Spring Bloomers with Pizzazz

We gardeners like to grow many different plants but there are a few that, over time, grow on us. In today’s blog, I’ll let you in on a few of my favorite early-blooming garden plants, ones that I feel have pizzazz!

An early spring vignette (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

GLORY-OF-THE-SNOW

Snow Glories, as I call them, aren’t the first of my early spring minor bulbs to bloom but they are the most dramatic in appearance. The tiny blue star-shaped flowers have a white center which creates a look that magically sparkles! Preferring the sunnier edges of the garden, each bulb grows to about 6 inches tall and produces 5 to 10 flowers on sturdy mahogany-colored stems. After blooming, they readily self-sow to provide even more sparkling flowers for next spring! Glory-of-the-Snow is hardy in Zones 3 to 8 and should be planted in the fall, so make a note now to add these beauties to your bulb list.

Glory-of-the-Snow sparkles in early spring (Photo by Mabel Amber on Pixabay)

DAFFODIL ‘THALIA’

Serene ‘Thalia’ is indeed a lovely sight to behold in my early May garden as she enhances the blooms of other spring bulbs as well as early perennials. One of the Triandrus Narcissus, each 12 to 14 inch stem carries 1 to 3 blooms with a delightful fragrance. Thalia is an award-winning heirloom variety that dates back to 1916 and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Orchid’ Narcissus. Long-lived in the garden, her delicate appearance belies a tough constitution with the ability to hold up to changeable New England spring weather. Thalia is hardy in Zones 3 to 9, is more tolerant of shady areas and damp soils than other daffodils, and multiplies willingly each year to fill your garden with more of these gorgeous flowers!

Thalia in my woodland garden (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

OLD-FASHIONED BLEEDING HEART

Beloved by children as well as grown-ups, Bleeding Heart can grow into impressive clumps up to three feet tall and wide in areas where they receive plenty of morning sun, some afternoon shade and moist rich soil. They bloom with delicate arching sprays of pink or white hearts for several weeks in spring but these plants go dormant and die mysteriously back to the ground once summer seriously starts to heat up. Because of this disappearing act, it’s best to plant later emerging perennials such as ferns and hostas nearby to fill the gaps left in the garden .

Bleeding Heart blooms hang from gracefully arching stems (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Bleeding Heart is one of my earliest blooming perennials and as such combines beautifully with mid to late season Daffodils and Tulips as well as Brunnera, Ajuga, Pulmonaria, Solomon’s Seal, Wood Hyacinth, Forget-me-Nots and Hellebores. Native to Siberia and Northern China, Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart is hardy even in Zone 2.

White Bleeding Heart with Wood Hyacinth and Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

BRUNNERA ‘JACK FROST’

Brunnera loves part shade and moist but well-draining soil. Tiny soft blue flowers resembling Forget-Me-Nots appear on delicate stems in spring but it’s the silvery heart-shaped foliage that makes this plant light up the garden all season long. Growing only 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, Jack Frost slowly spreads by rhizomes making it a great groundcover for shady gardens or an underplanting for roses. Brunnera, also known as Siberian Bugloss, is hardy in Zones 3 to 8.

Tiny blue flowers cover Brunnera in May (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

LAMIUM ‘WHITE NANCY’

Early-blooming ‘White Nancy’ can tolerate quite a bit of sun but grows best in gardens where it receives some afternoon shade. It’s a low-growing plant to about 12 inches tall with a spread of about 24 inches, making it a great filler for gardens where it weaves itself charmingly through other plants. In patio pots, White Nancy not only plays the role of ‘filler’ but also spills gracefully over the side. The white flowers appear in May and repeat in flushes throughout the summer and into fall. The combination of bright white flowers and silvery foliage make this plant positively glow in the garden. Lamium is also an attractive addition to white or moon gardens and is hardy in Zones 3 to 8.

A lamium flower just beginning to open (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

All of the above plants are not only super hardy and easy to care for but also deer and rabbit resistant!

Early Spring Power Perennials

We all have favorite early spring bloomers and, today, I’ll talk about some of mine – three stellar plants that are beautiful, hardy and low maintenance – my criteria for qualifying as “power” perennials!

For most of us right now it’s all about the early blooms of bulbs, but soon enough our sleeping perennials will emerge in a big way.  Combining perennials with bulbs is not only beautiful but a great way to keep the garden looking tidy as the growing plants will hide the dying foliage of the bulbs that have come and gone.  The earliest perennials will even share the stage with our blooming bulbs and enhance their beauty.

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Old-fashioned Bleeding Heart (Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash)

One example of such a plant is the classic, old-fashioned Bleeding Heart, so named for the multiple pink heart-shaped blooms that are carried on its graceful arching stems.  When planted in compost-rich soil in an area with plenty of morning sun, these plants can grow 2 to 3 feet in height and width.  With their large size, they make an impressive statement all on their own but combined with daffodils, tulips, or bluebells, the effect is enchanting!  I love the combination of white “Thalia” daffodils with pink Bleeding Heart and a sprinkling of bluebells.  The plants will remain robust for many weeks after the early bulbs have bloomed but, in the heat of summer, Bleeding Heart dies back to the ground where it will sleep until the following spring.  Because of this, I find it best to plant another perennial nearby that will fill the leftover gap.  Hostas, which enjoy similar growing conditions but are slower to emerge in spring, make the perfect summer companions.  You can grow Bleeding Heart in US Zones 3 to 9 and they’re deer and rabbit resistant.

Heuchera Black Taffeta Wayside Gardens
Heuchera “Black Taffeta” shines next to bright greens (Photo courtesy Wayside Gardens)

The second early power perennial on my list is the Heuchera, also known as Coral Bells.  Growing in popularity every year, these tough little plants come in color variations too numerous to mention, from the deepest purple to the brightest yellow-green!  They sport tiny flowers on dainty spikes throughout the summer months but it’s the color of the foliage that makes these plants shine in pots and borders.  In my Zone 6 garden, heucheras remain evergreen and are one of the first perennials to spring back every year!  On the smaller side at 12 to 18 inches in height and width, heucheras look stunning grouped together at the feet of larger perennials, especially with a contrasting or complementary color.  I use heuchera “Lime Rickey” nestled around cimicifuga “Hillside Black Beauty” to make both colors pop.  They prefer afternoon shade but can take more sun if kept evenly moist.  Heucheras grow best in US Zones 4 to 8 and are deer and rabbit resistant.

Candytuft ToGoGarden iberis-sempervirens-snowcone
Candytuft Close-Up (Photo courtesy ToGoGarden)

Looking for some eye candy?  Candytuft or Iberis is another old-fashioned plant that remains evergreen in my garden and blooms for weeks with masses of pure white flowers.  Native to the Mediterranean, these low-growing plants prefer rocky, well-drained soil and are perfect for use in rock gardens along with creeping phlox, rock cress, “Basket of Gold” alyssum and colorful spring bulbs.  They grow anywhere from 6 to 10 inches tall and spread 12 to 30 inches depending upon the cultivar.  After blooming, I like to remove the spent flowers and enjoy the dark green foliage through the rest of the season.  Candytuft prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade, especially in hot areas.  Drought-tolerant once established and also deer resistant, they can be grown in US Zones 3 to 9.

nature flowers plant spring
Cheerful Pansy Faces (Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com)

April to mid-May is the perfect time of year to visit local nurseries where only the hardiest plants have been moved outside, all ready for gardens and pots.  This is a great way to find early blooming perennials to fill out your spring garden including the fine plants mentioned above.  And don’t forget to add some cheerful pansies and violas while you’re at it!

Potted Perennials in Spring
Sweet Alyssum, Heuchera, and Violas in Early Spring Pots (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

 

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