I'm assuming that if someone asked Kathleen Sayce about this, they live near her, on the Pacific Northwest coast. Many of the plants people have recommended, although thought to be "hardy in Zone 8" , would not survive winters there, especially in a planter above ground. The USDA zone ratings simply don't work west of the Rocky Mountains. Some bulbs that I have in summer-irrigated areas include hybrid daffodils, Fritillaria meleagris, Eucomis species and hybrids, Ipheion (already mentioned), Galanthus, Corydalis solida selections ('Beth Evans' is widely available in garden centers now), Cyclamen hederifolium (will grow anywhere in this region), Erythronium revolutum, many Muscari, Tulipa sylvestris, Crocus vernus forms, and many Arum species. The Eucomis can be used to provide summer foliage interest when the others are dormant. They should, however, be heavily mulched over winter -- I'm not sure if they would survive freezing in a container. There are of course many other kinds of bulbs that could be used, but those are the ones that are commercially available. Fritillaria meleagris, in the USA, is best purchased as a potted plant in growth, since the bare bulbs offered in garden centers have usually been stored too long and are likely to be dead. I was fortunate to be able to buy some named varieties from the UK many years ago, which came in good condition, and from them have descended hundreds of offsets and seedlings. SInce I moved to a site with clay soil rather than the gritty soil at my former home, they have flourished even more, which I attribute to the moisture retention they now experience. Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA