The daffodils may not quite be in bloom yet, but you should be ordering your summer bulbs now if you want to add pizzazz to your plot in the warmer months.

Bulbs, corms and tubers can be planted in spring right up until the end of May and can be as spectacular as their spring counterparts, in troughs and tubs, or filling up the front of beds and borders, requiring little maintenance but providing a wealth of colour during the hotter months.

The majority produce their best blooms when planted in a sunny spot, although lilies and begonias bloom well in partial shade.

The secret is to plant a variety of bulbs which will last all summer, such as freesias, which bloom from June onwards, zantedeschias, which flower between July and October, and later-flowering blooms such as dahlias and tigridias.

Long after your tulips have faded, foxtail lilies (eremurus) are producing towering spires of flowers as high as 2.5m (8ft) and clumps of Crinum x powellii are producing beautiful pink blooms. Also in August and September red-hot pokers (kniphofias) are among the most impressive border plants.

In October and November, a welcome burst of colour is provided by Nerine sarniensis, related to amaryllis and sometimes referred to as jewel, or diamond, lilies because their petals reflect light, which is needed in the dullest months. Indeed, a panel of gardening experts has voted it the must-have bloom for this summer, in an event organised by the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Centre.

Hyacinths are generally known as highly-scented spring bulbs, but there is also a summer hyacinth, Galtonia candicans, which grows to 3ft (90cm) and makes big clumps of strap-like leaves, producing white, bell-shaped flowers in summer. They should be planted in late spring.

If you don’t fancy lifting gladioli corms every year, try the Gladiolus communis subsp byzantinus, which grows to 75cm (2.5ft) and produces magenta flowers. It is a hardy perennial which doesn’t need digging up every year and looks wonderful in a cottage garden, although it’s not quite as majestic as the taller varieties. Corms should be planted in a sunny spot in autumn or early spring in fertile, well-drained soil.

Lilies are among the most popular summer bulbs. They perform well in pots and if you want their rich scent to pervade your patio, go for L longiflorum, which will produce wonderful white flowers and fragrance on a sunny terrace.