Ornithogalum arabicum (Arabian Star Flower) is a bulbous perennial boasting luminous racemes of up to 15 sweetly scented, star-shaped, white or creamy-white flowers, 2 in. across (5 cm), adorned with a contrasting bead-like black eye. Blooming in late spring to early summer, the waxy-looking blossoms rise above the semi-erect basal foliage of blue-green, strap-shaped leaves. Best where summers are warm and dry, it is a good choice for mixed borders and containers. One of the longest-lasting cut flowers.

Native to South Africa, Ornithogalum dubium (Star of Bethlehem) is a bulbous perennial boasting brilliant clusters of 5-25 yellow to orange flowers, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), adorned with a contrasting bead-like black eye. Blooming over a long-season, extending from late winter to spring, the showy blossoms rise above the nearly prostrate foliage of narrowly lance-shaped, dark green to lime-green leaves. Mostly grown for cut flower and flowering pot-plant production, Star of Bethlehem also makes an attractive rock garden plant where it will happily naturalize.

Native to the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, Ornithogalum magnum (Star of Bethlehem) is a bulbous perennial boasting huge, upright, pyramid-shaped racemes packed with small, star-shaped, white flowers, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), adorned with a green stripe on the reverse. Blooming in late spring to early summer, the luminous blossoms open in succession from the bottom up. They rise above the basal foliage of grass-like, blue-green leaves, which starts to die back just before flowering. A good choice for mixed borders and containers. Excellent cut flower.

Native to Bulgaria and Turkey, Ornithogalum nutans is an attractive bulbous perennial boasting one-sided racemes of up to 15 fragrant, nodding, bell-shaped, white flowers in mid to late spring. Each blossom consists of 6 tepals adorned with white edges and a green stripe on the outside. Very pretty, the flowers open up into a star shape and last well when picked. The narrow, strap-shaped bright green leaves feature a silver central vein. A striking cut flower and wonderful naturalizer.

Ornithogalum thyrsoides (Chincherinchee) is a bulbous perennial boasting dense, conical spikes of up to 30 cup-shaped, white flowers, 2 in. across (5 cm), adorned with centers often tinged green or cream. Blooming from late spring to mid-summer, they rise above the basal foliage of semi-erect, strap-shaped, bright green leaves, which usually starts to die back when the plant is in bloom. A striking cut flower with a long vase life (up to 14 days). Perfect for borders and containers.

Native to the Mediterranean region, Ornithogalum umbellatum (Star of Bethlehem) is a bulbous perennial bearing pretty racemes of star-shaped white flowers, green on the outside, in late spring to early summer. The flowers open only if enough sunlight is present. During dull weather, they close to display the green exteriors of their petals. Each stem bears up to 16-20 starry white flowers that are arranged in loose umbels. The foliage of linear leaves, adorned with a white mid-vein, fades as the flowers emerge. Star of Bethlehem is a vigorous naturalizer, often spreading rapidly by offsets. Best planted in areas where this plant will not disturb other plants.

Often grown for their dramatic foliage - large banana-like leaves - Cannas provide a strong ornamental interest and immediately give a touch of the tropics in the garden.

Real eye-catchers in the garden, Gladioli, also known as sword lilies, are cormous perennials boasting spectacular spikes of funnel-shaped flowers in a surprisingly wide range of colors. Borne atop attractive fans of sword-shaped or linear leaves, they always provide a dramatic effect with their rich and cheerful colors and their breathtaking vertical lines. Easy to grow if some rules are followed, they deserve a spot in beds and borders, containers, or in floral arrangements.

A member of the Amaryllis family, Lycoris (Spider Lilies) are striking bulbous perennials boasting showy umbels of funnel-shaped flowers on naked stems in late summer and early fall. Appearing almost magically since there is no foliage to indicate where their bulb has been planted, they pop out of the ground in a pretty array of bright colors and last about 2 weeks.