These cheery flowers are great for brightening a gloomy February day and reminding us that spring is on the way. The flowers are either white, golden-yellow or shades of purple and some types will naturalise* leading to a carpet of colour.
Best planted in full sun, the flowers only open completely in sunshine, or under deciduous trees and shrubs. Ideally in well-drained soil.
There is no need to deadhead the flowers just make sure you allow them to fully die back before removing the old foliage. If you are growing them in grass this means no mowing until they have finished.
They grow from corms which are planted in the autumn for flowering the following late winter/early spring. If you have grown them in a pot they can be planted out in the garden once they have finished flowering to die back and then regrow the following year.
*naturalise means they will come up year after year and also self-seed so you get more plants.
