Colorful Spring Gardens:
In the spring, while t
s and shrubs are still showing their pale g
n new growth, the early border generally consists of colorful bulbs and a few early blooming pe
n
s against a backdrop of g
n foliage and brown earth. Spring bulbs are perhaps the most important
wer in the early spring garden. Spring bulbs, a welcome sight after a long winter, offer the earliest blooms of all garden
wers. Some bulbs will last until the early pe
n
s begin to bloom in May and June.
There are also some early blooming shrubs which can provide the garden with colorful wers. Forsythia and witch-hazel,
example, bloom long be
e many pe
n
s even begin to emerge from the soil. In fact, in the middle of spring and early summer there are more shrubs and t
s in bloom than at any other time of year.
Most early blooming pen
s are quite suitable
the shade garden. They’re able to take advantage of the sun while it still reaches the ground beneath deciduous t
s which have yet to
m their leaves. Wood
d gardens are often the most colorful
dscapes in the spring since many native, shade tolerant
wers bloom early in the season.
A at early blooming pe
n
the garden is iris which ranges in color from white to purple and in size from a few inches to 4 feet. Bleeding heart is a short lived yet stu
ng pink blooming pe
n
which is at home in both the shade garden the wood
d garden. Columbine, an easy to grow pe
n
, blooms in a variety of colors. Some of the showiest early season
wers include poppy and peony and lupine.
Though there are many early blooming garden pts, g
n is still the dominant color in the spring
dscape so choose a few p
ts with interesting foliage. Hosta grows in many shades of g
n including blue-g
n and gold-g
n. Hosta
ms the perfect backdrop
spring
wers. Everg
ns provide the garden with beautiful shades of g
n year-round. Variegated foliage, like that of the emerald and gold euonymus, brightens up the garden with a mix of light and dark colors.
Spring bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, blue bells and crocuses, are pted in the fall and blooms as early as March. Bulbs are a very versatile
wer as they’re suitable
the pe
n
garden, the shrub bed or even
p
ting in the lawn. They’re most effective when p
ted in masses so p
t quite a few in each area.
Early blooming pen
s are generally short lived and often quickly lose their lush g
n foliage (poppies