Except for hyacinths and tulips, early planting – ideally in September – gives the best results for spring-flowering bulbs. Although garden centres begin to stock bulbs in September, mail order suppliers take time to dispatch their more varied offerings so early ordering in July is wise. Although October and even November deliveries will grow, results will not be quite as good.

The same applies in the garden when patches and clumps need lifting and splitting once the foliage has died down (ideally while the strawy leaves remain so you can find the bulbs which tend to be significantly deeper then when planted). Then unlike tulips, which are best allowed to dry before planting in November, plant narcissi as soon as feasible.

Another reason for early ordering is that days shorten so much in autumn that it can be hard to find time to plant the bulbs if orders don’t arrive until October. Bulbs are relatively inexpensive and lavish planting is often possible but so is over-ordering. If it turns out that planting will be onerous, pots are a quicker alternative.

Bulbs are essentially condensed plants with all that they need, including the flower, so in the first season they don’t need special treatment. In pots, old potting compost – from growbags for example – is effective. Forced bulbs for the house are the first priority to order. Prepared hyacinth bulbs often need to be planted in September for best results.

Prepared hyacinths have been harvested early and given special heat treatment that prepares them to flower in mid-winter rather than their normal period of mid-spring. The same goes for the scented paper white and similar daffodils – these too need to be planted in September. However, Hippeastrums – commonly called amaryllis – are planted in October for Christmas flowering.

Bulbs do best in reasonably fertile soil with full sun or light shade, with only a few, hardy cyclamen and winter aconites that can tolerate darker conditions. In fact, bulbs need much the same conditions as perennial plants. Daffodils are deservedly the most popular bulb but ornamental onions or alliums are close rivals for beds and borders.

For naturalising in grass, daffodils are especially persistent but need to be left for six weeks after flowering for the foliage to die down in order for the bulbs to do well the following year. Earlier flowering daffodils, February Gold or Tête-a-Tête for example, are the easiest to live with. Consider also crocuses, including the more persistent species ones such as Cream Beauty and Whitewell Purple. Crocus die back quickly allowing early mowing if necessary.

Where mown grass is replaced by grass left uncut until autumn for wildlife, later daffodils are very suitable including the taller Ice Follies and Carleton or for late flowers and for an understated look, Narcissus poeticus types such as Plenus are suitable. Camassia, another later flowering bulb, have become favourite subjects for naturalising where grass can be left uncut until late summer. Leucojum aestivum or summer snowflake and Fritillaria meleagris are good choices for moister grass areas.

Daffodils are not especially useful for pollinators but other bulbs provide early season nectar and pollen; crocus, eranthis, grape hyacinth, honey garlic (Allium siculum), Ornithogalum umbellatum and snowdrops, for example. For summer, other Alliums are also notably good for pollinating insects.

Some bulbs, including snowdrops and winter aconites, are said not to “take well” as dried bulbs and are offered in leaf in spring. This is probably true of bulbs that have been in storage or on garden centre shelves for a few weeks but bulbs ordered, received and planted early, have a high rate of success.

Colchicums or meadow saffron flowers in autumn are best planted as early as possible. The flowers die down over winter and leaves grow in the spring and die down during summer. In fact, July planting is ideal if bulbs can be found. Specialist suppliers are most likely to be able to supply early stock.

Warning: colchicums, though lovely, are potentially harmful and care should be taken where pest and children have access. Autumn flowering crocus are similarly best planted in August if possible

Guy Barter is the chief horticultural adviser for the Royal Horticultural Society. The Royal Horticultural Society is a charity working to share the best in gardening and make the UK a greener place. Find out more at rhs.org.uk

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