Spring is upon us and bulbs are popping up all over. Although I love daffodils and feel that one can never have too many, there are a host of other spring bulbs that are beautiful, easy to grow and long lived in the garden.

Some, like snowflake, Leucojum aestivum "gravetye giant," form large clumps and grow 18 to 30 inches tall or taller. The white bell-shaped flowers tipped in green add movement to the garden as they dance in the breeze. I have some planted in an area where I grow azaleas, hellebores, Christmas ferns and other woodland delights like Pulmonaria, also known as lungwort, but this versatile bulb will also thrive in damp soils in sun or shade.

Brent and Beckys Bulbs (ENLARGE)

Dark Eyes Grape Hyacinth are Erica's pick of the week.

Erica Glasener / Special (ENLARGE)

The white, bell-shaped flowers of 'gravetye giant' add movement to the garden when they dance in the breeze.

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A good combination for shady damp sites is Senecio aureus, golden ragwort, Leucojum aestivum and Acorus gramineus "ogon" with its variegated yellow and green grass-like foliage.

Bigger is not always best, and there are a number of smaller spring bulbs that are perfect for tucking into existing gardens or containers, as well as naturalizing in lawns, rock gardens or the woodland. In Brent and Becky's Bulbs catalogue (the spring and fall flowering offerings), they refer to many of these bulbs as " shoes and socks" for larger daffodils, tulips and hyacinths.

Among the earliest to bloom is Chionodoxa luciliae, sometimes called glory of the snow. Growing 4 to 5 inches tall with two or three star-like flowers per stem, they are lavender blue with a white center. This heirloom is a charmer.

There is also a white form called "alba." If you naturalize them in a lawn, make sure to wait five to six weeks before mowing off the foliage. If you feel compelled to mow earlier, set the mower on the highest setting and mow over the flowers.

Another heirloom that dates to 1877 is grape hyacinth, Muscari armeniacum, with tiny spikes 4 inches to 6 inches of cobalt blue flowers. They are long lasting and fragrant (with a sweet scent similar to grapes), but not appealing to squirrels or chipmunks. Fall is a good time to fertilize all your spring bulbs and because it puts up its foliage in the fall, grape hyacinth is a good marker for where other bulbs are planted. I like to see pockets of grape hyacinth in the woodland or tucked into container gardens.

Also pest resistant is Scilla siberica, called spring beauty, with bell-like blooms in shades of blue, white, pink and violet. Depending on the selection, they range in size from 3 inches to 8 inches tall. Like snowflakes, this bulb will tolerate a fair amount of shade and is perfect for the informal garden as it reseeds freely.

If you're hesitant to try growing some of these smaller bulbs start with star flower, Ipheion uniflorum. Chances are you've seen them blooming and may not have known it. Growing only 2 inches to 3 inches tall, these old-fashioned favorites are easy to grow and spread by seed in the lawn or garden.

The flowers, which vary from almost white to soft violet, have a sweet perfume, but if you crush the foliage, it smells like garlic. Like other members of the lily family, star flower is pest resistant. Plant it on its own or combine it with other bulbs like small daffodils and tulips. It also looks good with hellebores and the later blooming wood hyacinths, Hyacinthoides hispanica "excelsior."

ERICA'S PICK

DARK EYES GRAPE HYACINTH

Botanical name: Muscari aucheri "dark eyes"

About the plant: Fragrant spikes of rich blue flowers with frosted white edges, 4 to 6 inches tall in mid-spring. Puts up foliage in the fall, which makes it a perfect marker for other spring bulbs.

Use in the garden: Great for naturalizing in drifts or planting in containers with other bulbs like daffodils and tulips.

Planting and care: Plant this selection of grape hyacinth in full sun or part shade in a moist well-drained soil.

Source: Scottsdale Farms, 15639 Birmingham Highway, (Ga. 372) Alpharetta, GA 30004; 770-777-5875

Mail order: www.BrentandBeckysbulbs.com (for shipment in the fall)

Erica Glasener is a horticulturist and host of "A Gardener's Diary," which returns to HGTV on Thursdays at 7 a.m. beginning April 3.