Snowdrop “Galanthus nivalis”.
One of the first blooms out of the ground in spring is the snowdrop (Galanthus)…sometimes even before the snow is melted!
They are a welcome sight with their delicate white petals and nodding heads. We planted hundreds of these in groups of 10-25 last fall, typically sited to be seen from the window, along a garden path or at the edge of a woodland garden.
Snowdrops are an excellent choice for a few reasons:
they bloom in late March and early April; they like cold Canadian winters,
deer and rabbits don’t eat them making them relatively pest-free,
they multiply by offsets so after a couple of years they can form a dense carpet of blooms,
unlike many bulbs, they prefer shade making them perfect to brighten darker spaces under shrubs or the canopy of a tree, and
they are easy to grow for the novice gardener.
Classic crocus blooms in purple, white and yellow. We like mixed plantings that include Crocus vernus “Pickwick” with silver-lilac flowers and darker stripes.
Classic crocus blooms next in mid- to late-April (please note there is also a fall crocus bulb variety). These hardy bulbs are best planted along the front of the garden bed in a sunny spot.
For those who can’t get enough of these pretty blooms, we plant them throughout the lawn too! Last year we planted 3600 bulbs in a Bedford lawn and look forward to posting Facebook and Instagram pictures of this eye-popping show of blossoms in a week or so! The fine foliage is left standing after the blooms die back to feed the bulbs prior to the first mowing…after the foliage dessicates, mow and leave clippings to decompose and fertilize the lawn.
By the end of April, it is daffodil season.
Narcissus poeticus and its hybrids produce elegant, beautiful and fragrant flowers with glistening white petals, tiny red-rimmed yellow cups and green eyes.
A traditional harbinger of spring, the daffodil is similar to the snowdrop in that it is unpalatable to deer, rabbits and most pests (although they can be toxic to domestic pets). Like snowdrops, they also multiply through “daughter bulbs” or offsets to create a meadow of blooms over time. Daffodils will tolerate some crowding but prefer to be spaced about 3-6 inches apart.
They are spectacular in woodland gardens and large groves. However, daffodils perform best when they get early spring sunshine.
While the yellow daffodil is familiar to most, there are a dizzying number of varieties. They are popular in the garden and as cut flowers to take inside. For that reason, daffodil bulbs sold out early last fall.
Make a note on your fall calendar to place your order early to ensure you get the variety and quantity you want!
A mass tulip planting is a sight to behold! Here, deep purple and red petals contrast with soft pink and highlighter yellow for a vibrant spring planting.
As daffodil blooms fade, tulips put on their show.
Growing your own tulips will allow you to go far beyond the standard colours and bloom types available at the grocery store. From soft blush hues to intensely saturated tones, there is a perfect shade for every garden and gardener. Go a step further and opt for specialty double/peony tulips or parrot tulips.
Sadly, tulip bulbs only last a few seasons and they do not produce offsets like crocus or daffodils. To maximize the life span of tulip bulbs, enjoy them in the garden rather than cutting them for inside.
Spring is the perfect time to think about bulbs. Look at your early spring garden as the snow melts…are there areas that would be perfect for early spring blooms? Perhaps a shady hosta bed that is bare right now would be a wonderful spot for snowdrops. It will be weeks before deciduous trees leaf out so even a shady spot in mid-summer can be planted with sun-loving spring crocus or daffodils.
Generally, spring flowers from bulbs look best planted in small groups for impact rather than one or two here and there which is distracting. Planting just these four bulb varieties will allow you to have successive waves of color for two or more months while you wait for summer.
So, make a note on your calendar to plant bulbs this fall…I’ll do a how-to guide in the fall to help. Next spring, impress yourself and your neighbours too!
As I write this blog, Amy’s Erica carnea “Kramers rote” heath is a-buzz with bees.
Ah…heath…a plant that we love for its year-round evergreen presence and masses of tiny pink or white bells that feed early pollinators. Low growing and nicely shaped, it offers wonderful year-round evergreen texture and structure to the part- to full sun garden .
Heath has a nice woodsy, Nova Scotia feel to me. It reminds me of hikes on the barrens at Ketch Harbour or Peggy’s Cove. Ironically, it’s native to Australia and the Mediterranean! Fortunately, we can buy heath that is hardy to climate zone 4 making it very well suited to the Atlantic region as far west as Northern New Brunswick. Even my friend Dawn in St. John’s, NL can enjoy these plant options…but always read each plant’s fine print on climate zones to be sure!
So there you have it…flowers for everyone in April and May! These options are perfect for the Halifax gardener who wants to get a head start on a long season of color and beauty. With a little planning and fall planting, next spring…you can be the envy of your neighborhood.