These tiny bulbs emerge from the depths of winter to find the warming sun before bursting forth to produce the most dazzling of floral displays.

These little gems are planted in autumn, so make a note in your garden diary now to plant some next year and you too will be rewarded with masses of cheery blooms.

Few gardens today are large enough to give them their true woodland setting of long drifts under large, deciduous trees but don't despair.

Even in the smallest of places, if you add plenty of humus, provide good drainage which is essential and plant the bulbs in a spot where they can remain cool throughout the summer months, a magnificent, albeit smaller, show can still be obtained.

Small bulbs naturalise beautifully in grassy areas and are equally at home growing in crevices in walls or rock gardens.

They can be planted in clumps beside a path, on a bank to be admired by passers-by or in decorative pots for indoor display when in flower.

Mixed plantings can be very attractive either in the ground or in containers.

Blue grape hyacinths, golden yellow hoop petticoat daffodils, snowdrops and snowflakes form a carpet of colour beneath trees while a large grouping of lachanelias, bluebells, sparaxis and babianas planted in the open garden or in planter boxes are a visual delight.

Known for their powerful fragrance the grape hyacinths make colourful groundcovers with spikes of tiny dark blue rounded bell-shaped flowers that cluster along strong stems. When planted in cool soil enriched with compost they will multiply rapidly.

Among the miniature daffodils the stand outs are Narcissus bulbicodium, the hoop petticoat daffodil, with deep yellow funnel-shaped flowers appearing in early spring often used in ribbon planting; Narcissus Jet Fire a prolific bloomer with striking yellow petals and orange cups and Narcissus tete a tete just 15cms tall bearing golden yellow flowers.

Then there's Narcissus canaliculatus with clusters of sweetly fragrant white and yellow flowers; Narcissus cyclamineus has dainty rich yellow blooms and thin grass-like leaves and the gorgeous Narcissus triandrus is known as angel's tears for its clusters of elegant creamy white flowers that always face downwards.

The free-flowering perennial favourite Lachenalias resemble soldiers on parade with their erect spikes of tubular bells, red tipped fading to greenish/yellow before fading to reddish/orange.

Perfect as border plantings, they can work equally as well in more informal plantings or in hanging baskets.

Another appealing bulb is Ipheoin the spring starflower with tiny blooms of the purest white or porcelain blue.

These are true little bulbs never reaching more than eight centimetres tall. Plant in full sun or semi-shaded positions.

The spring-flowering crocus are the most magical of these diminutive bulbs popping up unexpectedly. Flowers are found in shades of lavender, white, purple or streaked.

They naturalise in lawns or meadow gardens and look particularly beautiful in rockery pockets or planted among low surface-rooting groundcovers such as violets or creeping thyme.

Rock tulips are the loveliest of the smaller tulips for planting in the garden among rocks or small, low-growing shrubs.

These are very early flowering tulips whose flowers begin low down among the leaves and slowly rise, then unfurl to show off their vibrant colours.

For the maximum impact these are best planted as a large grouping where they can be left undisturbed for many years and will continue to surprise you every spring by rising up from the winter gloom.