Spring Combinations II

Delicate peach Iris
turns dramatic when paired with
bright blue perennial Salvia.

Effective combinations bring out the best in plants.

Here are a few
that caught my eye around town
earlier this spring....

Photo taken at Hershey Gardens

Blue Star (Amsonia hubrichtii) and yellow Iris

emphasize deep purple spikes of

Caradonna Meadow Sage (Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna'),

Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) and Blue Flax (Linun lewisii) 

create cool waves of color.

This casual bank covering seems like

a good spot for the drought tolerant

Evening Primrose, which can spread aggressively.

Red poppies (Papaver) and

Blue Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

make a free and easy duo.

A pretty pink and blue palette:

Perennial Salvia (Salvia 'May Night' - middle right)

Catmint (Nepeta racemosa - bottom left)

Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis - top right corner)

Coralbells (Heuchera - center)

Deep pink Knockout roses (top)

Pale pink carpet roses (middle left)

See more spring combinations here.

Scilla Siberica - Be Careful What You Wish

I fell in love with Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica) from

photos showcasing 

naturalized masses of dainty blue flowers

cheering up woodland scenes.

I've long admired these swathes of 

clear blue blooms

in a lovely garden in town.

  

So pretty with daffodils.

  

But this year, the show got a bit out of control.  

The scilla has jumped the bounds of neatly groomed beds and 

spread across the lawn.

It's even spread 

across the street and 

taken over the neighbors yard.

  

Siberian Squill's ability to create a 

dramativ show is due to its

hardiness and tendency to spread,

both by bulb offshoots and self-seeding.

But this strength can turn into its biggest liability.

I've been trying to determine 

whether Scilla siberica is invasive, and 

have read conflicting reports.

• Minnesota Wildflowers calls it invasive.
• Missouri Botanical Garden states that it will naturalize rapidly, but does not list it as invasive.
• Penn State Extension recommends it.

I've not found a definitive indication that 

Scilla siberica is truly invasive.

However, this example highlights the 

importance of understanding the 

characteristics of plants you plant in your garden.

Update:

For more information on 

Scilla siberica's invasive qualities, 

read the last few comments below-

several share their 

inability to remove scilla from their gardens.

While charming photos of

bright blue Scilla siberica may lure you,

be careful what you wish for...

before long you may have more than you bargained for.

If you choose to plant it,

plant it where its spreading nature will be welcome,

not where it will create future frustration.

  

Shimmering Crocus Sea

Bright Snow Crocus blooms

burst through winter's bubble. 

Snow Crocus (Crocus tommasinianus)

comes early, as its name suggests.

A beautiful sight,

they arrive just when you

feel that winter will never end.

I happened upon this 

sea of purple in mid February, 

a feast for my color starved eyes.

Crocus tommasinianus naturalizes,

spreading by offsets and self-seeding.

I can't imagine these beauties bothering anyone,

but the small corms can be  

difficult to sift from soil once established. 

 Snow Drops (Galanthus),

another early bloomer, make a

nice companion planting.

Can spring be far behind?

To see more winter bloomers, click here.

Spring Combinations I

Even better than spring flowers are 

great spring flower combinations.

Take a look at some

pretty pairs spotted

early this spring.

Perky yellow tulips brighten

the receding blue of

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), above.

Charteuse coral bells (Heuchera var.) and

deep green foliage make a nice foil to accentuate

blue Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica).

 

Primary colors blue and red of

grape hyacinth and

cowslip (Primula veris)

make a bright early spring combination.

A quieter color scheme,

grape hyacinth and daffodils

are bright spots

amid new Hosta shoots.

Daffodils clustered around a

star magnolia (Magnolia stellata)

shout out the start of spring.
 

Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia), foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia),

Caramel coral bells (Heuchera 'Caramel') and candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)

make a nice spring grouping.

Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia)

also looks great with

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) and grape hyacinth.

Or give it a bold textural contrast
with a broad-leaved foliage plant,

like cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior).

Shocking pink tulips are another option.
The monocromatic colors create unity while the

textural variety adds interest.

 

Variegated hosta set a nice stage for

bright pink bleeding heart blooms (Dicentra spectabilis).

Dainty blue Siberian bugloss

(Brunnera macrophylla) flowers provide a

contrasting counterpoint to the

bold foliage of 

variegated Solomon's seal

(Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum 'Variegatum').

Pink tulips echoing the

pale pink hues of weeping cherry,

heighten the effect.

 

A bright yellow background of

Emerald 'N Gold euonymus

(Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'N Gold') 

helps these

red tulips pop. 

 

A single bold tulip and shy bunny are

highlighted within the neutral frame of

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) and white variegated hosta.
 

Tulips and early blooming

PJM Azaleas (Rhododendron 'PJM')

make a pretty pair.

Emerging variegated sedge (Carex var.- front) and

creeping phlox (Phlox subulata - rear) are also

nice companion plants to tulips. 

Make your spring flowers even

more spectacular

by highlighting them

in effective combinations.

Spring Blooms III - Beyond Azaleas

Azaleas

Azaleas and Rhododendrons certainly

light up the spring garden.

For some, they may be a bit too electric.

If you're looking for spring flowering shrubs

with a more subtle show,

check out these options.

 

Rhododendron

The airy white flowers of Slender Deutzia (Deutzia gracilis) are
effective for a number of weeks. 

Deutzia gracilis 'Nikko' is a dwarf variety which

maintains a height of about 2 feet with a spread of 2-5 feet.

Deutzia can be grown in full sun to part shade.

Slender Deutzia close-up.

White flower spikes cover the evergreen

Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken').

Plant Cherry Laurel in full sun to part shade.

 

Variegated Weigela (Weigela florida var.)
branches, laden with flowers,
arch gently toward the ground.

For best flowering, site Weigela in full sun.

Weigela 

Weigela 'Wine and Roses' has purplish foliage .

It's easy to see where

Bridalwreath Spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei) got its common name -

pristine white flowers trace arching brances
to create quite a spring show.

Bridalwreath Spirea flower clusters.
Best in full sun, Bridalwreath Spirea tolerates light shade.

Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) has moderately effective spring flowers.

They're an added bonus to its spectacular fall foliage - see it here and here).

Dwarf Fothergilla grows in full sun to part shade.

Feathery Dwarf Fothergilla blooms.

The vibrant yellow-orange flowers of

seemt to glow on the casual-looking,

Japanese Kerria (Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora') shrub.

Grow Japanese Kerria in part shade to shade.

 

Sunny Japanese Kerria flowers.

If you want fragrant Lilac flowers,

but are short on space, consider

Miss Kim Korean Lilac (Syringa pubescens subsp. patula 'Miss Kim').

Miss Kim is a compact variety with good mildew resistance. 

Lilacs bloom best in full sun, but tolerate light shade.

 

Showy white flowers perched along horizontal branches

create a splendid display on 

Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum). 

Doublefile Viburnum grows in sun to part shade.

Doublefile Viburnum flowers

For more spring flowering plants, see

Early Spring flowers and

Spring Flowers II.