When it's mild and sunny outside, my thoughts turn to spring flowers.
Many of you in colder parts of the world have expertise in tulips and other bulb plants that require cold dormancy in order to bloom.
Some gardeners here in Houston dig up bulbs and store them in refrigerators for months to achieve that same cold result.
When February arrives, these energetic gardeners rush to put their bulbs back in the ground.
Here in Texas, lazy gardeners like me celebrate the nearly year-round growing season by planting trees, shrubs, and plants that automatically burst into bloom beginning in late February. It's simply spectacular.
FAVORITE SPRING BLOOMS
I don't know your plant nursery situation so I'll give Amazon links to some of the most beautiful spring blooms for a garden.
Check your growing climate to see if the ones I mention will work in your area.
Dutch Iris (A start of these came from my mother-in-law's garden many years ago. Any time I've moved, I've taken a starter of them for my new home.
I don't know the varietal name of the ones I have, but this picture looks like the ones I have, Dutch Iris Miss Saigon (16 bulbs)
They're $9.45 for 16 bulbs, and they ship from Pennsylvania. They're in stock now.
These beautiful perennials give such vibrant color to the garden. If you don't like purple, you can actually get Dutch Iris in other colors too.
There is nothing that shouts "Summer" like a yellow day lily.
The variety I have looks much like Stella D'oro Yellow Daylilies which are sold usually as bare roots—most day lilies are sold this way. That means you need to pop them in the ground or a flower pot as soon as you receive them.
I have day lily borders in the yards at both of my houses, and they're stunning. Even though the bloom lasts only a day, each flower stalk may have as many as 4 blooms. Where I live, they'll be blooming this month. In colder climates, check a planting schedule. I imagine you'd put them in the ground fairly soon and expect blooms in early summer.
If you want your yard to look like a garden in Paradise, plant azaleas. These acid-loving shrubs come in every color and hundreds of varieties.
They're in bloom now all over Houston, and they're jaw-droppingly beautiful. They thrive under and near pine trees. They love pine needle mulch.
The variety we have is an old one called Purple Formosa. Amazon offers Formosa in a live shrub in a pot except for some states as listed in the description.
We wanted to see if a long-established azalea could be transplanted and live so we did one last year after the blooms were gone. (You never want to prune or transplant until the blooms fade. Then do it immediately or you may end up cutting off blooms setting for next year.)
The result is an azalea that's a deep pink rather than vibrant purple. I think it needs some amendments added to the soil.
These are a more expensive addition to a garden, but they're worth it if you've got the bucks.
RedbudTrees are the first colors to pierce the gloomy gray of winter.
Here they begin blooming in February. I love driving down the boulevard and seeing the striking hot pink color of the redbuds next to the white flowers of the dogwood.
Amazon offers several price points of redbuds from a growing tree for $80.00 to bareroot trees for less than $30.00 and even seeds for a bargain if you've got plenty of time to nurture a tree to maturity. Check out the Eastern Redbud Tree that arrives as a dormant bare-root ready to plant.
Many people haven't heard of the dogwood tree, but they're stunning. They come in red and white flower.
I like the white. They're amazingly beautiful. I couldn't find a good source on Amazon at an affordable price for an actual tree.
The White Dogwood shown at right illustrated a tree that is available for delivery at $83.49, but there was a 1 star review for the product. I'd say check all the Amazon listings. There are seedlings offered, and you might find a 1-gallon pot.
Based on the fact that they grow native here in Texas, it may be that they're relatively rare in other parts of the country. Plant a white dogwood between 2 redbuds, and you have a display that will make you proud.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
I once read that your front yard is your gift to the world, and your backyard is your gift to yourself. Plant something that creates beautiy, and you'll enjoy it whether it's in the front or the back.
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