Compact, bushy mounds of bluish evergreen foliage erupt into a sea of mauve-blue flowers in late spring and are the closest yet to a true blue Dianthus. Ideal planted in borders, rockeries and containers, flowering over a long period each summer for many, many years.
Scilla siberica (Siberian squill) is a delightful perennial bulb that produces dainty spikes of delicate, bell-shaped flowers atop clumps of compact, narrow-leaved foliage with upright, purplish stems. Flowering from April to May, with up to five pretty blooms per stem, the violet-blue petals have a darker hue running up their spines. These hardy bulbs can create an enchanting carpet of nodding blue flowers, when even a breath of wind can make them dance. Reaching a height of up to 20cm, they are well placed in the front of beds and borders, rock and gravel gardens, or underplanting hedges and shrubs. Perfect for naturalising, plant them in drifts in grassy or woodland areas. They are equally good for planting in containers. Being native to Russia, this hardy perennial is vigorous and easy to grow. Clumps will form quickly, with a spread of 5-10cm. By early to mid-summer, foliage will die back, at which time offsets can be divided and replanted. The plants lie dormant through autumn and winter, re-emerging the following spring in ever-greater numbers. Immensely pretty and fully deserving of its RHS Award of Garden Merit, Scilla siberica's nectar and pollen-rich flowers are great for attracting bees. This woodland favourite will return year on year, with bigger and better displays. Plant them with other spring-flowering bulbs for wonderful contrast. Supplied as a pack of 20 bulbs, size 6/7 ready for planting out in autumn.