I mentioned my favourite spring-zing plant, Euphorbia polychroma, in last week's article about the Oxford Botanic Garden. But there are countless other excellent euphorbias (or spurges) for a variety of places as you would expect from this, the largest plant genus in the world. It contains roughly 2,000 species, though only a meagre 150 find their way into British nurseries. (Oxford Botanic Garden holds a National Collection.) But many are handsome plants that will give months of colour. This blaze of colour lasts an extra long time with euphorbias because each tiny star-shaped flower is usually backed by long-lasting leafy bracts. The Mediterranean species Euphorbia characias, a lover of a well-drained sunny position, makes a real impact early in the year with its whorls of grey-green leaves topped by spring crosiers of acid-yellow. It can often reach more than a metre (39in) and it's an ideal statement plant close to a sunny doorway or against a path. There are several named forms of E. characias and John Tomlinson' and Lambrook Gold' are the most famous.

There are variegated forms too, such as Burrow Silver', Emmer Green' and the new Silver Swan'. But so far I have found them shy growers and they seem to lack true hardiness. You can grow these variegated forms in containers with small true-blue bulbs like scilla and muscari. All forms of E. characias have a natural life span of five years or so. Taking cuttings from new shoots at the base and plunging them straight into horticultural sand will keep your supply of plants going. You will also get seedlings aplenty.

The much lower-growing, prostrate Euphorbia myrsinites spills over the ground, and each fleshy stem is topped with a rounded head of acid-yellow flowers. This plant is often the first euphorbia in flower. Grow it close to blue rosemary in a sun-baked position for February flower, or drape it over a low wall among purple aubretia.

But not all euphorbias need well-drained soil. Euphorbia palustris (palustris meaning literally 'from the marsh') is an ideal plant for rich, damp soils in sun - although it will tolerate drier conditions as well. It flowers in May and June from new shoots and reaches up to a metre (about 3ft). It always needs staking once the shoots reach a foot in height, ideally with a framework of twiggy sticks. The foliage colours up in autumn and this herbaceous perennial looks especially good clashing against the tall magenta hardy geranium Patricia'.

Euphorbia cornigera is equally desirable and a similar size. The true form should bloom in July producing acid-yellow heads against green leaves. The leaves have an attractive white midrib and I like growing it with mauve monardas and Aster x frikartii Monch'. They seem to enjoy the same conditions, good soil and sun.

But every garden has its dark, damp corners, and I always use a fiery euphorbia with orange bracts to brighten up my garden black spots. Euphorbia griffithii Dixter' or the taller Fireglow' will send of asparagus-like shoots in March or April and these will unfurl to create a warm haze of burnt orange.

Dixter' is the brighter of the two and both run through the soil, popping up every now and then, though not in an especially aggressive way.