Plant of the Month: Chionodoxa forbesii Pink Giant

Posted:12 April 2013

The Garden House garden is awash with spring-flowering bulbs such as Muscari, Scillas – and our favourite Chionodoxa forbesii Pink Giant all looking bright and cheerful in this very much-needed early spring sunshine!

Chionadoxa means Glory of the Snow in Greek and C. forbesii is native to West Turkey where it grows up to 8000ft, right up to the snow line.

Pink Giant is a particularly beautiful low-growing variety with short racemes of pink star-shaped flowers with a pale centre which turn upward and spread to ½ to ¾” across. It grows to 12.5cm (5″).

Flowering from February to April, they are really easy to grow from bulbs and are suitable for a variety of situations all they need is a sunny spot and free draining soil.

Plant them 8cm (3”) deep in naturalistic drifts, in rockeries, in amongst Hellebores and growing under deciduous shrubs.  Grown in between your perennials they will provide a real sparkle ideal for small Brighton gardens!

We also love them grown in terracotta pots in a porch or cold greenhouse.

Make a note to order your bulbs in September they are really inexpensive too and should cost you around £4.00 for 50 bulbs.