As you contemplate the relentless rain, envisage a host of spring bulbs spangling your lawn. Autumn is the time to plant bulbs that will flower through your lawn in the spring and early summer. Consider the aspect of your lawn and how much moisture it has, and dream about the look you want to achieve.
I've a woodland area on one side of my garden, and cyclamen species- such as the spring flowering Cyclamen coum will suit the dry conditions under the oak tree.
I already have the autumn-flowering Cyclamen hederifolium in pots cheering up the path to the front door and around the lilac tree.
Hyacinthoides non-scripta (Bluebells to most of us), naturalise beautifully in dappled shade and they have a gorgeous scent- I've lots in my garden already
For all of your bulb planting, mow the turf first (assuming you are planting in your lawn), and use a bulb planter or pointed trowel to plant the bulbs pointed end up and at least twice their depth. For a natural look, throw handfuls onto the turf and plant them where they fall (moving any that fall too close together).
Crocus varieties naturalise well in grass. Try Crocus chrysanthus (the smallest crocus and one of the earliest to flower) in lavender, yellow and cream, or C. tommasinianus (which is lilac pink, and spreads really well). I have another early-flowering crocus in my garden- C. sieberi. The picture below is from early February this year.
Narcissus species (daffodils) naturalise in grass really well, including small varieties such as N. pseudonarcissus (the Lent lily). You can naturalise larger daffodils too, but bear in mind that their leaves might be unsightly until it's time to mow them down- you need to leave them until they start to die down, or else the bulbs won't have replenished their energy reserves for the next flowering.