6 top summer-flowering bulbs

Gladiolus ‘Flevo Disco’ This new purple gladiolus is shorter, with daintier flowers than traditional varieties. Plant in succession from May to July – flowers appear about 12 weeks after planting. Tender; treat as an annual or lift and store. HxS: 28x8in (70x20cm). Dahlia ‘David Howard’ AGm Every garden needs a show-stopping dahlia, and the orange double blooms of this one contrast strikingly with its purple/bronze foliage. Plant in sun, in soil enriched with compost. Lift or mulch in autumn. HxS: 39inx21⁄2ft (1mx75cm).

Lilium regale AGm

Huge trumpet-shaped white flowers, flushed pink and with yellow centres, on tall stems. The heady perfume is at its best on warm evenings. Needs sun and acid-neutral soil. Watch out for lily beetle. HxS: 5x1ft (1½mx30cm). Agapanthus ‘Northern Star’ AGm One of the hardiest of the African lilies, producing magnificent umbels of deep blue flowers. Needs full sun and welldrained soil, and will benefit from a mulch of mounded chipped bark over winter. HxS: 39inx16in (1mx40cm).

Crocosmia crocosmiiflora

x ‘emily mcKenzie’ Frost-hardy corms (mulch in cold areas) produce star-like green foliage and pendulous bright orange flowers that are dotted with darker orange-red markings. HxS: 2ftx32in (60x80cm).

Tulbaghia violacea AGm

Long-flowering, with clusters of delicate star-shaped, pale purple flowers from June to October. Needs full sun and well-drained soil. Hardy to -5°C (23°F) – protect from the cold with a mulch of chipped bark. HxS: 11⁄2x1ft (45x30cm).