Many summer flowering bulbs, tubers and rhizomes are offered for sale as growing plants, often much earlier in the year than would be possible if they were grown on, at home, from their dry state.
Begonias and lilies, therefore, are available from spring onwards, with dahlias following on soon afterwards.
They are happy kept inside, in warm, light conditions, but do not put them in a position where they will be in full, direct sun, or the flowers will last for only a few days, not weeks.
Terracotta containers always look warm and attractive, but there are many other ways of displaying plants.
Silver or silver colored containers will give a more modern appearance indoors, and can look extremely elegant, especially if the plant is tall and beautifully shaped, such as arum lily.
Do not forget to feed plants every week to ten days with a liquid feed and keep them well watered.
Frequent deadheading will help to prolong the flowering time of arum lilies, dahlias and begonias.
After they have finished flowering, the lilies can be planted out in a sheltered part of the garden, where they will over winter and come into flower again the following year.
Begonia and dahlia tubers can be allowed to go into a dormant state, and then should be kept cool and dry until they can be brought into growth again the following spring.
Short stemmed lilies are ideal for displaying indoors or on a balcony or veranda.
Orange pixie grows to only 12 inches, while peach pixie reaches 16 inches.
Often lilies have a heady fragrance.
For those suffering from pollen allergies, look out for the kiss lily types, which are double and pollen free.