Deep, well-cultivated, moisture-retentive soil that's a little on the alkaline side is the best medium for successful peony cultivation. Waterlogging spells doom, but a light acid soil will do if it is improved with organic matter to hold the moisture.

A multistemmed, upright to spreading broadleaf evergreen shrub having dark green foliage on chartreuse stems, with prominent drooping panicles of Winter floral buds, opening in very late Winter or early Spring as pendulous clusters of urn-shaped white flowers, which preceed the emergence of the bronzed new foliage.  It performs well in partial shade in moist, rich, well-drained, acidic soils, but is intolerant of full sun, poor soils, compacted soils, poorly drained or wet soils, and especially soils of neutral to alkaline pH

Primulas have a long flowering season and are easy to grow. Their jewel-like blooms add a heartening splash of colour in a variety of garden situations. The family provides an assortment of plants suitable for spring bedding, herbaceous borders, pond margins and alpine beds, as well as naturalising in lawns. Although the wild primrose flowers in spring, others in the Primula polyanthus group start flowering in mid-winter and some varieties flower into the summer months.

All tulips prefer a sunny position in the garden in fertile, sandy, slightly alkaline soil.  In this type of soil the bulbs can be left in all year round.  In cool areas with poor drainage it is best if the bulbs are lifted once the foliage has died down.