Muscari: 8 Beautiful Pairing Ideas

With daffodils and narcissi

Create a springtime apotheosis by pairing a mix of small Muscari bulbs with daffodils and narcissi. The sky-blue cluster Muscaris like Muscari ‘Early Magic’, ‘Dark Eyes’ or violet-blue Muscari latifolium will form a lovely contrast against intense yellow flowers and yellow-green foliage. They also pair beautifully with small, milky-white narcissi such as Narcissus ‘Petrel’ or ‘Dreamlight’, at the front of a flowerbed, underplanted with herbaceous perennials or at the foot of deciduous trees. The blue hues of the Muscaris will stand out particularly well against the glaucous foliage and acid-green inflorescences of euphorbias.

Tulip ‘Sweetheart’ – Narcissus ‘Bittern Rip’ and ‘Van Winkle’ – Muscaris – Iris bucharica

In naturalised tapetum

Almost all small bulbs naturalise, returning faithfully each year, always more numerous and more floriferous, eventually forming large tapetums within two or three years, whether in a short grass meadow, woodland, or a perennial border. Muscari bulbs can be tucked in anywhere without disturbing other plants and are invaluable for filling gaps! Their graceful silhouettes harmonise beautifully with the slender stems of Tulips.

With Muscari, it’s very easy to create a fragrant, flower-filled tapetum in spring. Plant a mix of Muscari en masse without skimping on quantity and pair them with Anemones, Crocus tommasinianus ‘Barr’s Purple’, Hyacinths ‘Woodstock’, wood Tulips, Iris reticulata and botanical Tulips like the coppery-orange whittallii.

Mixed Muscari among botanical tulips bakeri ‘Lilac Wonder’ and T. clusiana ‘Peppermint Stick’

With tulips

Grape Hyacinths flower in spring, they are the perfect companions for Tulips, with which they create fresh spring scenes. For simple compositions, choose the white ‘White Magic’ Grape Hyacinths or ‘Pink Sunrise’, their pure and pastel hues will pair beautifully with the soft pink flowers of the botanical Tulip clusiana ‘Lady Jane’, or the snow-white Darwin Tulip ‘Hakuun’. For more contrasting combinations, opt for the fiery complementary colours of the botanical Tulip greigii ‘Petit Chaperon Rouge’ or the early single Tulip ‘General De Wet’.

‘David Teniers’ and ‘Willem oranje’ Tulips – ‘Big smile’ Grape Hyacinths

To create a blue tide

We love Muscari in monochrome versions, and for good reason! They boast some of the most beautiful blues in the garden. Vibrant blue (‘Blue Magic’, ‘Big Smile’), sky blue (Muscari azureum, M. ‘Ocean Magic’), pale blue (Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’), cobalt blue (‘Dark Eyes’), in graduated shades (‘Mountain Lady’), purple-violet (Muscari comosum ‘Plumosum’), bluish-black (M. negletum) mix them to create an azure-themed border.

Complement the scene with other highly floriferous plants like Vinca Minor, Scilla, Hyacinths, Iris germanica ‘Blueberry Bliss’, Aquilegia ‘Blue Star’ or Caucasian Forget-me-nots, and you’ll create an ocean of blue flowers.

At the foot of trees

Planted en masse, Muscari offer in spring an abundance of flowering spikes, making them excellent companions as underplanting for deciduous trees, in woodland settings, alongside other bulbs such as Daffodils, Wood Anemones, Crocuses and Ipheions. These small bulbs flower before trees develop their foliage, thriving at their base without suffering from overly dense shade that could hinder their flowering. They also integrate beautifully into Japanese-inspired and minimalist gardens surrounded by mosses and Irises.

Muscari ‘Valerie Finnis’ and Ipheion in a minimalist style

To dress a flower bed

Highly floriferous, Grape Hyacinths are excellent bulbous plants for the front of flower beds. Their upright spikes, often in intense colours, will enliven these areas by creating striking vertical accents and adding very bright touches. Grown at the front of a border while waiting for other plants to bloom, they work wonders alongside sun-loving perennials such as Columbines, Aubrietas, Forget-me-nots, Fritillaries, or Garden Irises, or other bulbous plants like Hyacinths and Daffodils.

The flowering of Grape Hyacinth ‘Blue Magic’, with its vivid medium blue clusters, paired with primroses

With hyacinths

Here’s a pairing as simple as it is obvious! No doubt because these two bulbs herald the arrival of spring, a mix of Muscari and blue-and-white hyacinths will create a composition that, while rather short-lived (1 month), is so floriferous and fragrant that one simply cannot resist.

A lovely springtime combination composed of Hyacinth ‘Rembrandt’, Muscari ‘Blue Spike’ and Muscari ‘Ocean Magic’

In beautiful spring containers

In pots, planters, generous bowls or less traditional containers, Grape Hyacinths lend themselves to all desires to enhance your terrace or balcony, bringing freshness and brightness. Planted densely alongside Triumph Tulips, Anemones, Squills, miniature Daffodils and small Narcissus, they’ll provide a luminous, colourful display for three weeks from March to April.