Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite) is a charming tuberous perennial that bursts from the ground in late winter (before crocuses) with cup-shaped, upward-facing, bright yellow flowers (1 in. wide or 3 cm), surrounded by divided leafy bracts. The foliage of rich green leaves, divided into several lobes, emerges after the flowers. Winter Aconites go dormant by late spring.

Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop) is one of the earliest and loveliest spring flowering bulbs, adding several weeks of color and beauty to the garden from late winter - early spring. Slightly fragrant, this small bulbous perennial features dainty, nodding white flowers with a green spot at the apex of each petal atop 2 narrow, grayish-green leaves. The foliage emerges before the flowers, develops during and after bloom, and neatly fades away in spring.

Leucojum aestivum, although called 'Summer Snowflake', flowers in mid-spring and boasts 4-8 white, nodding, bell-shaped flowers with green-tipped tepals, dangling from each long, fairly sturdy flower stem. As an added bonus, the flowers are softly chocolate-scented!

One of the earliest spring bloomers, Scilla siberica is a bulbous perennial boasting intense blue, bell-shaped, nodding flowers (2-5 per stem) in early to mid-spring. Each bulb produces 3 to 4 flower stems above a grassy foliage of narrow strap-shaped leaves. Easy to grow, this is one of the most winter hardy of the scillas and can be found in hardiness zone 2. A great naturalizer, it multiplies and comes back year after year, turning the landscape into a sea of blue. Looks best when planted in large drifts. Grows up to 3-6 in. tall and wide (7-15 cm). Hardiness Zones: 2-8

Alliums are plants of exquisite beauty that deserve a place in perennial gardens. Easy to grow and undemanding, these very ornamental bulbs distinguish themselves by their great diversity in color, inflorescence, flowering height and bloom times. Many species bloom in early summer - just after the spring-flowering period and just before the exuberant full bloom of summer. 

Native to Crete and Turkey, Chionodoxa are one of the earliest and loveliest spring flowering bulbs, adding beauty to the garden. Flowers are saucer-shaped with a conspicuous white eye in the center and bloom in very early spring. Once established, this little bulb naturalizes well and comes back year after year. It provides a pretty display when planted among early-flowering perennial plants in the border. Grows up to 4-6 in. tall (10-20 cm). Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Perfect for adding a burst of color to the fall garden, Colchicum (Autumn Crocus) bears big flowers in shades of purplish-pink and white in September or October. Resembling crocuses with its cup-shaped flowers, it produces its strap-like foliage, way later, in spring. Ridiculously easy to grow, all parts of this plant are poisonous, therefore it is diligently ignored by hungry deer, rabbits, and other critters.

Among the earliest to flower, this species has elegant blossoms of pale lavender to red-purple with a silvery reverse. The profuse flowering and spontaneous self-propagation make this crocus a very good choice for naturalizing. Blooming from late winter to early spring, the calyx-shaped flowers open when the sun shines or when there is a lot of light; they close up in rainy weather and at night.

The genus Fritillaria consists of almost 100 species. All of these are found in the northern hemisphere, with the main habitats being the areas around the Mediterranean. Only a limited number are being cultivated, but interest in this genus is very much on the rise. All of them exhibit bell-shaped flowers, generally hanging downwards from the top of upright stems which bear narrow leaves.

Native to the Iberian Peninsula, Hyacinthoides hispanica (Spanish Bluebell) is a great bulbous perennial that is easy to grow, low care and incredibly good-looking. Each bulb produces attractive, nodding, bell-shaped flowers hanging from sturdy, round flower stalks, atop clumps of glossy strap-shaped leaves. Blooming heartily from mid to late spring, Spanish Bluebell is a beautiful and reliable addition to the landscape, where it will happily multiply in optimum growing conditions. Typically forms spreading clumps up to 12-18 in tall. Hardiness Zones: 3-8

Rich and heavily fragrant, hyacinths are spring-flowering bulbs that produce gorgeous red, pink, orange, salmon, yellow, purple, white or blue spike-like flowers that mostly cover their stem with a multitude of florets or bells. Floating atop erect, lance-shaped bright green leaves, these beauties bloom once each year in early to mid spring and last about 2 weeks, depending on the weather. 

Most Muscari species are so extremely winter hardy and easy to grow that no garden should be without them. They naturalize extremely easily and will come back year after year and multiply. They come in different shades of blue, in white and even pink. An additional benefit is that all Muscari have a lovely fragrance. The more you plant, the more fragrance you get!

The most popular companion of the tulip, daffodils are spring flowering bulbs mostly known as yellow trumpet-shaped flowers. However, daffodils (Narcissus) offer a wider range of flower shapes and colors that are absolutely fabulous when combined with other spring bulbs. Long-lived, they naturalize and multiply year after year. Versatile, they are perfect for beds and borders, rock gardens, containers, or window boxes. They also make gardening easy. Once planted, there is nothing left to do: these bulbs can stay right where they are and produce flowers year after year. As an added, most are fragrant and all are deer and rodent-resistant.