10 award-winning (AGM) bulbs with blue flowers

Making a lovely contrast to the many yellows and whites of early spring, small blue

These are fleshy, rounded, underground storage organs, usually sold and planted while dormant. Examples include daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, lilies, onions and garlic. The term is often used to cover other underground storage organs, including corms, tubers and rhizomes.

Multi-headed stems

Scilla siberica is beautiful in troughs, pots and even as cut flowers in small vases

Perhaps the most popular of all scillas, Scilla siberica has mid-green foliage and deep violet blue, bell-shaped flowers up to 4cm (1½in) wide, making a winning combination. With up to five flowers hanging elegantly from the one-sided flower head, it’s delightful with white or pink hellebores and is happy almost anywhere that is not too hot and dry in summer. Height 8.5cm (3½in). Hardiness rating H6.

Long-lasting flowers

The Misczenko squill has unusual flowers which are much loved by bees

Scilla mischtschenkoana is one of the best of all early bulbs. It starts flowering around mid-January and lasts as long as two months. Unusually, the first flowers open as soon as it appears above ground and then more flowers open as the stem stretches. Each starry 2.5cm (1in) flower is ice-blue with a darker stripe through each petal. Best in partial shade. Height 15cm (6in). Hardiness rating H6.

Oceans of colour

Charming spring bulb with clusters of blue and white flowers, great for pollinators

Muscari aucheri ‘Ocean Magic’ is a compact, clump-forming bulbous perennial. In spring, it produces dense spikes of small, urn-shaped flowers that open from pale green

A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers.

Stars of the show

The alpine squill has particularly beautiful star-shaped flowers 

Flowering in February and early March, the alpine squill (Scilla bifolia) has lovely pink-tinted buds. These open to rich violet-blue or bright blue, star-shaped flowers. There are usually three to five, or sometimes as many as 10 flowers on each stem. Best in humus-rich soil in partial shade where it spreads steadily. It dislikes harsh summer drought. Height 10cm (4in). Hardiness rating H6.

Stars of the show

Bright and cheerful spring blooms with starry deep blue flowers and fresh green leaves

A charming clump-forming

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

Upwards facing

Scilla luciliae has comparatively large, upward-facing flowers

Scilla luciliae (Boiss.) Speta, (formerly Chionodoxa) is one of the largest flowered of the scillas, with flowers that measure 3.5cm (1¼in) across. Although there are usually only two or three flowers on each stem, they create quite an impact as the flowers face upwards and are relatively large. Each flattish, pale-blue flower has lavender overtones and shades to white in the centre. Flowers in April, best in partial shade. Height 10cm (4in). Hardiness rating H6.

Spring blue magic

Welcome spring with delicate blue Anemone apennina blooms

Anemone apennina is a low-growing, rhizomatous perennial. Its delicate, finely divided leaves form a soft backdrop to solitary, daisy-like flowers that appear in early spring. Each bloom reaches up to 3.5cm (1.3in) wide and features 10 to 15 narrow, sky-blue petals held above a whorl of small stem leaves. This graceful plant is ideal for naturalising in woodland settings or shaded borders. Height 20cm (7.9in). Hardiness rating H6.

True blue

En masse the flowers resemble a sea of stars; with blue petals and white centres 

Scilla sardensis (formerly Chionodoxa) is genuinely blue in colour with relatively long, arching stems. Each 2.5cm (1in) flower is more or less bell-shaped and tends to face outwards rather than upwards. Best in partial shade. Height 12.5cm (5in). Hardiness rating H6.

Two-tone flowerheads

Muscari latifolium self-sows which is useful for gardeners that want to fill spaces

Muscari latifolium is an unusual grape hyacinth, with a delightful two-tone flower head. At the top is a rather open cluster of about a dozen pretty, pale blue, sterile flowers. Lower down are about three times as many fertile flowers in purple turning to smoky-black at the tips. Self sows in sun or partial shade when happy, but is not so keen on hot dry summers. Height 15cm (6in). Hardiness rating H6.

Mediterranean gem

One flower spike can reveal up to 90 single flowers, arranged attractively 

Muscari ‘Jenny Robinson’ is a paler selection, flowering through April. The fragrant flowerhead is packed with up to 90 urn-shaped pale blue flowers opening from greenish buds. Originally called ‘Baby’s Breath’, it now commemorates Jenny Robinson who found the plant on Cyprus around 1970. Happy in the open or in partial shade. Height 20cm (8in). Hardiness rating H5.