Fabulous fritillaries

Fritillaries have a multitude of roles to play in our gardens, whether they are planted in grass, borders, rock gardens or containers, says Anne Swithinbank

- Anne Swithinbank

FRITILLARIES are a varied and beautiful group of plants from a wide range of geographical locations, from water meadows and woodlands to mountains and semideserts. Their name derives from the Latin fritillus, meaning dice box or chess board, and is probably a reference to the chequered markings of the snake'shead fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris).

Members of the lily family, fritillaries survive drought or cold by dying back to underground bulbs. Now in the autumn is the time for planting these, so their roots can grow out into warm, moist soil, laying a good foundation for spring growth and flowers. Fritillarias can be fussy about soil and location, and need thoughtful siting, or grow them in pots using compost tailored to suit.

Nodding orange bells

My first encounter with fritillary bulbs was in the 1970s when my 'Saturday job' was working in a pet and garden shop. Flat display boxes would arrive in the autumn, their lids opening to reveal compartments of bulbs with pictures above. One held the large, foxy-smelling bulbs of crown imperial (F. imperialis), and unable to resist the prospect of nodding orange bells under a crown of bracts, I carried home bulbs in lieu of wages. Planted on their sides (to aid drainage) in a deep hole made in our stony, well-drained soil, they went on to flower every spring for many years.

Grass, rock gardens and borders