WE MAY still be admiring all our spring-flowering bulbs as tulips and hyacinths come into their own, but if you want more bulbs in summer, it’s time to start planting them now.

There’s a wealth of choice for both containers and borders, from fragrant lilies and dahlias to cannas, gladioli, crocosmia and the Californian firecracker, Dichelostemmaida- maia.

The pineapple plant, Eucomis bicolor, was judged this year’s summer bulb of the year by a panel of journalists and horticultural experts in an event organised by the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Centre. Its striking pineapple-like tuft of colour, sitting above a rosette of wide, fleshy leaves, blooms in July and August.

Plant eucomis in groups in spring, to rise out of gravel in a scree bed or grit at the front of a border. It looks lovely with cream and green variegated hostas and purple heucheras.

While gladioli have earned themselves a reputation for being gaudy and difficult to place in a planting scheme, because their heavy spikes can look ungainly, some more subtle varieties are available. These include Gladiolus callianthus Murielae, which can be planted in April and May, either in deep pots or in good soil in the sun, producing deliciously fragrant delicate white petals with a deep burgundy blotch at the throat from August to October.

Most summer-flowering bulbs, corms and tubers are sun lovers, so are ideal for patio pots. Some, such as tuberous begonias, need to be started indoors as they are not frost hardy and can be moved outside once all danger of frost has passed.

Tropical-looking cannas, which produce fleshy exotic leaves and spikes of vibrant flowers from early summer until mid-autumn, can also be planted in pots. Start with the plants indoors in early spring, though I tend to leave my pots of cannas near to the house, covered with a mulch of straw over the winter, and they still come back.

They like plenty of water during the growing season and rich fertile soil, so grow them in large pots in John Innes No 3 compost. Protect against slugs and snails, which love the young emerging leaves.

The jewel in the crown of scent has to be the lily, with its impressive trumpets of blooms in many colours. Buy bulbs as soon as they appear in shops and keep them cold until you plant them. Ideally, they should be planted in early spring before they dry out.

If you are planting summer bulbs in your beds and borders, draw up a design plan before you start. You don’t want smaller bulbs being lost by larger perennials during the growing season.

Some bulbs are perfect for rejuvenating beds where annuals are running out of steam and perennials like lupins and delphiniums have been and gone. Foxtail lilies (eremurus), which come in a range of colours, produce tall bottlebrushes of flowers in midsummer, growing from one to two metres. They look lovely amid plantings of grasses and light perennials like Verbena bonariensis.

However, they do have to be planted in early autumn in a sunny, warm, sheltered area to protect against strong winds. They need winter cold to flower.

Remember that most summer bulbs like heat, so a sunny spot is essential. They also need really good drainage, so add some grit or sand to the soil before planting.

As a general rule, plant bulbs at three times their depth below the surface of the soil or compost, or follow instructions given on the packet.

Some summer-flowering bulbs, such as dahlias, will need lifting at the end of the autumn and storing until next year. Others, such as the early summer-flowering allium, will go on for years with no fuss at all.

Best of the bunch – Magnolia

THESE stunning deciduous or evergreen shrubs and trees produce great saucers of star shaped white or pink flowers in early and mid-spring. Some are ideal grown as stand-alone focal points, though their flowering is short. The most impressive of the species is a tree, M grandiflora, which will reach more than 20ft (6m) over a long period of time. It bears fragrant, creamy white blossoms between July and September.

For spring flowers, go for M soulangiana, a spreading bush reaching more than 11ft (3.5m) high, bearing goblet-shaped purple-tinged flowers which open to white in April before the leaves. This one is perfect as a stand-alone specimen in a garden.

If you’re after something more compact, go for the Star Magnolia (right), Magnolia stellata, a slow-growing deciduous shrub whose silky buds open to star-shaped white flowers in midspring.

It grows to around 3m (9ft), has a neat habit and attractive leaves for summer.

Magnolias need moist but welldrained, fertile, humus-rich soil in sun or dappled shade. April is the best month to plant them in a sheltered spot, away from cold winds. Don’t plant too deeply and water any new bush well if there is a drought. Each spring, apply a mulch of well-rotted compost around the shrub.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

● Continue to sow seeds of summer bedding, herbs, lilies, trees and many vegetables.

● Prick out and pot up young seedlings and cuttings before they become overcrowded.

● Hard-prune shrubs such as buddleia, which produce their best show on new growth.

● Earth up early potatoes to protect from light and frost.

● Feed fish when they become active after winter.

● Bedding plants may be on sale in garden centres and nurseries, but only buy if you can keep them in a greenhouse or frost-free frame.

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT – Asparagus

If you want delicious asparagus in future years, now’s a good time to buy crowns – the dormant bases of one-year-old plants.

Asparagus needs well-drained soil, which is neutral or slightly alkaline. The site must be free of perennial weeds and you may have to create a raised bed, digging in plenty of spent mushroom compost and allowing 45cm between plants and 90cm between rows. You need a trench wide enough to allow the roots of the crowns to spread out, laying the crowns on a ridge or mound in the centre of the trench with the roots spread out around them.

The top of the crown should remain around 10-13cm below the surface, covered with around 5cm of loose soil. Fill in the trench gradually as plants grow, so the bed should be level by autumn.

Be patient. Don’t cut any spears the year after planting, but begin in earnest the second year. Use a long serrated kitchen knife when spears reach 10-15cm. They can be severed up to 8cm below the soil surface. Cut every day if you need to and never let spears grow too tall or they will become tough and woody. Stop cutting in early or mid-June to allow the spears to develop into fern to build up reserves.

THREE WAYS TO... Use ornamental grass effectively

1. If you have a lot of hard landscaping in a contemporary garden, like substantial paving steps and concrete features, use grasses such as gold-leaved sedge in pots to soften the line and bring colour and movement to the area.

2. Create a lush effect in bog gardens and by ponds by mixing sedges and grass-like plants with other herbaceous moisture lovers.

Don’t go for anything too invasive. Check on the label first or ask an expert at your garden centre if you’re not sure.

3. Add an oriental touch to patios or decking by planting bamboo in a container to provide a bold contrast to other plants. Don’t let them dry out or you’ll lose them. When planting, use John Innes No. 3 compost and check that the surface of the root ball sits 3-4cm below the pot rim. Put compost around the edges, firming gently.