Sunday was one of those magical fall days: blue skies, colorful leaves, mild temperatures with a gentle breeze perfect for planting bulbs. My friend Kathleen and I spent the entire afternoon together in her garden beds, digging holes and tucking in bulbs. We planted some favorites tulips and daffodils as well as an assortment of minor bulbs. As we worked, Kathleen roasted a leg of lamb, and the breeze brought gentle wafts of the night's meal to tantalize us as we dug and planted.

By the end of the day, our pace had slowed, our knees and hands were dirty, and we were tired and content. Our thoughts were on spring, and the colorful promises under the soil. This single act connects us to the coming year; it is our way of looking forward, beyond the short, cold days of winter to the inevitable thaw. Planting bulbs is an act of faith in nature.

If it has been several years since you planted bulbs, or you're looking for something different to add to your spring landscape, let me tempt you by

sharing some of the ''minor bulbs'' we planted in Kathleen's garden to add color and texture. It's not too late to plant bulbs, although selection may be waning at garden centers or from mail-order catalogs.

The phrase ''minor bulb'' refers to the stepchildren of the bulb world; that is, everything besides tulips, hyacinths and daffodils. The big three are the standard bulbs for spring color; and there certainly are some spectacular offerings in these plants.

What minor bulbs offer is the unexpected different colors, unexpected flower shapes, a variety of heights and bloom times, all of which can combine for a stunning spring display. Unless otherwise mentioned, these bulbs all prefer full sun (beneath deciduous trees can mean full sun in early spring) and well-drained soil.

The earliest flowers

Two of the first bulbs to show themselves in late winter are snowdrops (Galanthus) and winter aconite (Eranthis). Often these bulbs show up while snow still covers the ground. They are a welcome reminder that spring's arrival isn't far behind. Snowdrops have pretty little nodding flowers that resemble a nodding donkey's head at the end of a stalk.

Winter aconite is one of the earliest-flowering plants in the garden, often pushing its bright yellow flowers through the snow. The leaves are dark green and finely divided; the entire plant disappears by May. Winter aconite grows to only about 3 inches tall.

Winter aconite, a member of the buttercup family, performs best in well-drained, humus-rich soil. For best results, plant tubers in fall as soon as they are bought These short plants are best used near an entryway, where they can be seen and enjoyed.

Cheery crocuses

Not to be outdone by their earlier neighbors, crocuses are quick to follow snowdrops and winter aconite with cheery, bright flowers. For reliable bloom, it's tough to beat the crocuses. These popular bulbs reach between 2 and 6 inches in height (depending on the species the genus boasts more than 80), and are available in an assortment of yellow, white and purple blooms.

Not fussy about location, crocuses grow in full sun or in light shade under deciduous trees, in well-drained soil. For naturalizing in lawn areas, plant Dutch crocuses (Crocus vernus). Do not mow the grass until the bulb foliage turns yellow, and plan on supplementing the bulbs every few years for a consistent display.

Allium additions

Most gardeners know alliums only because of chives, onions, leeks and garlic, but many stunning hardy bulbs are also part of this genus. The allium most commonly used in the spring bulb garden is the giant allium (Allium giganteum).

This huge ornamental umbel, sometimes the size of a child's head, can look out of place if planted singly in the garden, or too close to the front of the border. The giant purple heads are supported on 4-foot stalks and are best planted in clusters in the middle or back of the border. Globemaster is one of the most popular selections. To extend the effectiveness of the giant allium flowers, some gardeners use tinted spray paint to color the heads after the flowers fade.

Allium oreophilum is a dainty plant with slender leaves, reaching to only 4 inches. The purplish-pink flowers, appearing in late spring, are about half an inch across.

To contrast, Turkistan onion (A. karataviense) has very broad leaves, nearly 5 inches across. Its flowers are silvery-white, clustered in an umbel about 4 inches across.

Both of these alliums are late spring bloomers, and work well in the front of the border.

Other alliums come in purple, rose-white or bluish-pink hues, some with nodding heads, and others forming stiff balls of flowers. The star of Persia (Allium christophii) has lilac, star-shaped flowers in umbels 8 to 10 inches across, borne on 2-foot stalks. The flower heads dry easily and are said to work well in dried flower arrangements.

Drumstick allium (Allium sphaerocephalon) makes a great addition to a sunny perennial border. The purple, egg-shaped flowers wave atop 2-foot-tall stems in midsummer, and are especially attractive to bees and other pollinators. Because they are summer bloomers, drumstick alliums do not perform well under deciduous trees.

A few more favorites

It's hard to pare the rich selection of minor bulbs to just a few, especially if you love blues and purples.

Camassia leichtlinii is a late spring bloomer with blue flowers born on striking spikes reaching to 4 feet, and it makes a lovely addition to a perennial border.

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) is a tough little bulb that adds true-blue to the springtime garden. Deep-blue nodding flowers are borne in loose clusters on plants reaching a height of about 6 inches. Siberian squill performs best in areas with well-drained soil in full to partial sun.

For best effect in the garden, plant drifts of squills rather than just a few bulbs. Over time, the bulbs will produce offsets and will self-sow, making squills a perfect choice to naturalize under deciduous trees.

Pushkinia, Iris reticulata and Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanicus) are just a few of the many other blue and purple spring flowering minor bulbs worth adding.

A few visits to some of our area's best garden centers to hunt down some of these minor bulbs will be rewarded in the spring, when your yard will be alive with color and texture from these minor bulbs with major charm.