I missed the subtle British humor re. infectious enthusiasms at first pass! Geophytes and cacti are good companions, but I'm not adding the latter to my bulb beds for the reason Matt Mattus mentioned: "Do you have any problems with weeds?" I think the only way to weed around a cactus is to use a long-nosed pliers or large tweezers. I recall my mother doing that with her cactus collection, which I hated as a child. For the bulb beds, I use a shellfish tool shaped like a long, narrow spoon, so the rounded edge doesn't damage the bulbs as I scoop out the hundreds of cress and Eccremocarpus seedlings. The latter, a Chilean climber, is very decorative on the screened sides of the bulb house, attracting hummingbirds, but I can't reach all the capsules to prevent its releasing its wind-dispersed seeds. Fortunately, the seedlings are not quite hardy in the open here. I think you could almost call it a geophyte -- it has an enlarged rhizome. I've also caused my own problems with weeds by planting a lot of dryland annuals in a graveled area next to the bulb house, as a way of utilizing a space that has to be left available for vehicle access to the back garden. It looks from the photos like John Lonsdale is growing his Asphodelus acaulis near a building foundation? I haven't tried it in the open yet, but since being released from its mesh pot last spring it has grown fast and I should have a spare crown to play with next summer. This is a wonderful low plant producing many flowers of an unusual warm pink color in late winter. The foliage, though profuse, is not long or messy. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA