk

How to grow hepatica

Where to grow hepatica

Outside, hepaticas like plenty of water and light in spring, thriving on banks under deciduous shrubs and trees, where they can enjoy both early sunshine and good drainage. They dislike overcrowding and competition, but combine well with hellebores, Cyclamen coum, scilla and miniature daffodils. Japanese hepaticas are best grown under glass in the UK.

Hepaticas can also be grown in an alpine house or well ventilated, unheated greenhouse, kept above -3°C. Grow in free-draining, humus-rich compost in clay pots. Water sparingly when not in active growth and pot up annually.

How to plant hepatica

Hepaticas hate compacted soil, so add plenty of organic matter before planting and loosen soil after working nearby.

How to care for hepatica

Watch out for greenfly and vine weevil, especially if growing in containers or under glass. Cut off diseased or tired looking leaves and remove old foliage as buds swell. Pinch out fading petals and old stems to avoid mildew getting into the centre of the plant. Apply a liquid feed in spring or autumn.

How to propagate hepaticas

In September, you can divide hepaticas gently into individual crowns, with roots attached, then pot up into humus-rich, free-draining compost. Water well. Try not to compress the compost.

Alternatively, harvest the seed when it ripens, around 60 days after flowering and preferably when still green. Sow immediately on the surface of pots of compost. Cover with 1cm of horticultural grit, water well and leave outside in a shady spot. Keep moist.

The best hepatica to grow

Hepatica nobilis var. japonica

The leaves of this variety form pointed lobes. While usually ivory-white in colour, pinks and reds are sometimes round; this yellow is a rarity. 5-8cm.

Hepatica americana Eco Group

Prevalent in northern areas of North America, H americana flowers between March and June in the wild. Eco Group comprises seedlings from Don Jacobs’ selections and have marbled leaves with white or pastel-coloured flowers. 10-15cm.

Hepatica ‘Hazelwood Froggie’

This accidental hybrid was discovered by National Collection Holder Glenn Shapiro. With masses of upward-facing blue flowers and handsome foliage, it is vigorous and free flowering. 15cm.

Hepatica nobilis blue bicolour group

Hardy in the British climate, as are all H. nobilis cultivars. These small but striking blue and white flowers are produced in February and March, standing proud of the variable, marbled leaves. 9-15cm.

Hepatica nobilis var. japonica ‘Toho’

While not hardy outside, this is a very good plant for greenhouse growing. The densely double, mauve-blue flowers are carried in neat rosettes over glossy, lightly marbled foliage. 15-20cm.

One of two species of hepatica found growing in North America. H. acutiloba has evergreen leaves with sharp lobes and hairy stems. The white or pastel flowers can be wonderfully fragrant. RHS H6.

Hepatica nobilis ‘Stained Glass’

Pretty, light blue flowers play second fiddle to foliage in this form. Described by Ashwood Nurseries as the best marble-leaved cultivar they have ever seen. It comes true from seed. 9-15cm.

Hepatica x schlyteri 

A hybrid of H. maxima and H. nobilis and combining the best qualities of its parents. This seed-raised plant has large evergreen leaves and attractive flowers in shades of pink or deep blue. 20-30cm.

Hepatica transsilvanica x H. henryi

One of John Massey’s seedlings, and one that he sells as H yamatutai x H. transsilvanica. The large, beautifully formed flowers are carried over a carpet of vigorous foliage. Hardy in the garden. 10-15cm.

Hepatica nobilis var. japonica f. magna

Popular in Japan, this is the most exciting form of hepatica. Its relatively large and highly variable flowers may be single or double and its petals, stamens and pistils come in a huge array of colours. 15-20cm.

Hepatica insularis

One of the smallest hepaticas, this hails from the southern part of Korea. The flowers and delicately hairy, sometimes marbled leaves appear at about the same time. Deciduous. 4-7cm.

Hepatica nobilis var. japonica f. magna hybrid

A dainty seedling of this highly diverse group, it has delicate green and white petals with cerise anthers providing a shocking contrast.  Sometimes listed as H. japonica var. nipponica f. magna. 15-20cm.

Hepatica nobilis f. pubescens

This wild origin Japanese variant has simple white flowers with dark pistils at the centre. The lobed foliage is splashed with light green and densely covered with fine hairs. John Massey lists it as H. japonica var. pubescens. 8-10cm.

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What to plant in March

There is nothing quite as uplifting as a branch of cherry blossom silhouetted against a blue spring sky. Japanese cherry blossom trees, known in Japan as sakura, are among the most beautiful of all of the blossom-bearing trees.

The Japanese celebrate the arrival of the cherry blossom every year with a blossom festival, known as sakura matsuri. Every year many make pilgrimages to see these iconic trees, planted in famous temple gardens or besides ancient castles, and picnic beneath them to view their blossom – a tradition known as hanami.

The idea of hanami is now catching on in the UK – this year, the National Trust’s #BlossomWatch day is on 23 April 2022, and the public will be asked to share pictures of beautiful blossoms on social media.

Jump to

• • Where to plant a cherry blossom tree
  • When to plant a cherry blossom tree
  • How to prune a cherry blossom tree
  • The best cherry blossom trees
  • Where to see cherry blossom trees

Cherry blossom trees: how to grow

Where to plant a cherry blossom tree

Plant your cherry blossom tree in a sheltered, sunny spot. Be sure to check the height and spread.

When to plant a cherry blossom tree

Container-grown cherry blossom trees can be planted all year round, although spring and autumn are best as the soil is warm and moist. You’re likely to find container-grown trees at garden centres in the spring. Bare root trees (which are often cheaper) need to be planted during the dormant season, from November to March. These are available from specialist tree nurseries and online.

How to prune a cherry blossom tree

Cherry blossom trees do not need pruning, but you can cut out crossing or dead branches in spring or summer, when the tree is less likely to suffer from silver leaf disease or canker.

The best cherry blossom trees

Plant expert Val Bourne selects some favourites from the collection at Batsford Arboretum, with details on how to buy cherry blossom trees.

Prunus ‘Pink Shell’

A small, elegant cherry blossom tree with spreading branches that dangle cup-shaped, pale pink, shell-shaped flowers. The blooms turn paler as they age, and as they are single, they are highly attractive to early pollinators. The attractive pale-green, serrated foliage appears at the same time as the flowers and turns beautiful shades of orange before falling in autumn.

From a seedling of uncertain origins, Prunus ‘Pink Shell’ is one of the loveliest cherries and is widely sold. It’s an ideal tree for a lawn or front garden. 4m. RHS H6, USDA 6a-9b.

Prunus ‘Tai-haku’

The blossom of this great white cherry looks fabulous when held erect against bronze-green, new leaves. It was reintroduced to Japan by British cherry tree expert Collingwood Ingram. 6m. AGM (Award of Garden Merit). RHS H6, USDA 6a-9b.

Buy Prunus ‘Tai-haku’ from Primrose

Buy Prunus ‘Tai-haku’ through the RHS

Buy Prunus ‘Tai-haku’ from Crocus

Prunus x yedoensis

Widely planted in Japan, this cherry blossom tree is short but wide spreading on poorer soil, but it can grow much larger if given better conditions. It has spectacular, almond-scented, blush-pink flowers. 8m. USDA 8a-9a.

Buy Prunus x yedoensis from Primrose

Buy Prunus x yedoensis from Crocus

Prunus ‘Shogetsu’

This spreading cherry blossom tree, which is wider than it is tall, flowers later than most. Its light-pink buds, which open to white flowers, are sometimes likened to little ballerinas. Also sometimes known as ‘Oky-Miyako’. 4m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 6a-9b.

Buy Prunus ‘Shogetsu’ from Primrose

Buy Prunus ‘Shogetsu’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Gyoiko’

Its name, which translates as the imperial yellow costume, refers to the delicate, creamy-white colour of its blossom, which resembles the greenish-yellow court robes worn in the emperor’s palace. The cherry tree flowers are also touched with cerise and green so it’s sometimes sold as ‘Tricolor’. Introduced in 1914, it’s similar to the larger-flowered ‘Ukon’. 6m.

Buy Prunus ‘Gyoiko’ through the RHS

Prunus sargentii

A large, early flowering cherry blossom tree with substantial, single pink flowers that appear in March as new foliage opens to bronze. Good autumn colour follows, when the leaves turn maroon-red. It’s named after the American botanist Charles Sprague Sargent.
12m. USDA 4a-7b.

Buy Prunus sargentii from Primrose

Buy Prunus sargentii from Crocus

Buy Prunus sargentii through the RHS

Prunus incisa ‘Fujimae’

A large, slow-growing shrub or very small cherry blossom tree that is smothered with pale-pink buds that open to white in early spring. Colours up to orange in autumn and could be grown in a container. 3m. AGM. RHS H6.

Buy Prunus incisa ‘Fujimae’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Fudan-zakura’

A small tree that, unlike most Japanese cherries, doesn’t blaze with lots of flowers at the same time. Instead between November and April, a succession of pink buds appear, which develop into blush-white flowers. 8m.

Buy Prunus ‘Fudan-zakura’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Umineko’

This stunning white cross between P. speciosa and P. incisa, was bred by the British cherry blossom tree expert Collingwood Ingram in 1928. The April flowers are pure-white on an upright tree, and its name translates as seagull. 8m.

Buy Prunus ‘Umineko’ from Primrose

Buy Prunus ‘Umineko’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Kiki-shidare-zakura’

Fully double, pink cherry blossom appears as the new leaves break on branches that cascade downwards to form an umbrella. The green foliage also has attractive bright-red stems. 3m. USDA 3a-8b.

Buy Prunus ‘Kiki-shidare-zakura’ from Primrose

Buy Prunus ‘Kiki-shidare-zakura’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Pink Perfection’

Raised in 1935 at Waterers nursery in Surrey, and thought to be a hybrid seedling of ‘Shogetsu’ and ‘Kwanzan’. Its rose-pink, very double flowers last longer than most, beginning in early May. 5m. AGM. RHS H6.

Buy Prunus ‘Pink Perfection’ from Primrose

Buy Prunus ‘Pink Perfection’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Hokusai’

This pink cherry blossom has a hint of apricot to its flowers. A vigorous, spreading tree, smothered in large, semi-double, pale-pink flowers that show up well against brownish-bronze leaves. 8m. AGM. RHS H6

Buy Prunus ‘Hokusai’ from Primrose

Buy Prunus ‘Hokusai’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Edo-zakura’

This April-flowering cherry blossom tree has been grown in Japan since the the 17th century; its name is the former name for Tokyo. It is the best known of the pink frilly cherries with an inner tier of petals that is almost white. 5-6m.

Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’

Its flowers open slowly and peak in May, offering densely packed, soft-pink petals. The name means chrysanthemum cherry and is a tree the cherry expert Collingwood Ingram found to be ‘slow and stubborn’. 3m.

Buy Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ through the RHS

Buy Prunus ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’ from Primrose

Prunus ‘Horinji’

Its name refers to an ancient Buddhist temple in Kyoto. The soft-pink, semi-double cherry blossom flowers are held in purplish buds so the neatly arranged flowers on this small, upright tree have a unique two-tone effect. 5m.

Buy Prunus ‘Horinji’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Shosar’

This strong fastigiate cherry blossom tree – a cross between a P. incisa x P. campanulata hybrid and P. sargentii – was bred by Collingwood ‘Cherry’ Ingram. It bears beautiful pink blossom in early March. 12m. AGM. RHS H6.

Buy Prunus ‘Shosar’ from Primrose

Buy Prunus ‘Shosar’ through the RHS

Prunus ‘Takasago’

‘Takasago’ refers to a song associated with an ancient Japanese card game. The abundant pink cherry blossom tree, held in clusters of three to six flowers, appears in April against young bronzed foliage on a slow-growing tree. 3m.

Buy Prunus ‘Takasago’ from the RHS

Prunus ‘Shirotae’

A vigorous, strong cherry blossom tree with an unmistakable flat-topped, spreading habit and pure-white, semi-double, fragrant flowers. It’s one of the earliest cherry trees to flower in spring.

As the blooms fade, the pale green, long-toothed leaves emerge. These become darker as they age over the summer, then produce a vivid orange and red display in the autumn before falling. Prunus ‘Shirotae’ is a good choice for a medium-sized garden or a Japanese-style garden. It looks good grown as a specimen tree in a lawn.

10m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 6a-9b.

Where to see cherry blossom trees

Batsford Arboretum, near Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds, holds an extensive Plant Heritage collection of Japanese cherry blossom trees. These are planted in an oriental setting complete with an authentic Japanese rest house and a traditional bridge. Japanese cherry trees have been planted at Batsford since the 1960s, so the garden boasts a large collection displayed to perfection on the south-facing slope. Most cherry blossom trees flower in April, when many magnolias are out too, making for a stunning display.

Batsford Arboretum, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9QB.

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Choosing and buying seeds for the year ahead is an exciting task for a gardener and during the dark days of winter when being stuck indoors is the only option, flicking through seed catalogues is a welcome reminder that spring will return.  There are many seed suppliers to choose from, many of which are specialists in their field.

Here are the best places to buy seeds

With careful planning you’ll have the perfect selection of seeds for the next growing season. We’d recommend always checking the seed suppliers’ organic credentials and trying to pick seeds which will grow into plants that are perfect for wildlife.

For more inspiration on what to plant in your garden, don’t miss our advice on the best perennials and how to plant a wildlife garden.

For detailed advice on sowing seeds, head to our guide to planting seeds.

We’ve put together a list of our favourite seed suppliers, divided into flowers, vegetables and wild flowers, to give you a head start on your gardening year.

Jump to

• The best places to buy flower seeds
• The best places to buy vegetable seeds
• Where to buy wildflower seeds

The best seed suppliers in 2023

The best places to buy flower seeds

Chiltern Seeds

The Chiltern Seeds catalogue is always tempting with a selection of inspiring images. Cultivar choice is excellent and descriptions always helpful.

Crocus

Since starting out in the year 2000, Crocus has become the largest gardening website in the UK with around 4,000 plants and seeds available to buy.

Dobies

As international suppliers of flower and vegetable seeds, Dobies has sold products direct to gardeners since 1894.

Mr Fothergill’s
An extensive range of flower and vegetable seeds, including potato, onion and garlic sets. Plantsman Graham Rice writes a regular blog for the website, which provides useful discussion on some aspect of Mr Fothergill’s offerings.

Gardening Express

Online retailer Gardening Express now sells thousands of plants and seeds every week throughout the UK and Europe. If they don’t have a plant that you’re looking for then they’ll endeavour to get hold of it for you.

Great Dixter

If you’ve visited this iconic garden, you’ll have been delighted by its sheer exuberance, colour and range of plants through the season. The nursery offers flower seeds from its own stock chosen by the staff and students as notable. Seed is then harvested fresh by hand and supplied in glassine bags.

Higgledy Garden

Grower and owner Benjamin Ranyard trials a selection of flowers at his field in Suffolk. He then sells a range of seed specifically for the flower cutting patch – sometimes working with florists to ensure the best range. The Higgledy website also has plenty of growing tips and a monthly planting guide.

Plant World Seeds

Extensive range of seeds for flowers and vegetables but also trees and shrubs and grasses – many of them rare and unusual. It ships around the world.

Plants of Distinction

A small, family-run business based in Suffolk that has built up a good range of both flower and vegetables that rivals some of the larger, more commercial seed companies.

Primrose

Online retailer Primrose of Reading, Berkshire, has a large range of flower and vegetable seeds along with almost everything garden related.

Sarah Raven

Sarah is renowned for her carefully curated collections of traditional flowers for her cutting garden. Her seed selection is relatively small but you can be assured that those she has included are good ones.

Special Plants

Plantswoman Derry Watkins runs a fantastic nursery in a hidden valley near Bath. Her plant selection is impeccable and you’ll always find something of interest there. Added to which, she sells a range of flower seed too. Of particular note is her fresh seed.

Thompson & Morgan

Established in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has a wide range of seed for flowers and vegetables, regularly winning awards for its offerings. You’ll find plenty of choice on cultivars and good descriptions.

Unwins

Another of the big all-rounders with a wide range of seed – many offered as part of special deals – so worth keeping an eye out for seasonal promotions. Unwins is best known for its range of sweet peas, and has an ongoing breeding programme and extensive sweet pea trials each year.

The best places to buy vegetable seeds

Heritage Seed Library

Run by Garden Organic, the Heritage Seed Library is a members-only resource that offers a selection of rare, hard-to-get-hold-of, heritage vegetable seed – many of which have been lost to standard seed catalogues.

Jekka’s Herb Farm

If you are growing for flavour then herbs are an essential, and probably your best guide as to which to grow is award-winner Jekka McVicar. The nursery stocks 140 varieties of herb, with notables including winter purslane as an excellent winter salad crop; summer savoury, excellent with all forms of beans and pulses; and blue hyssop for its savoury minty/thyme flavour – and pollinator popular blue flowers.

Kings Seeds

Much of Kings Seeds stock comes from its own 300-acre farm. Good selection of vegetables and flower cultivars, including an organic range of vegetable seed. It also stocks the range from Suffolk Herbs.

Marshalls

A good all-rounder, with plenty of choice covering a range of different vegetables. The duo packs, with two complementary cultivars, are a great way to discover more of the variety available within one vegetable type and benefit from an extended harvesting season or variations in flavour.

Moles Seeds

An independent seed merchant with good selection sourced from some of the best seed producers. Anyone looking to current food trends should check the sections on crops best suited to baby leaf and microgreens harvesting. Although wholesale, Moles Seeds will supply anyone looking for larger quantities, so great for smallholding owners and gardening groups.

Seed Co-Operative

An initiative was set up on the belief that the future of food needs to be rooted in a diversity of genetics and wildlife. All seed are from open pollinated varieties, adapted to organic growing systems. Finalists in the 2017 BBC Food and Farming Awards.

Pennard Plants

A 2019 RHS Master Grower, Pennard Plants sells one of the largest selections of edible plants, heritage and heirloom seeds, fruits and herbs. All the stock is UK grown, many of it by themselves in their Victorian walled garden in Somerset. For those keen to grow their own plant protein, Pennard stocks amaranthus and quinoa seeds.

Real Seeds

Everything in Real Seeds’ offering has been chosen only after trialling to check its success both in the vegetable garden and in the kitchen. All seed are open pollinated (non-hybrid) so you can collect and resow your own seed from one year to the next.

Sea Spring Seeds

Every vegetable cultivar has been tested before it’s included in the catalogue. For 2019 it is encouraging us to try ‘mange tout’ chilli peppers. Cultivars such as ‘Hungarian Hot Wax’ and ‘Frigitello’ can be harvested small and either fried or grilled to be eaten whole in the same way as Padrón peppers.

Seeds of Italy

Paolo Arrigo who is a passionate seedsmen has declared a climate emergency on seed biodiversity. “In just 100 years, 94 per cent of the world’s heritage veg has gone,” says Paolo. Franchi focuses on the remaining six per cent, promoting them for their taste and regional diversity and including cultivars from the Slow Food Ark of Taste, the register of foods at risk of being lost.

Suttons

Nice, clear website that makes it easy to find what you want from Suttons’ all-round range of seeds. It also works with ethnobotanist James Wong to offer a range of vegetables and edible flower seeds that James has chosen for their focus on flavour and high nutritional value.

Tamar Organics

A good range of vegetables for the organic gardener along with helpful, clear, growing advice. Tamar Organics supports charity Joliba Trust working in central Mali to help fund horticultural projects.

Thomas Etty

Among the range of vegetables offered by Thomas Etty are 52 perennial vegetables – an option for grow your own often overlooked. Examples such as sea orach, tuberous pea, perennial broccoli and skirret are worth having a look at,  alongside more unusual veg choices, such as the pink ‘Roscoff’ onion from Brittany with its unique flavour good for eating raw or cooked and ‘Tall Telephone’  pea yielding eight to ten peas per large pod.

Chiltern seeds

There is always something to look forward to in Chiltern’s herb and vegetable selections. This year it has included British basil – selected specifically for growing in the UK and climbing bean ‘Cobra’, encouragingly resistant to a variable British summer. Look out for beetroot ‘Crapaudine’, new to Chiltern Seeds. This is one of the oldest beetroot cultivars, carrot shaped and with an oddly rough skin (resembling its namesake derived from the French for toad). Underneath is a richly coloured flesh with superior flavour.

Where to buy wildflower seeds

Emorsgate seeds

Run by committed botanists and ecologists to promote the importance not just of growing more wildflowers but of working with nature. Its wildflower and grass mixes are grouped by habitat, such as meadow, and then by soil type so you get the right mix of species for your area. Excellent whether you’re creating a large meadow area or simply want to increase the biodiversity in your garden.

Pictorial meadows

Seed mixes for annual and perennial meadow-style planting. These were originally developed by Nigel Dunnett from his work at the University of Sheffield and are aimed to provide impact of colour and lots of nectar-rich flower

Other resources

Seed swaps
If you are looking for recommended, locally suited, unusual cultivars of flowers and vegetables, try researching community seed swapping events. These are a great opportunity to meet other growers, hear first-hand of growing experiences and discover new favourites.

Wakehurst Seed Bank
And finally, a word for the wonder of seeds and the biodiversity they represent. The Millennium Seed Bank, at Wakehurst Place in Sussex, is Kew’s project to conserve 25 per cent of the world’s seeds to ensure against future extinction. See the website to find out more and discover the amazing science behind seeds.
kew.org/wakehurst

March is here. Why not peruse our list of the best plants for March, lovely gardens this month and the gardening jobs for March.

What to plant in March

March is the perfect time to begin sowing seeds, particularly if you have a protected environment (greenhouse, cold frame etc).

Flowers: Hardy annuals

The first flush of annual weed seedlings is a good indicator that soil temperatures have warmed enough for growing cultivars of hardy annuals, such as Agrostemma githago, Centaurea cyanus and Papaver somniferum. These will germinate well from a direct sow, along with many umbels including Ammi majus, Bupleurum rotundifolium,
and chervil and dill, which benefit from the cooler temperatures.

Read our expert guide to planting seeds.

Vegetables to sow this month

For the vegetable patch, there are broad beans and peas to start off, though tender borlotti, French and runner beans should be left until the risk of frost has passed.

As we reach the end of March, I direct sow beetroot, carrots, parsnips and radish. It’s also a great time to plant any hardy modular-grown vegetables such as broad beans, garlic and onions, along with sweet peas.

My attention also turns to lifting and dividing many herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses, along with planting new ones, including bareroot additions, such as Convallaria majalis pips and strawberry crowns.

Spring, summer, autumn, winter: planting by season makes sense. Spring flowers are the sort to lift one’s spirits after the long winter months. Spring flowers can be fresh, invigorating and energising. Here are the spring flowers we love the most.

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Anemone nemorosa ‘Kentish Pink’

I’m always amazed that Anemone nemorosa doesn’t generate the same levels of excitement as snowdrops in springtime. These wood anemone offer far more variation – the Austrian breeder Christian Kress has a collection of 140 types – and naturalise well. This cultivar is almost white but the backs of the petal-like sepals are pink, so in full sun it looks like a typical, white wood anemone, but when light is low, and the spring flowers start to close, its appearance changes completely. In some lights the flowers can appear dark pink. Height 20cm. Origin Western Europe. Conditions Well-drained, humus-rich soil; part shade.  Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b. Season Spring.

Paeonia lactiflora ‘Hot Chocolate’

This early season spring is peony is an unusual colour combination with dark-red spring flowers and a pompom-like boss of frilly petaloids.

Here’s our guide to peonies

Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’

This classic long-flowering mauve erysimum forms a tall, upright plant that stays erect. Longer-lived than many. A spring flower that deserves a place in every garden, but sadly not scented. Can set a little seed on rare occasions.

Here’s everything you need to know about erysimum

Fritillaria raddeana

Fritillaries feel like an unstoppable  force of nature. You turn away for a couple of days and then suddenly  there are numerous new stems with shiny green foliage. This fritillary’s spring flowers have a beautifully subtle,  lime-green colour, which fits perfectly into spring’s colour palette. They’re also large, making this a very striking plant. It is one of the first fritillaries to flower and prefers well-drained soil  and hot dry summers. After flowering, it evolves into large, angular seedpods that look wonderful when used in  flower arrangements. Height 70cm. Origin Central Asia. Conditions Well-drained, humus-rich soil; full sun or part shade. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 5a-8b. Season Spring.

Here’s more on fritillaria

Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’

This dogwood has large, rounded, creamy-white flowers appear in early spring, and are spectacular after a good summer the previous year. Crimson-pink autumn colour. Upright and narrow in habit. Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Read more about the best flowering dogwoods.

Cornus ‘Porlock’

• Find now through the RHS

Flowering from an early age, this large, spreading cultivar produces abundant creamy bracts that colour pink as they age, and are followed by luxuriant strawberry-like fruits in autumn. Easy to grow, this spring flowering dogwood is tolerant of most soils, apart from shallow chalk. Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Read more about the best flowering dogwoods.

Digitalis purpurea ‘Dalmatian Purple’

An elegant, short-lived and well branched perennial foxglove, that flowers in its first year, with dense, sturdy spikes of evenly spaced, outward-facing spring flowers. These are lavender purple with maroon interior spotting and evenly spaced around an upright stem. Self-seeds freely. Height 90cm. Hardiness USDA 4a-9b.

Here’s our guide to foxgloves

Magnolia ‘Yellow Fever’

• Find now through the RHS

A small tree with an upright habit. Its large, pale-yellow flowers are flushed pink and appear before the foliage during April. The yellow magnolia spring flowers have a sweet fragrance and over time fade to an ivory-cream colour. A hybrid with Magnolia denudata. 5m. USDA 4a-8b.

Erysimum ‘Apricot Twist’

Another foot-high erysimum with vivid apricot flowers emerging from dark buds against dark-green foliage. A spring flower that must be cut back regularly, otherwise it tails off. Very readily available here and in America. Lovely with dark tulips. Fragrant.

Read our piece on growing erysimum

Corydalis nobilis

In his book Garden Myths, Robert Pavlis describes how the botanist Carl Linnaeus received some incorrectly labelled seeds that he planted out in his garden. They turned out to be Corydalis nobilis, and from his garden in Sweden the plant has now naturalised all over much of northern Europe. I find this a beautiful story for a beautiful plant. It’s one of the largest corydalis with striking yellow-brown flowers. Most plants need some heat to see a real spurt of growth, but this plant benefits from cold to form up  a solid plant. If spring is too warm it slows and collapses. Height 50cm. Origin Altai Mountains and central Asia. Conditions Dry to moderately moist  soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3b-8b. Season Spring.

Here’s how to grow corydalis

Every petal on this peony is smooth, scented, creamy-white. It double flowers, curves inwards and forms a bowl-like centre. Spring flowers from early mid season to late season. 80cm. RHS H6.

Deciduous leaves have up to 15 divisions. The small, flowers are mainly green inside with reddish-purple backs. Still confused with the Helleborus orientalis cultivar once known as ‘Atrorubens’, now called Early Purple Group. Spring flowers from February to March. 25-35cm. RHS H5, USDA 6a-8b.

Read our guide to hellebores

Daffodils are in flower, the days are getting longer, but what is the official first day of spring in the UK in 2023?

As soon as we edge into March, the age-old question of ‘when does spring start?’ begins to crop up. Whether you define the start of spring as trees coming into blossom or soil temperature warming up, we are all bound to seasonality, especially as gardeners.

Marking the start of spring by changes to the plants in our gardens is the phenological approach. But there are two other distinct definitions for the start of spring, the astronomical and the meteorological, which are determined by different factors.

What is the first day of spring 2023?

What is Astronomical Spring?

In astronomical terms spring begins with the vernal equinox. This is determined by the Earth’s orbit of the sun. When the sun crosses the equator line heading northwards, this marks the start of spring in the northern hemisphere. The date on which this occurs can vary slightly from year to year between the 19th and 21st of March. This year, the astronomical start of spring is the 20th of March 2023.

© Richard Bloom

What is Meteorological Spring?

The meteorological start of spring is marked by the first day of March every year. Changes in annual temperature determine when the meteorological seasons change, and the year is divided into four sections aligning with the Gregorian calendar. Under this system, spring lasts from the 1st of March to the 31st of May 2023.

What is the first day of spring in gardening terms?

When it comes to your garden, it’s best not to get too hung up on dates and solar activity. Paying attention to the weather forecast and the average nighttime temperature will be the most important things when it comes to sowing seeds and moving tender plants back outside. If you’re really keen to divide up the year then consider March to be early spring, April to be mid spring and May to be late spring.

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The best March flowers

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Salix gracilistyla ‘Mount Aso’

This early blooming pussy willow has exquisitely beautiful, red-purple catkins that over time fade to a silky pink. Once flowering has finished the shrub has attractive leaves that have a slight blue shine. It was selected by a Japanese cut flower grower and the cut branches retain their catkins for ages – even without water. It’s relatively easy to grow and is little troubled by disease, although the flowers are sterile, so you can’t grow it from seed. It flourishes in spring best on young wood, so prune it firmly each year.

Height 2m. Origin China, Japan, Korea. Growing conditions Well-drained soil, full sun or part shade. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 4B-8B. Season of interest Late winter to early spring.

Anemone nemorosa ‘Kentish Pink’

I’m always amazed that Anemone nemorosa doesn’t generate the same levels of excitement as snowdrops. These wood anemone offer far more variation – the Austrian breeder Christian Kress has a collection of 140 types – and naturalise well. This cultivar is almost white but the backs of the petal-like sepals are pink, so in full sun it looks like a typical, white wood anemone, but when light is low, and the spring flowers start to close, its appearance changes completely. In some lights the flowers can appear dark pink.

Height 20cm. Origin Western Europe. Conditions Well-drained, humus-rich soil; part shade.  Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b. Season Spring.

Fritillaria raddeana

Fritillaries feel like an unstoppable  force of nature. You turn away for a couple of days and then suddenly  there are numerous new stems with shiny green foliage. This fritillary’s flowers have a beautifully subtle,  lime-green colour, which fits perfectly into spring’s colour palette. They’re also large, making this a very striking plant. It is one of the first fritillaries to flower and prefers well-drained soil  and hot dry summers. After flowering, it evolves into large, angular seedpods that look wonderful when used in  flower arrangements.

Height 70cm. Origin Central Asia. Conditions Well-drained, humus-rich soil; full sun or part shade. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 5a-8b. Season Spring.

Corydalis nobilis

In his book Garden Myths, Robert Pavlis describes how the botanist Carl Linnaeus received some incorrectly labelled seeds that he planted out in his garden. They turned out to be Corydalis nobilis, and from his garden in Sweden the plant has now naturalised all over much of northern Europe. I find this a beautiful story for a beautiful plant. It’s one of the largest corydalis with striking yellow-brown flowers. Most plants need some heat to see a real spurt of growth, but this plant benefits from cold to form up  a solid plant. If spring is too warm it slows and collapses. Read more about growing corydalis.

Height 50cm. Origin Altai Mountains and central Asia. Conditions Dry to moderately moist  soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3b-8b. Season Spring.

Cardamine trifolia

Most cuckoo flowers are deciduous plants; this is the evergreen exception. It forms whole mats of three-lobed, dark-green leaves, but as leaves age their underside fades to purple due to the presence of water-soluble pigments known as anthocyanins. It is a lovely plant that can be used to mask the transition between a path and a border in March. It is also happy in full shade and completely at home under trees especially forming a carpet with a few ferns, such as Osmunda regalis ‘Purpurascens’, in between, or under a group of polygonatums and disporums.

Height 20cm. Origin Southern and central Europe. Conditions Moist, humus-rich soil;  full or part shade. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 7b-9b. Season Spring.

Cornus mas ‘Jolico’

After the greyness of winter, we often crave a little colour. But spring colour is much more welcome if it appears gradually, which is why the subtle beauty of this yellow Cornus mas is so much more appealing than the bright yellow of the ubiquitous forsythias. Cornus mas ‘Jolico’ is an older selection from Vienna and has only recently been rediscovered. Its bloom is richer and more intense than the usual Cornus mas and its dark-red fruits are much bigger – and delicious when turned into a jam. It also has fine autumn colour. AGM*.

Height 4m. Origin Europe, western Asia. Conditions Medium moisture, well-drained soil; full sun or part shade. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. Season Flowers spring.

Here’s more on the best flowering dogwoods

Physochlaina orientalis

An unusual plant that can be quite hard to source. Its large, triangular leaves held on long stems look a little like those of the American pokeweed, but this comes from the same family as the potato (Solanaceae). It has deep roots so can tolerate quite dry conditions. The plant is also very strong and likes nutritious soil in part shade. Its smoky purple flowers look a little out of place among the fresh colours of most spring plants, and most unusually once the plant has finished blooming, and the bees have taken their fill, the plant disappears. Don’t worry it’s not dead; it is just dormant from summer to spring.

Height 40cm. Origin Caucasus, Turkey, Iran. Conditions Well-drained soil; part shade. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3b-11. Season Spring.

Asarum delavayi ‘Giant’

A mysterious-looking plant with beautiful, shiny foliage that is slightly marbled. Look beneath these, evergreen leaves and you’ll find velvety, brown-black flowers with a large white centre looking back at you. No surprise then its common name is panda face wild ginger. The rootstocks are used in Chinese medicine (even though they’re toxic and also carcinogenic). Although slow growing, it makes a beautiful groundcover. Placing it in a pot on an outdoor table is a good way to discourage slugs and the best way to enjoy its incredible flowers.

Height 20cm. Origin China. Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; full sun to part shade. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 8a-9b. Season Spring.

Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica

The watery, pale-blue colour of  this tiny little plant looks remarkable when massed plantings are viewed  from a distance in early spring. Even when the weather is overcast flowers  are wide open. It naturalises easily  and doesn’t get in the way of later emerging plants. It’s best grown  in drifts under deciduous trees  or in a border. Plant en masse alongside Chionodoxa forbesii and Primula vulgaris and you will have an  eye-catching, colourful spring display.

Height 10cm. Origin Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, Lebanon. Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun  or part shade. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. Season Spring.

Trachystemon orientalis

The blue flowers have curled endings on the petals that look like little propellers with a sharp point. Flowers appear before the hairy, heart-shaped, rough leaves that will quickly cover large surfaces making it an excellent groundcover plant and extremely valuable for naturalistic schemes. It needs a moist soil and in drier periods the leaf will quickly hang down. However, it does well in the shade of trees, and can easily be combined with tall plants, such as Polygonatum biflorum and Aralia continentalis. All parts of the plant are edible and often eaten in its native Turkey.

Height 30cm. Origin Eastern Europe, Turkey. Conditions Fresh to moist soil; part  to full shade. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 6a-9b. Season Spring.

You can find more information on plant hardiness ratings here.

Wisterias are climbing plants par excellence. No matter how it is trained, a wisteria in full flower, with hundreds if not thousands of racemes, cannot fail to excite the beholder.

Although the most common wisteria are blue-mauve there are also white, pink or purple forms, and while there are some forms of Wisteria floribunda that have only a slight scent, most are highly perfumed adding immensely to their desirability as a garden plant.

Wisteria climb by twining. Some species, such as Wisteria floribunda, twine in a clockwise direction, while others, such as Wisteria sinensis in an anti-clockwise direction. All have a compound pinnate leaf and the flowers, or more correctly inflorescences, are racemes, which vary in length and contain between 20 and 170 individual flowers, depending on species and cultivar. By far the most commonly seen species in the UK is the Chinese wisteria, Wisteria sinensis, which was introduced to cultivation in 1816 and rapidly became popular. The original plant introduced was named Wisteria sinensis ‘Prolific’, and it is still one of the best blue cultivars available, with a gorgeous scent.

Other cultivars worth looking out for are the white-flowered W. sinensis ‘Jako’, which has longer racemes and a very powerful scent, especially at dusk when its presence is quite ghostly, and the violet-mauve W. sinensis ‘Amethyst’, one of the most highly scented cultivars.

Whichever wisteria you choose, these vigorous climbers in full flower are a glorious sight to behold and provided you ensure they are grown in the right conditions – and are properly trained and pruned – your success in growing one is virtually guaranteed.

How to grow wisteria

How to train wisteria

Although wisteria is often seen trained along wires on a house or a wall, it can also be extremely effective grown up pergola supports or archways – especially in the case of wisterias with long racemes that are best admired without branches or foliage getting in the way – or as a standard wisteria tree up a post. But no matter how you train your wisteria, the importance of initial training can’t be stressed strongly enough:

• Wisteria are long-lived and will form thick woody stems that will require a sturdy main support. However, only one shoot should be trained up and along this main support.
• If you’re growing against a wall, use strong metal wires (3mm galvanised steel) set at least 45cm apart.
• Check growth throughout the growing season, and again in autumn when the growing season has ended. Where shoots have turned round the wires or posts they should be untwined and tied back to the wire using thin plastic tubing material.
• If two or more main shoots turn round each other, stronger shoots will eventually strangle the weakest, and if shoots are not untwined from the wires it will mean the wire will be part of the main stem when the shoot thickens.
• You can also grow wisteria up a tree, which is a much simpler process. Plant the wisteria some distance from the tree, near the outside branches, and tie jute fillis twine from the plant to the branch. Once the shoot has reached the branches it will then soon make its way into the tree and the fillis twine will rot away.

How to prune wisteria

Many people find the idea of pruning wisteria daunting but it’s not as tricky as it might seem. Pruning is essential for wisteria, not only to keep the plant’s growth in check but also to improve the chance of flower buds forming.

Wisteria should be pruned twice a year, once in summer (July or August) and again in winter (January/February). Read our in-depth guide to pruning wisteria.

20 of the best wisteria to grow

Wisteria sinensis ‘Prolific’

This sweetly scented cultivar is the original W. sinesis introduced from China, and one of the best for growing on a wall. Its soft blue-violet racemes (16-22cm), contain around 50 to 80 flowers.

Wisteria sinensis ‘Amethyst’

A moderately vigorous cultivar from New Zealand. Its racemes, though relatively short (12-18cm), are strongly scented and reddish violet. Leaves are bronze when young.

Wisteria brachybotrys ‘Okayama’

A strongly scented and vigorous cultivar that deserves to be more widely grown. Its leaves are a rich, bronze colour when young, and its racemes (12-20cm) are mauve-purple, with a central white blotch.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Yae-Kokuryu’

Each flower of this distinctive cultivar has 20 petal-like elements, giving it a rich, dark appearance. Its long racemes (33-38cm) have dark violet tips and a faint scent.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Royal Purple’

The darkest-flowered form currently available. Moderately vigorous and sweetly scented, its long racemes (27-40cm) hold more than 90 purple-violet flowers.

Wisteria brachybotrys ‘Shiro-kapitan’

This vigorous plant, the earliest white-flowered cultivar to flower, looks good grown on a red brick wall. Its short (10-20cm) racemes hold 20-35 white flowers, each with a faint, yellow blotch.

Wisteria floribunda f. Multijuga

Best displayed on a pergola, where its long (over 1m), pale-violet racemes can hang down free from any emerging foliage, this is one of the best wisterias available. Vigorous.

Wisteria x formosa ‘Caroline’

When this moderately vigorous, mauve-blue hybrid was first introduced from New Zealand, it was sold as ‘Amethyst’, but is quite different, with longer racemes (17-21cm) and a faint scent.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Lavender Lace’

Sweetly scented, long racemes (42-54cm) with flowers that delicately blend pale and deeper violet colours, make this a good choice for pergolas. Young bronze foliage adds additional interest.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’

Also known as ‘Shiro-noda’, this vigorous cultivar is one of the last to flower. Lovely white fowers with a small yellow blotch and a faint scent. Racemes are relatively long (36-48cm).

Wisteria floribunda Macrobotrys Group ‘Burford’

An excellent cultivar that may belong in the new W. x valderi group. Named from a plant growing on the wall of Burford House, Tenbury Wells. It grows well up a tree.

Wisteria x valderi ‘Eranthema’

A good bluish-mauve hybrid with long (35-45cm), broad racemes offering a wonderful show. Young shoots are brown in colour, a trait inherited from its
W. brachybotrys parent.

Wisteria x formosa ‘Enchantment’

This lovely hybrid, raised by Audrey Menzies in Australia, is very floriferous, and not too vigorous. With moderately long (17-21cm), bluish-mauve racemes, it’s a good form for all types of training.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Lawrence’

This vigorous cultivar, which was selected in Canada, is one of my favourites. It has long (36-50cm), densely packed, blue-mauve racemes and a glorious sweet scent.

Wisteria floribunda Macrobotrys Group ‘Hocker Edge’

A cultivar in the same group as ‘Burford’ and just as attractive. Very vigorous, with long (42-60cm), mauve-violet racemes and a moderate scent.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Kimono’

This delicate-looking cultivar, with whitish flowers on a mauve calyx, is one of the most admired in my collection and a personal favourite. Very floriferous and moderately vigorous, racemes are 35-42cm long.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Rosea’

Also known as Hon-beni this pretty cultivar has soft lavender-pink flowers and a faint scent. Moderately vigorous with longish (32-40cm) racemes, it is one that works especially well grown over a pergola.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Kuchi-beni’

Has a delicate colour, which many people love, and racemes that are 36-45cm long with around 76 to 86 very pale, mauve-pink flowers. Is moderately vigorous and has a some scent. Best not grown in full sun.

Wisteria sinensis ‘Jako’

In Japan this is known as Nioi-fuji, which translates as fragrant wisteria, and it certainly lives up to that name. One of the least vigorous wisterias, with moderately long (25-38cm) racemes.

Wisteria brachybotrys ‘Showa-beni’

A vigorous cultivar that flowers early with shortish (12-20cm) racemes that are a rich mauvish pink. Nicely scented, it’s possibly the best pink cultivar available.

Where to see wisteria

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Jermyns Lane, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0QA. Tel 01794 369317/318

Nymans, Handcross, near Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6EB. Tel 01444 405250,

Witch Hazel Nursery, The Granary, Cranbrook Farm, Callaways Lane, Newington, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7LU. Tel 01795 843098. National Collection, open on selected days only.

Where to buy wisteria

Ashridge Nurseries, Grove Cross Barn, Castle Cary, Somerset BA7 7NJ. Tel 01963 359444.

Bluebell Nursery and Arboretum, Annwell Lane, Smisby, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 2TA. Tel 01530 413700.