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!