Early Blooming Flowers: What to plant for Early Spring Blooms

Gardeners in cold climates can still enjoy colorful flowers in the garden as early as March and even February in some areas, even when there is still snow on the ground. How early certain bulbs, perennials and shrubs will bloom varies from one zone to the next, and even on the location within your own garden (depending on sun, shelter, etc.). The following list is by no means exhaustive, but will give you ideas for some early bloomers that are good bets for producing flowers in late winter and early spring.

EARLY BLOOMING BULBS
Plant these tiny early risers in the fall for late winter/early spring blooms. They will bloom well before your daffodils and tulips.

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa gigantea)
Flower: Blue, Pink, or White
Height: approx. 4 inches

Siberian Squill ( Scilla sibirica)
Flower: Blue or White
Height: approx. 5 inches

Snow Crocus (Crocus chrysanthus)
Flower: White, Gold, Blue or Purple
Height: approx. 4 inches

Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)
Flower: White
Height: approx. 4 inches

Winter Aconite (Eranthus Hyemalis)
Flower: Yellow
Height: approx. 4 inches

Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectablis, D. eximia, D. formosana)
Flower: Red, Pink, or White
Height: varies with species
Hardy to Zone 3
Full shade to Partial Sun

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Flower: White
Height: 6 to 8 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Shade to Partial Sun

Primrose (Primula denticulata, P. vulgaris, P. veris)
Flower: White, Pink, Yellow, or Purple
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Hardy to Zone 5
Full Shade to Partial Sun

Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)
Flower: White, Pink, or Purple
Height: 12 to 18 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Shade to Partial Sun

Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Flower: White or Purple
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun

Sweet Violet (Viola odorata)
Flower: Blue, Purple, or Pink
Height: 6 to 8 inches
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Shade to Partial Sun

Forsythia (Vermont Sun) (Forsythia mandschurica)
Flower: Yellow
Height: 6 to 8 feet
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun

Korean Spice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii)
Flower: White
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Hardy to Zone 5
Full Sun to Partial Shade

Rhododendron (Cornell Pink) (Rhododendron mucronulatum)
Flower: Pink
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun to Partial Shade

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Flower: Yellow
Height: 6 to 10 feet
Hardy to Zone 5
Full Sun to Partial Shade

Spring Heath (Springwood Pink & Springwood White) (Erica carnea)
Flower: Pink or White
Height: 8 to 12 inches
Hardy to Zone 5
Full Sun to Partial Shade

White Forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum)
Flower: White
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun to Partial Shade

I hope the above listed bulbs, perennials, and shrubs will give you ideas about how to get started with your late winter/early spring garden. There are many more varieties of early-blooming plants, and this list is just meant to give you a push in the right direction. Of course, these plants all need to be in the ground before winter comes, so there is some advance planning involved. The important thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to wait for the daffodils and tulips before you see some flowers in your garden to welcome the return of spring.

Gardening with Flower Bulbs
Think Spring- Think bulbs... but plant soon.

Nothing says spring quite like a daffodil, crocus or tulip. Bulbs, however, can fill your garden with vibrant color from early spring through late summer. They are, in general, very hearty, easy to grow and care for, and will bloom year after year. With just a little effort, you can have colorful blooms from your bulbs all through the spring and summer. Daffodils, iris, tulips, gladiolus, hyacinth, and daylilies are just some of the many bulb favorites.

Choosing Bulbs:
Bulbs are easy to purchase over the internet. When buying bulbs, the larger the better in order to ensure a good bloom (bulb size is usually listed as DNI being the largest, DNII being smaller, and DNIII being smallest).

Good bulbs should also be firm (avoid signs of rotting or softness) and should not exhibit signs of external damage such as cracks and deep scratches. Avoid bulbs that are already growing shoots or roots. Before planting, keep bulbs stored in a cool, dry location without direct sunlight.

When deciding which type of bulb to purchase, think about timing. Are you looking for color for early spring? mid-summer? Perhaps you would like several types of bulbs that bloom at different times so that you have color extended throughout spring and summer? (see Related Links below) Here are some recommendations for which bulbs bloom at what time.

Early Spring Blooms:
Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) – Hardy to Zone 3
Galanthus (Snowdrop) – Hardy to Zone 3
Eranthis (Winter Aconite) – Hardy to Zone 4

Mid-Spring Blooms:
Hyacinthus (Hyacinth) – Hardy to Zone 3
Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) – Hardy to Zone 3
Narcissus (Daffodil) – Hardy to Zone 4
Tulipa (Tulip) – Hardy to Zone 3
Crocus (Crocus) – Hardy to Zone 3
Anemone (Windflower) – Hardy to Zone 4
Scilla (Bluebell) – Hardy to Zone 3

Late Spring Blooms:
Allium (Allium) – Hardy to Zone 5
Convallaria (Lily of the Valley) – Hardy to Zone 3
Sparaxis (Harlequin Flower) – Hardy to Zone 9
Trillium (Wood Lily) – Hardy to Zone 5

Early-to-Mid Summer Blooms:
Gladiolus (Sword Lily) – Hardy to Zone 7
Iris (Iris) – Hardy to Zone 4
Dahlia (Dahlia) Hardy to Zone 8
Hemerocallis (Daylily) – Hardy to Zone 4
Lilium (Lily) – Hardy to Zone 4
Ornithogalum (Star of Bethlehem) – Hardy to Zone 8
Acidanthera (Peacock Flower) – Hardy to Zone 7
Crocosmia (Montebretia) – Hardy to Zone 7
Ranunculus (Persian Buttercup) – Hardy to Zone 7

Late Summer Blooms:
Amaryllis (Belladonna Lily) – Hardy to Zone 7

Autumn Blooms:
Colchicum (Meadow saffron) – Hardy to Zone 5

Planting Bulbs:
As a rule of thumb, bulbs should be planted in the fall (roughly early to mid-October). You want to get the bulbs in the ground about six weeks before the ground starts to freeze. Plant the bulbs in well-prepared soil. Planting depth is determined by the type of bulb (4 inches deep for crocus, 6 inches deep for daffodils and hyacinths, 8 inches deep for tulips). Spacing is also determined by the type of the bulb, but, in general, plant bulbs about four to six inches apart. If you prefer a more formal look of rows, you may wish to invest in a bulb planter. If you desire a more natural, clumped look, dig a wider hole that can accommodate several bulbs (5 to 10) planted together. A small amount of fertilizer can be added at the bottom of each hole, then covered with a thin layer of soil so that the bulb is not resting directly on the fertilizer. Bulbs should be placed into the hole pointed end up with the flat rooting side facing down. Cover the holes with soil and give the bulbs a thorough soaking of water.

Caring for Bulbs:
Dead-heading
Dead-heading (removing dead flowers) will allow the plants to put all their energy into new and existing flowers. Do not, however, remove the leaves once the flowers have gone until they start to turn brown.

Winter Care
In climates of zone 6 and below (click here to find your zone), many bulbs are hearty enough to make it through the winter in the ground. Varieties that are vulnerable to frost, such as dahlias, should be dug up and wintered in a frost-free environment. Better yet, unless you just have to have that dahlia, just opt to plant the varieties that can spend the winter in the ground.

Bulbs are a wonderful way (with minimal effort) to bring vibrant color to your garden throughout the spring and summer. With just a little work in the fall, you can enjoy beautiful blooms as early as next spring!

FRAGRANT FLOWERS
Enjoy a fragrant garden all year long

In our everyday life, the average human draws 23,000 breaths a day. Included in every breath are the scents of our immediate surroundings, relaying a myriad of information. It is in this spirit that we plant our gardens with fragrant plants.

We do not want to rely on just one plant to provide aroma in our garden. We strive to provide a palette of scent; a “buffet” for the nose to consume. In that same spirit, we should not lean solely on the flowers for the fragrance in our garden. The pungence of artemesia or the tang of lemon thyme can be perfect counterpoints for the spicy odor of flowers. Boxwood can not only define the border of the garden; it can be the canvas for a complex painting of aromas.

Finally, the garden should not lack fragrance at any time of year. Even our garden chores can provide us with memory provoking scents. In the fall, the scent of burning leaves accompanies our annual clean up, and the smell of apples and pumpkins remind us of Thanksgivings past. In the winter, the smell of cut evergreens defines the Christmas holiday as surely as snow or Santa, and as the season progresses, forced paperwhites or hyacinths can herald the approach of spring.

Flower fragrance is food for the soul
As much as aroma is food for the nose, it is also food for the soul. Nothing is as sure to bring a smile to any face as a whiff of the first bloom on a fragrant viburnum or daphne in spring. It is the confirmation of the promise of spring, a sure link to the goodness of the earth, and a vacation, if ever so fleeting, for the senses. There is a luxury in the perfumes of the garden, a luxury that remains enticingly in reach of almost everyone. So please indulge yourself and plant some of the flowers and shrubs listed here. You will thank yourself nearly 23,000 times a day.

Planning your flower garden
Let’s look at some of the logistics of planting our fragrant garden. First of all, we want to be able to enjoy our scented plants as much as possible. This necessitates our placing the garden close to the house. There are several different reasons for this.

• One - Close placement to the house allows us to enjoy the fragrant aroma from inside the house as well as in the garden.
• Secondly - The reflected heat from a wall or patio can intensify the odors from many plants, giving us more bang for our buck.
• Finally - If the fragrant plants are set out in the open yard, the wind can whisk away the scent we worked so hard to produce. Providing an enclosed space, such as a courtyard will allow the fragrance to collect and intensify; even a leeward wall will provide us with more flower power for the nose.

Next, we need to consider the reason the plants have scent in the first place. Much as people use colognes and perfume to attract the opposite sex, plants use fragrance as a part of their sexual function, attracting insects to distribute their pollen. Keeping this in mind, one has to consider that the more fragrant the plant, the more insects it is likely to attract. If someone in your household is allergic to insect bites, you will have to site the garden in a location that allows that person to avoid it. If this means locating the garden away from the house, you can create your enclosure by using some of the scented shrubs and trees to create a barrier from the wind. You definitely have to count on increased bee and bug activity around your scented plants. People asking for a fragrant plant that doesn’t attract bees are confused about what the plant is trying to accomplish!

Seasonal considerations
Finally, we need to consider when we would like the fragrance in the yard. If we are landscaping a summer home, it doesn’t matter if we have managed to locate the rare Clematis montana’Odorata’. By the time the kids are out of school, and we get to the summer house, our prized clematis will be out of bloom! On a similar note, if we only plant summer blooming flowers around our year-round residence, we will deprive ourselves of seasons of scent we could otherwise be enjoying. With just a little thought and preparation, we can provide fragrance in the garden from the last frost of spring to the first frost on the pumpkin (and with just a little more effort we can even find some aroma in the colder months).

Fragrant Flower List
This is not intended as an all inclusive list, just a good place to start to find scented plants. I tried to keep it general and not include things like creosote bush that only you Arizonians could grow, but I’m a northern gardener and as my old granny used to say, “You taste like the sauce you were boiled in.” Any other plants you feel merit inclusion should, as always, be brought to our attention. Please make sure it’s not your local version of a creosote bush, and can be used by a wide range of gardeners, and we’ll consider it…

SPRING

• Trees
  Aesculus hippocastanum/ Horse Chestnut
  
  Magnolia spp.
  
  Tilia spp/ Lindens
• Shrubs
  Calycanthus floridus/ Sweet Shrub
  
  Chaenomeles speciosa/ Flowering Quince
  
  Daphne cneorum/ Spring Daphne (‘Carol Mackie’ with the variegated leaves is
  great)
  
  Ligustrum spp. / Hedge
  
  Philadelphus spp. / Mock-orange
  
  Pieris spp. / Andromeda
  
  Syringa spp. / Lilacs
  
  Viburnum spp. / Fragrant Viburnums (V.carlessii, V. juddii, V.
  carlecephalum, etc.)
• Vines
  Wisteria spp.
• Perennials
  Convalaria majalis/ Lily of the Valley
  
  Dianthus spp. / Pinks, Carnations
  
  Primula spp. / Primroses
• Annuals & Bulbs
  Crocus chrysanthus/ Yellow crocus
  
  Freesia spp.
  
  Galanthus spp. / Snowdrops (Not all; look for ‘Sam Arnott’ and ‘G.P. Arnott ’)
  
  Hyacinthinoides spp. / Dutch Hyacinths
  
  Iris reticulata/ Dwarf Iris
  
  Lobularia maritima/ Sweet Alyssum
  
  Narcissus spp. / Jonquils, Paperwhites

SUMMER

• Trees
  Catalpa speciosa/ Catalpa
  
  Oxydendrum arboretum/ Sourwood
  
  Styrax obassia/ Fragrant Snowball
  
  Syringa reticulata/ Japanese Tree Lilac
• Shrubs
  Azalea vaseyii, Azalea viscosum/ Swamp azalea, Pinxterbloom
  
  Buddleia spp. / Butterfly Bush, Summer Lilac
  
  Clethra spp. / Summersweet
  
  Kolkwitzia ambilis/ Beautybush
  
  Itea virginica/ Virginia Sweetspire (Look for ‘Henry’s Garnet’ and ‘Little Henry’)
  
  Osmanthus spp. / False Holly
  
  Rhus aromatica/ Fragrant Sumac
  
  Rosa spp. / Roses (Not all, but most…)
  
  Yucca filimentosa/ Adams Needle
• Vines
  Akebia quinata/ 5-leaved akebia (This plant is on many invasive lists)
  
  Clematis spp. (Many of the vines, and check out C. heraclifolium/ Bush Clematis)
  
  Jasminum officinale/ Jasmine
  
  Lonicera spp.(Good fragrance but often rampant and some are just thugs, like L.japonica)
• Perennials
  Agastache spp. / Hyssop
  
  Hosta plantaginea (and many of it’s hybrids like ‘Aphrodite’ and ‘Guacamole’)
  
  Lavendula spp. / Lavender (Always a favorite)
  
  Monarda spp. / Bergamot, Bee-balm
  
  Nepeta spp. / Catmint
  
  Phlox paniculata/ Garden Phlox
• Annuals & Bulbs
  Antirhinnum majus/ Snapdragons
  
  Datura spp. / Angels Trumpets
  
  Cosmos atrosanguinea/ Chocolate Cosmos
  
  Lathyrus spp. / Sweet Pea
  
  Lilium spp. /Lilies (The Oriental Hybrids like ‘Stargazer’ and ‘Mona Lisa’ will floor you)
  
  Nicotiana spp. / Flowering Tobacco (see, it is good for something…)
  
  Tagetes spp. / Marigolds

AUTUMN

• Trees
  Heptacodium miconoides/ Seven-son Flower (I use the Latin name as a self sobriety test)
• Shrubs
  Hamamelis virginiana/ Autumn Witch-Hazel
• Vines
  Clematis paniculata/ Sweet Autumn Clematis
• Perennials
  Perovskia atriplicifolia/ Russian Sage

WINTER

• Shrubs
  Hamamelis mollis, H. vernalis/ Witch-Hazels
  
  Corylopsis spp. / Winterhazel

SCENTED FOLIAGE

• Trees
  Evergreen spp. (Pine, fir, spruce, juniper, cedar, etc…)
• Shrubs
  Buxus spp. / Boxwood
  Comptonia peregrina/ Sweet fern
  Ledum groenlandicum/ Labrador Tea
  Lindera benzoin/ Spicebush
  Myrica pennsylvanica/ Bayberry
• Perennials
  Artemisia spp. / Wormwood
  Dennstaedtia punctiloba/ Hay-scented Fern
  Galium odoratum/ Sweet Woodruff (at your own risk, invasive)
  Thymus spp. / Thyme (Most of the herbs work here; tarragon and lovage and savory)
• Annuals
  Cymbopogon citratus/ Lemon Grass
  Melissa officinalis/ Lemon Balm
  Ocimum basilicum/ Basil
  Pelargonium spp. / Scented Geraniums
  Verbena citriodorus/ Lemon Verbena