The autumn-flowering gentians are wonderful plants, bringing colour - and very intense colour at that - to the garden at a time when there is not a great deal flowering. Most have trailing stems, each terminated with a large, trumpet shaped flower. They can be split in April, and a good patch can soon be established. Most dislike alkaline soil.

Gentiana 'Lucerna' is a superb, vigorous hybrid with abundant, bright blue, flared trumpet flowers, streaked white down the throat. Deep green trailing foliage makes this a particularly valuable and striking gentian for ground cover.