From the mailbox to the front door is a short journey of delight in Spring for the path is lined with small bulbs that bloom in that season.

Most of the bulbs are small and nothing incredibly rare but all have been in place for 30 years and longer. The multiplier effect over time has turned one or two bulbs into dozens and the impact is a sight to see.

The bulbs have been bought from specialist growers or raised from seed grown by me at home, and several have been gifts from older gardeners now deceased like Otto Fauser, Marcus Harvey, Graham Flemming and Will Ashburner.

All of them grow in a load of Mt Compass sandy soil dumped over the base layer of a former cemented driveway. The soil tends to be very wet in Winter but the substrate layer ensures reasonable draining and the bulbs have thrived despite stiff root competition from adjacent shrubs and trees that are pruned every year to keep the sunshine bearing down on them. Without this simple operation the bulbs would probably dwindle away in a few years.

Every year when I judge the roots are becoming active, around mid-April, I sprinkle Tupelo Grove Mediterranean Mix fertiliser in it’s prilled form to keep the bulbs well supplied with nutrients. While the bulbs continue to grow, multiply and flower I do not dig them or split the clumps; some even self-seed and germinate around about their parent plants. That’s a bonus as far as I am concerned though I keep a close eye on Grape Hyacinths (Muscari botryoides) as they multiply rather too enthusiastically. To prevent a take-over, excess of this bulb is removed and put in the green bin. The bulbs are killed by the high temperatures reached during the composting process.

Good bulbs to look out for should you wish to try making a walk or border of spring bulbs are:

• Narcissus x ‘Little Missus’
• Narcissus x cyclamineus hybrids, there are many to choose from.
• Narcissus x ‘Beryl’ • Narcissus x ‘Roger’
• Narcissus jonquilla.

Interplanting with colourful bulbs of other small genera will only increase the pleasure. Consider:

• Tulipa saxitalis
• Tulipa clusiana
• Cyclamen coum
• Cyclamen hederifolium
• Anemone nemerosa – there are many varieties in shades of blue and pink, as well as several white kinds.