Arranging a bulb display

I'm now sorting out all the bulbs that I was growing in the frames
that have been pictured in our newsletter once or twice, and
wondering how to arrange them in the two long (40 by 7 feet) beds in
the new bulb house. I plan to have one section devoted to fall
bloomers, but beyond that I'm not sure. It makes sense to place the
taller species toward the back from the center path (there will be
stepping stones within the beds), and to have one part that is quite
dry in summer and another that gets a little irrigation even when the
bulbs are dormant. Because the bulbs will be directly in the prepared
soil, not in pots, I need to keep very similar ones separated from
one another so I can identify them if I need to lift some for
whatever reason in the future. I'd like your opinions.

The last consideration suggests that each small area should contain
groups of compatible but clearly different plants, such as a
Fritillaria, a Muscari, a Crocus, an Alliumm and a bulbous Iris. This
would result in a display similar to what I had in the frames, where
the plants were grouped only by their moisture requirements, except
for the crocuses, which I had to grow under wire mesh because of mice.

The other kind of arrangement is known as systematic, and it would
mean putting all the members of a genus and then a family in one
section. This might interest botanists, but I might find it rather
boring, and it would also mean that similar species could easily
become confused over time, in spite of permanent labels. Does this
kind of arrangement appeal to you more than a naturalistic one, as
described in the preceding paragraph?

It seems to me that it doesn't matter how close members of a genus
are to one another, because even in a large bulb house of this kind,
hybridization by insects is likely whether two species are 20 cm
apart or 10 meters apart. I would think that the only way to prevent
crossing is to hand-pollinate and protect each species. What do you
find is true?

Another interesting way to arrange a collection is geographically,
but this makes less sense than you might at first think. For
instance, any mountainous country, or even Greek island, is likely to
host plants in various habitats from seaside dunes, to rich meadows,
to snowmelt screes. I have some idea of the habitats of my plants,
but not all of them. I'd be inclined to combine snowmelt species such
as Tecophilaea cyanocrocus, Lewisia brachycalyx, and Crocus sieberi,
even though they come from three different continents. (The first two
grew close together in the frame and were a lovely combination.)

The new home of the bulbs is close to the Portland city center, so I
hope more people will get to see them when they are in flower,
especially now that the greenhouse will shelter not only bulbs but
also people from the rain. (Those who visited during the Winter Study
Weekend will know what I mean -- they even endured hail!) What would
most of them like to see -- a covered rock garden punctuated by a few
rocks and some xeric cushion and mat plants, or a more scientific
botanical display?

Comments very welcome,
Jane McGary