Spring flowers by color: looking for inspiration in the Bernardine garden

When spring flowers bloom in the neighbor’s yard, I sigh, because I realize I missed planting something again in the fall. But maybe you can still take the train? We have made an overview of spring flowers with tips for planting: one should definitely be planted in autumn and the other can be purchased now.

The images of the flowers were captured by a photographer Linas Bielinis In Vilnius, Bernardinai Garden, in April.

SPRING ONION FLOWERS

Bulbous flowers are among the first to tell us about the spring awakening with their flowers. Even before the first tulips, you can get a wide variety of flowers in your flower garden by growing the following plants:

• Snow White (the very first ones),
• Scyles (blue bell-shaped flowers),
• Pushkinia (blue-white striped flowers),
• Violas (you can buy violas with longer stems),
• Hyacinths (classic spring flowers),
• Crocus (large variety of colors),
• Narcissus (what is spring without them).

To enjoy the blooming of these flowers in early spring, you need to plant the bulbs in the ground in the fall. By clicking here you will learn in detail how to plant crocuses (also suitable for other bulbous flowers). The work is not at all complicated and the result in spring is truly surprising. It happens: the lawn is not yet green, and the entire yard is already studded with brightly colored crocus flowers.

The seminar shares how to learn how to create harmonious combinations of plants «Color matching in the courtyard». The most famous garden designers rely on certain rules, thanks to which they «control» the colors. In this course we will introduce you to basic information about colors and their combination and you can apply them when creating your flower beds. This workshop is online, you can start right away.

All bulbous flowers require a sunny location and well-drained soil. Bulbs may simply rot in a waterlogged area.

For a sunny location, don’t plant where there is deep shade coming from a building. But the bulbs can be planted under large trees, because there is usually enough sun before the trees put out their leaves.

SPRING PERENNIAL FLOWERS – CAN BE PLANTED NOW

If you forgot to plant bulbous flowers in the fall, don’t despair. Now that spring has already begun, you can plant a variety of perennial flowers in your garden that are blooming right now or will bloom very soon. Simply choose the seedlings that you like best and that are suitable for the conditions of your flower garden.

For more humid and partially shaded areas of the flower garden, it will be very suitable:

• Primula elatior (Primula elatior) with yellow umbel flowers;
• Lungwort (Pulmonaria saccharata) – not only blooms abundantly early, but is also beautiful with its dotted leaves;
• Broad-leaved spoonbill (Petasites hybridus) with decorative flowers and large leaves;
• Corydalis – little known in flower gardens, more often found in woods and on slopes. This is a sign that turnips should be grown under trees before the leaves emerge.

If the place is drier, the soil is more conductive (especially characteristic of rock gardens), the nursery Aubretia will flower in spring.

RELIABLE AND LOW-DEMANDING SPRING FLOWERS

Eastern Doronicum (Doronicum orientalis) is the grandmother’s flower, whose name we often don’t even know. There’s no need. It is perfect for naturalistic flower gardens, because it blooms with bright yellow flowers very early, before the other plants in the flower garden are even awake. Meanwhile, the faded one becomes almost imperceptible and thus naturally leaves the «stage» for the subsequent green plants.

When hollyhocks die, their seedlings look unrepresentable, no one wants to buy them, so you will not see them in plant plots in summer or autumn. So if you like it, look for it and plant it now, in the spring.

Another versatile perennial flower is winterflower (Vinca). It does not hurt, it is resistant, it lives well even in conditions of strong shade, in early spring it spreads unpretentious blue flowers.

Winter is an evergreen plant, which means that its rich green leaves do not die even in winter.

In the flowerbed winter spreads quickly (sometimes it is even necessary to stop), but for this it perfectly performs the function of a cover plant. If you are creating a naturalistic flower garden and are looking for a universal cover plant that blooms even in spring, then winter is perfect for you. In the courses «Naturalistic flower garden» we’re just learning these things – join us if you’re designing your own flower garden.

SPRING SORREL FLOWERS

The spring heather (Erica carnea) attracts attention with its particularly bright pink flowers. These spring flowers like more acidic soil, so they are perfect for planting near rhododendrons.

Just don’t confuse spring heathers with those sold in the fall along with heathers. There are different heathers, and in the Lithuanian climate, spring heathers grow, which bloom in spring, not in autumn.

We cannot miss the rhododendrons themselves: their flowers may not be the first in the shady forest bed, but they are no less effective.

You can buy rhododendron seedlings in the spring and get flowers the same year. Since rhododendrons ripen their buds on last year’s shoots, you can already see how many flowers there will be this year when you buy them. The most important thing is to get a quality seedling and transplant it without damaging the roots. Learn more about growing and caring for rhododendrons read here.

COLORFUL BUSHES IN SPRING

Now not only spring flowers delight us with their colorful flowers, but also shrubs:

• Forsythia, which shines bright yellow even from afar.

Forsythia is the first to flower, and only later does the leaves begin to burst. It would be better to plant, propagate, shape this bush after flowering. But forsythia is not easy: if you buy a quality seedling, you will enjoy bright yellow flowers in the same spring.

• Although they do not boast bright flowers, they look great in early spring and decorate the room.

The colorful leaves of horsetail are visible as soon as they begin to burst. You can plant sedge seedlings in your garden in early spring. With proper care, they will bloom more and more spectacularly every year.

FIRST FLOWERS IN THE DERMS WITH OTHER PLANTS

The first spring flowers usually bloom for a very short time, so the question arises: why bother if you can wait a little – after all, soon long «playing» catnip, bright sages and eye-flattering peonies will bloom.

However, they perform a very important function – they mask empty areas of the flowerbed. Warm climate bellflowers are still sleeping and just waiting for their spectacular appearance in the second half of the year. If spring flowers grow next to them, we avoid empty and boring areas.

This time we didn’t talk about tulips, but it’s worth dedicating a separate topic to them. Especially since they’re not the only spring flowers worthy of attention, right?

Thanks to the photographer for the photos from the Bernardin garden Lin Bielini.

Happy Spring!!!

READ ALSO:

«Crocuses in the lawn are like little diamonds: plant them in your garden!»

«What are naturalistic flower gardens: simply and clearly»

«Naturalist flower garden in Jonava district + list of plants!»

RELATED COURSES:

«Naturalistic flower garden» – in these courses you will learn the principles of modern plant engineering and create your own personal flower garden. It is possible to register for courses in a group or online.