Pulsatilla vulgaris is an easy plant for the beginner.  It grows well in the open ground on a variety of soils but flowers best in a well-drained sunny site.  The flower stems, 25-30 cm high, appear in April-May (Pasque = Easter) and are followed by beautiful seedheads which last for a long time.It comes in a variety of colour forms from pale to deep purple, red and pure white.  The plant dies down in winter and is quite long-lived but does not transplant well due to its deep tap root.A helping of bone meal in the autumn helps flowering.  Propagation is easy from seed, especially sown as soon as ripe.

This is a shade-loving plant from Japan which grows very well in Scotland as so many woodlanders.  It is slow-growing but in ideal conditions makes a large clump.  It does not mind too much being lifted for showing and after 10 years growth will fit into a 30 cm pot.  This gives an opportunity to add some some good leafy compost when planting back in the garden. The kidney-shaped  leaves are a beautiful metallic purple when they first unfold but these turn green after a few days.  The lavender-blue flowers appear on 15 cm stems are very short-lived.  Timing is crucial for showing as the plant is at its best only for a day or two. Propagation is easy from fresly-sown seeds.

This belongs to a group of bulbous irises with swollen roots known as the Juno irises.  Some of the more vigorous Juno irises, e.g. I. magnifica can be grown easily in the open garden but I. fosteriana will not tolerate this treatment in Scotland because it needs to be kept dry in the dormant summer season. Repotting takes place every year in early November in hand-damp compost (JI No. 3 with added grit) with only the ends of the swollen roots in contact with the compost.  The rest of the pot is then filled with coarse grit.  Growth takes place in winter with flowering at the end of February usually in time for the Dunblane early bulb show. It is clump forming and the plant can be divided at repotting time but it is self-fertile and will set seeds if pollinated with a fine brush.

Some forms of Androsace muscoidea can make lax cushions with the flowers well clear of the foliage.  The form CR 188 is a neat, compact little plant with comparatively large and almost sessile white flowers (pink in f. longiscapa) from small hairy rosettes.  It must be one of the best forms of A. muscoidea although it is not mentioned in the new Androsace book by Smith & Lowe. It makes a superb show plant. The plant requires protection from overhead damp in winter and grows best in a very gritty compost in a clay pot plunged in sand.  It flowers early, usually end of March, compared with other forms of A. muscoidea which flower in early summer. Seeds have been set recently on mature plants but have not yet germinated.Cuttings will root slowly if taken at the right time, usually in May.

This is one of the reticulata bulbous irises. It is atypical in the section in having 3 or 4 channelled crocus-like leaves instead of 1 or 2 leaves, square in cross-section of most reticulata irises. Safest in the alpine house, but not easy to keep going for long, being particularly prone to rotting. A very gritty but rich compost kept on the dry side in winter seems to suit it best. Increase by offsets is slow. Has set seed after cross-pollination. It is reported to grow and increase well in an open south-facing aspect in Latvia although material is too scarce to try in the open in Scotland.

One of the best selections of P. allionii, flowering in early spring. Cushion forming, it grows very slowly and takes many years to fill a 15 cm pot. Not too difficult but needs overhead protection at all times. A mixture of equal parts JI No. 2, composted bark and grit is suitable with annual repotting after flowering in the early years. The removal of dead leaves and flowers helps to keep the plant tidy and to prevent botrytis. Can be propagated by division or cuttings - do not cover.