A gorgeous addition to any garden in spring, Puschkinia libanotica, commonly known as the Striped squill, produces delicate white flowers flushed with blue, with a darker hue running up the petal spines. The straplike, bright-green foliage appears around the same time as the flowers, each upright stem carrying up to 10 blooms. Long-lasting through March and April, these perky flowers are easy to grow and well-deserving of their RHS Award of Garden Merit. Sweetly scented and good pollinators, their cream-tinged anthers are great for attracting bees, and they also make a pretty cut flower. Reaching a height of 15-20cm, Puschkinia libanotica is well placed in the front of beds and borders, rock and gravel gardens, and is great for underplanting trees, hedges and shrubs. Plant in drifts in grassy or woodland areas, where the bulbs will naturalise easily. They look equally stunning in containers. Mix with other spring-flowering perennials such as cyclamen or Snake's head fritillaries for an exquisite combination, or with snowdrops and bluebells for an extended springtime show; snowdrops will be the first to bloom, followed by Puschkinia libanotica and a finale of bluebells. Supplied as a pack of 50 bulbs for planting in the autumn, they will return with bigger and better displays every year. Fully hardy, they can be left in the ground or lifted in the autumn to divide large clumps for replanting.