The days are longer and warmer, the birds are chirping with exuberance, and the earliest flowers are finally announcing the full onset of spring.
Reliable and hardy, fall-planted small bulbs are among the first spring bloomers in New England. These low growing beauties carpet the ground, taking advantage of the available light before the taller woody plants blossom and leaf out.
Snow drops start the show, often emerging just as the snow melts.
Appearing several days after snow drops are winter aconites. Once established, aconites will move around the garden, adding a sense of surprise, as their sunny yellow blossoms pop up in different corners of the yard.
Daffodils come in a variety of sizes, and the lower growing ones, such as 'Tete a tete' tend to be the first to appear, and make a small, cheery bouquet.
All these bulbs will go dormant after the blossoms fade and the foliage matures. It is best not to cut back the foliage while still green, in order to sustain the bulbs. The gaps they leave can be filled with foliage from adjacent plants. Most perennials, on the other hand, retain their foliage through the summer and into the fall.
One of the first perennials to bloom is hellebore. It makes a pretty display, with its colorful and long-lasting downward hanging blossoms and bold, dark green foliage.
But floating the blossoms upside down in a bowl provides another show entirely.
A colorful spring show depends on plants that have been in the ground since well before the preceding winter. Contact us to help you grow a more colorful landscape throughout the seasons.