Spring is finally here and bulb season is underway. It arrived early this year with snowdrops making an appearance in January and since then we've had crocuses and now daffodils, with the promise of fritillaries, puschkinias and hyacinths still to come.

It's a glorious spectacle of colour and scent that last for months, but bulb season isn't over when the last of the tulips fades in May, in fact bulbs, tubers and corms can provide vivid colour throughout summer and right into autumn, when the nerines bow out in a flurry of bubblegum pink petals.

Dahlias and begonias with their vibrant blooms are amongst the favourites, but other bulbs and tubers are available, including some that don't announce their presence in Pantone shades, but instead beguile with their subtlety and elegance. Here's the pick of the bunch.

Gladiolus communis subsp byzantinus
This sophisticated gladiolus, which grows wild around the Mediterranean, is a more refined creature than its over-bred cousins. It's magenta flowers are carried on slender stems.

Plant 15cm deep in autumn, in a sunny position with well-drained soil and mulch with compost or leafmould in winter to protect the bulbs.

Scottish Gardener:

Nectaroscordum siculum
Sicilian honey garlic is related to the allium, but it holds its pendulous flowers like the spokes of an umbrella. It thrives in sun or semi-shade in most garden soils and is fully hardy.

Scottish Gardener:

Lilum martagon
Despite its delicate appearance, this Swiss native is completely hardy. Plant it amongst shrubs and on the fringes of woodland where it will stay cool.

Nomocharis meleagrina
It's need for moist, acidic soil and shady conditions make this the perfect flower for many Scottish gardens. The pagoda-shaped white flowers are heavily spotted with maroon.

Scottish Gardener:

Eucomis
The pineapple lily is an exotic addition to the garden in summer. Plant it in deep pots and move undercover in winter to protect from frost.

Scottish Gardener:

Acidanthera murielea
Peacock orchids from Ethiopia have beautiful white flowers and a lovely scent and they make ideal cut flowers. Grow them in pots and bring them undercover in winter, keeping them dry during the dormant period.

Galtonia candicans
Give the summer hyacinth a sunny spot in soil that stays moist and it will reward you with a display of beautiful white flowers. It is a native of South Africa so needs a thick mulch in winter. Alternatively, dig up the bulbous roots in autumn, pot them up and overwinter somewhere that frosts can't damage them.

X Amarine
This is what you get when you cross an amaryllis with a nerine - a late-flowering bloom with an elegant habit and vivid pink petals. It needs a sunny spot in free-draining soil, so the base of a south-facing wall is its ideal position.