‘Spring Green’ is one of the most common and robust Viridiflora tulips. Because they are all ‘sports’ of other tulips they vary a lot in size, shape and flowering time. This is not the most elegant of them but the I grudgingly have to admit that it is a pretty thing

‘Apricot Parrot’ is fairly typical of its type, with wildly ruffled and slashed petals. They are either extremely exotic or a mess, depending on your taste

‘Westpoint’ is a well-established Lily-flowered tulip with simple colouring. Somehow the clarity of colour accentuates the beautiful shape

‘Abba’ is a ‘knock’em dead’ Double Early tulip. Most of these have a pleasant scent and orange tulips seem to have better perfume than others.

‘Synaeda Amor’ is a relatively recent Triumph tulip. Triumphs are a very varied bunch but tend to be stocky and good bedding varieties.

‘Happy Generation’ is another Triumph tulip, this time with striped flowers that resemble the old Rembrandt or Florist’s tulips. But while the Rembrandts owe their colouring to virus infection this, and other striped tulips, are genetically striped. It is not legal to sell true Rembrandts because they are basically diseased.

‘Daydream’ is a Darwin Hybrid Tulip. The group has a relatively narrow colour range, mostly in red, yellow and orange shades but they are vigorous and owe their huge flower size to being bred from T. fosteriana.

‘Hawera’ is a hybrid from New Zealand and is a fabulous variety that blooms later than most with narrow leaves and each bulb sends up several stems with a couple of sulphur yellow flowers on each. At about 25cm high it is good for pots as well as the garden

‘Tripartite’ is a really unusual short daffodil and the only commonly available multi-headed, split-corona daffodil

‘Kinglet’ is a bright, tall, multi-headed jonquil that is good for cutting and has a wonderful perfume

‘Silver Chimes’ is a tazetta daffodil, meaning it needs a sunny, bright position and has sweet, almost heavy perfume. The bulbs produce deep green foliage and one or two stems, one after the other, with up to eight, relatively large flowers

‘Perfect Lady’ is new to me this year. I love ‘pink’ daffodils and this short-cupped variety has blue-green foliage and slightly nodding (almost demure) flowers with a bright pink cup, lightly frilled, that achieves its colour as soon and the flowers open, unlike some of the older pinks

‘Jamestown’ is a modern, short-cupped daff with pale flowers with just a hint of red around the edge of the cup. It is Irish in origin and seems a good grower so far

‘Segovia’ is a little gem with dainty flowers on 25cm flowers. They are neither big nor that bright but in perfect proportion and perfect for cutting for a cottage-style bunch in a jug, perhaps with some blue brunnera or some early bluebells