Flowers for Spring
There are two flushes of bloom in the spring.
The first one, supported by spring bulbs and woodland natives, begins and ends before the trees awaken from dormancy.
The spotlight now belongs to early perennials like hellebores, winter aconites, hepaticas, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths.
The early spring garden appears delicate as it dons colorful pastels against a dormant landscape in brown and gray.
The late spring bloom is strong and exuberant, a dress rehearsal for the abundance of summer.
The perennials that are in season now have lush, vibrant blooms and thick foliage, they thrive on excess and burst with energy.
Even though they don’t need an introduction, I’ll still list the stars of the late spring garden.
Overshadowed by the abundant bloom of lilacs and clematis, the peonies, violets, cranesbills, lily-of-the-valley, Turk’s cap lilies, columbines, and bleeding hearts fill the landscape with their color and fragrance.
By now, the trees have sprouted leaves, but many late spring bloomers thrive in the shade. Take Brunnera, for example, which lays dreamy blue flower carpets at the feet of deciduous trees.