Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Spring Blooms II


Looking for spring flower ideas to
extend the show in your garden?


Tulips are a mainstay of the spring garden and
come in all sizes and colors.
But there are options beyond tulips.

This is the second in a series 
highlighting spring flowers. 
Early Spring Blooms started the parade (see them here).
The flowers highlighted in this post were
blooming in mid to late April in
south central Pennsylvania. 

Basket of Gold (Aurinia saxitalis), with its vivid yellow flowers, makes a
nice base for tulips.


Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) is a classic spring beauty.
Gold leaved varieties (pictured at the top), such as 'Gold Heart' 
add a new twist and light up the garden.
Since Bleeding Heart foliage goes dormant in the summer,
interplant it with summer blooming perennials to cover the gaps.


Fringed Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia) is a smaller plant
with a more delicate look.
It remains effective and
blooms through the summer in this region.


 Another fine-textured spring flower,
dreamy blue Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans), is a nice
contrast for bold tulips. 


The yellow daisy-like flowers of Leopard's Bane (Doronicum orientale)
are bright and cheerful. 
Be aware that Leopard's Bane 
goes dormant in the heat of summer.


Windflower (Anemone blanda) makes a 
pleasant groundcover under this tree.
Be sure to have a plan B as well, since these will also
go dormant following flowering.


Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans) is an aggressive spreader and is
grown as a groundcover, but 
has a bright blue spring display. 


A sedate spreader, Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) is an
evergreen groundcover that interplants well with other perennials.
Crisp white flower clusters cover the plant in spring.


Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) is a
wonderful spring flowering perennial. 
After the dainty blue flowers fade, 
the heart shaped foliage
remains effective all season and makes a nice groundcover.

Cultivars offer
variegated and yellow foliage options for
Siberian Bugloss to add
even more interest.


Cowslip (Primula veris) provides a
punch of color
atop sturdy leaves.

The light, airy Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia) blooms are
just beginning to open in this photo -  
a petite plant worth including in a shade garden.


Don't let Lungwort's (Pulmonaria) common name scare you. 
Its spotted foliage, which supposedly resembles a diseased liver,
is the main attraction.
The subtle spring flowers are an added bonus.


Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are a
beautiful companion to Tulips. 
This is another spring perennial to interplant with others
since they'll go dormant in the summer.


The massive potential of Wisteria sinensis (Chinese Wisteria) is
vividly illustrated in this vine near my home. 
The impressive violet flowers make quite a show, but
be aware that it's considered invasive in many parts of the US (read about it here). 

The wonderful fragrance of
Korean Spice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) flowers,
adds another dimension to their beauty.   


The pinkish glow of Koreanspice Viburnum flowers.

 
The subtle flowers of Purple-leaved Sand Cherry are complemented by its 
red-purple foliage, which provides
 interest throughout the growing season. 


Oregon Grapeholly (Mahonia aquifolium) is a 
sturdy, small evergreen shrub which
lights up in spring with yellow flowers.


Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles x superba) has a rather ungainly form, but the
brilliant flowers are a welcome sight in the
lull between Forsythia and other flowering shrubs.
An evergreen backdrop would make 
the bright Flowering Quince blooms pop.


Flowering Trees are another major  
part of the spring flower act, but that's
a post for another day.

Go ahead, get more spring color in your garden!

7 comments:

HolleyGarden said...

Very nice! I'm adding to my list!

Island Threads said...

thanks Chris it's a wonderful list I particularly love the yellow daisies and will be looking out for some to buy, I wish my flowering quince would start to flower, Frances

Cat said...

Your spring flowers are gorgeous! The only one we have in common is the quince...interesting isn't it? And that was blooming here a couple of months ago. I love blogland! I love seeing all the flowers of the world!

Donna said...

great diversity of plants...may also have to add to the list

Carolyn @ Carolyn's Shade Gardens said...

I really love to reconnect with all the beautiful spring flowers that have finished in my garden, thanks.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the great list of spring-blooming plants. It's a good idea to interplant these with summer-blooming perennials. I also love the 'Gold Heart' bleeding heart. I need to plant one of those.

Chris said...

HolleyGarden: The list never ends, does it? ;-)
Frances: It's hard to wait for spring to get going. It's taken off here and I haven't been able to keep up since!
Cat: Spring is so refreshing with its abounding blooms. It is great fun to travel the world through blogs!
Donna: What would we do without a wish list?
Carolyn: You have such a wonderful collection!
Ramona: I love the bright color of those leaves. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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