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10 award-winning bulbs with blue flowers

Little blue bulbs are such delightful spring arrivals after a long winter. Here are 10 of the very best to plant for uplifting early colour in your garden

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

bulbs are really useful garden plants. This collection of charmers includes grape hyacinths (Muscari), glory of the snow and scillas (both now called Scilla in Latin).

They’re all easy to grow and many of them spread well. They are also all winners of the RHS Award of Garden Merit, meaning they're tried and tested varieties that are widely available too. Whether you grow them in troughs or pots, or grow them in garden beds beneath deciduous trees and shrubs, you'll add colour to your garden at a time of year when you'll really appreciate it.

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. 8.5cm (3½in).

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. 15cm (6in).

Festive treat

Look forward to a Christmas centrepiece featuring grape hyacinth 'Christmas Pearl'
Muscari armeniacum 'Christmas Pearl' comes into flower in February outside, and lasts until early April. In a pot in an unheated greenhouse it should flower at Christmas. Each flower head is crowded with up to 60 fragrant flowers which open a slightly greenish blue but mature to violet blue. 20cm (8in).

Stars of the show

The alpine squill has particularly beautiful 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; dislikes harsh summer drought. 10cm (4in).

With flair and finesse

Enjoy the unique flaring habit of each flower of the azure grape hyacinth as the spikes develop
Muscari azureum is paler in colour than many grape hyacinths; a lovely, soft sky-blue. With up to 50 flowers crowding the top of the stem, those in bud stay very tight and those that have opened below flare prettily. Starts to flower in early April. Happy in sun or partial shade but dislikes summer drought. 10cm (4in).

Upwards facing

Scilla luciliae has comparatively large, upward-facing flowers
Scilla luciliae, (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. 10cm (4in).

Long-season selection

Choose hardy Muscari armeniacum 'Saffier' for open and exposed sites
Muscari armeniacum 'Saffier' starts to bloom as Muscari ‘Christmas Pearl’ is coming to an end and then continues in flower until early or mid-May. ‘Saffier’ is unusual in that the violet-blue flowers with their green tips never quite open completely and never set seed – which accounts for the unusually long season. Vigorous, and happy in the open and in partial shade. 20cm (8in).

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. 12.5cm (5in).

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. 15cm (6in).

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. 20cm (8in).

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<em>Allium</em> <em>caesium</em>
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