Early Birds

7 years ago

Hi!

I'm not on this forum often. I usually check in at springtime or when I need some gardening inspiration. It looks like we could all use a little right now since activity seems to be a little slow.

Anyway, what are your earliest flowers or shrubs that say "Spring is coming!" ? Our winter has been a rollercoaster of warm days interspersed with cold gray days this year. We went from a long, hot, droughty summer to winter. Fall was almost nonexistent. My one snowdrop just finished blooming. Silly thing began blooming just after Christmas. Snowdrops don't like it here so I'm happy to still have this one. My little siberian crocus 'Firefly' is putting on a show this year. It is also a bulb that is only marginally happy here but these seem to have found their sweet spot. There was one early yellow crocus with brown markings that came up and bloomed in early January. Several years ago I planted around 8-10 varieties so I assume that this is the lone survivor. It is still too early for the 'tommies' which seem to be the only crocuses that return dependably for me. The lenten roses are putting on new growth but no flowers yet and the camellia is just full of buds. Hopefully the camellia will wait till the flowers won't be frozen but it's a crapshoot every year. The little lent lilies and van sion's, passaround daffodils that seem to do especially well here, jump out of the ground with buds but they evidently haven't seen enough sun yet to bloom. Still too early for all my tazettas and even the big old-fashioned trumpets. My back yard looks very bleak.

What about you?

Featured Answer

aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada

7 years ago

I find pulmonarias do seed around a bit if you don't deadhead them. Here's a seedling I missed and I'm glad I did :). It's a seedling from P. longifolia, the flowers are a pure raspberry pink from start to finish. I call it 'Raspberries and Cream'.

Annette

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Comments (9)

H B
7 years ago
I'm in zone 5b, and we see crocus first. Hope we all enjoy a nice spring (eventually!)
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
7 years ago
In my zone 5 it has to be pulmonaria. Blooms even before my crocus, which is a close second.

tj
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aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
7 years ago
Snowdrops are up but not blooming yet, hellebores are starting to show their flower buds, crocus will not be far behind along with pulmonaries, violets, primlas and spring snowflakes. My daphne marginata is full of flower buds just waiting for the weather warm up as is the star magnolia. My winter flowering jasmine took a hit this winter never made it to full bloom before a freeze hit, oh well there's always next year.

Annette
H B
7 years ago
tsuga, I had to google those -- they look beautiful. Don't think I've seen them around here but will look harder (later in the season). My sister just sent pictures of crocus from her yard (seattle).
gardenweed_z6a
7 years ago
I noticed buds on my Hellebore/Lenten roses yesterday so those will bloom between now and March. I'm in New England so buds on ANYTHING in January is cause for a smile. I have four of them planted in part sun on the northeast corner of my garden as well as a few others growing in full shade on the north side of the house. They apparently thrive in my slightly acidic sandy loam soil.

Snowdrops, puschkinia and crocus my mom & brother planted 30+ years ago have naturalized over the years and now come up in the lawn every spring. I love seeing them every year; they come up before the grass needs mowing so for a few days the lawn sports a carpet of purple, white & yellow flowers.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Earliest in my garden is one Hellebore that starts blooming in December and opens blooms in its somewhat sheltered spot any time the weather gets above freezing for a few days. I think it's Ivory Prince.

Early bloomers in March include witch hazel/Hamamelis vernalis and Iris reticulata and in early April snowdrops and Crocus tommasinianus.

I am a fair amount colder than you are, so I expect you would have the same things bloom earlier. Also, your area should be warm enough for a couple of early blooming shrubs that I would love to be able to grow - the hybrid witch hazels (Hamamelis x intermedia) and winter hazel (Corylopsis). I've lost both in harsh winters.
alexiebalexie
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
zone 7 here. daffodils & montauk daises always start showing 1st signs. oh and buds start popping on forysthia (sic) and my neighbor's crabtree. things have been swelling up early bc yesterday was 60 degrees plus ...gorgeous day. today it's snowing about 7 inches. :(
docmom_gw
7 years ago
As others have said, snowdrops and crocus are first. Then my Virginia Bluebells start peeking up and steal the show for the next few weeks. I also have several small iris-like bulbs that multiply quickly and brighten the early garden. They are much earlier than the larger, standard iris. And daffodils, of course.

Early Birds

aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada

Comments (9)

H B

tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱

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