Plants for those who like unusual, often subdued, colours and patterns. There is an almost endless variety of Fritillaria species, some of them widely available and others very difficult to come by. Many of them need a dry spell in summer, so they are best grown in gritty soil in pots, kept dry after the foliage dies down, until they are repotted in late summer and given a good watering - the September 'thunderstorm' treatment. Others are perfectly happy outside.

Fritillaria meleagris is the snake's head fritillary, a rare but much loved British native. It has solitary (occasionally paired), broadly bell-shaped, purple, pinkish-purple and white chequered flowers. It can easily be naturalised in grass, or allowed to form clumps in borders.