Fritillaria Crown Imperial, surely the most eye-catching flowering plant of April, very majestic in appearance, and fully hardy in Aberdeen.

They come in shades of orange and yellow, flowering April/May. The orange flowering ones seem to become established more quickly than the yellows.

One which does extremely well is Aurora, plant the bulbs in free draining soil. About six/eight inches deep, a good idea is to plant the bulbs on their side, and also add a fair amount of grit, as this prevents rotting of the bulbs.

Plant in groups of three or five separating them far enough apart to allow the flower heads to develop. They do have a preference for soil that is not too acidic.

Height – 90cm/3ft

Position – Full sun/part shade

Hardiness – Fully hardy