Garden design: 5 favourite plants for early spring
Whilst late winter can often be a cold and drab affair, early spring is a magical time for our gardens. With new life and fresh growth all around us, we love to see the return of so many different shades of green. Inevitably, however, it’s the early spring flowers that tend to catch our eye.
There is a wide range of plants to choose for early spring colour and interest, but here are five of our favourites:
1. Galanthus: where would we be without the humble snowdrop? One of the first signs that spring is on its way, few of us can resist the simple charms of these tiny nodding white flowers. But don’t make the mistake of thinking all Galanthus are the same…there are hundreds of different varieties, each slightly different to the others.
2. Helleborus: a sometimes forgotten star of the early spring garden (mainly because they are quite anonymous the rest of the year), Hellebores provide colour and charm in late winter and early spring. They are easy to grow in a spot with some shade, and there are lots of different varieties of these large-flowered beauties.
3. Primula vulgaris: a glorious native primrose with pale yellow flower and textured leaves, Primula vulgaris form lovely low-growing clumps which can be lifted and spread around a garden for a more prominent display. Usually flowering from March to May, and preferring a little shade, they look wonderful alongside other spring favourites like snowdrops and forget me nots.
4. Chaenomeles (pictured above): for spring-time colour and interest, few shrubs can match Chaenomeles (Japanese quince). A naturally low-growing deciduous shrub with a ‘leaning habit’, it looks fantastic against a sunny or partially shaded wall or fence. Our favourite is C. ‘Crimson and Gold’, which produces masses of gloriously simple-looking deep red flowers with golden-yellow centres.
5. Sarcococca ‘Winter Gem’: a wonderful evergreen shrub for the winter garden, Sarcococca is still going strong in early spring. It has glossy dark green leaves, highly fragrant tassle-like creamy white flowers, and is best in full or part shade. An attractive and useful evergreen shrub for a tricky corner of a garden.
Tythorne Garden Design provides professional fixed-fee garden design solutions for customers in Grantham, Stamford, Newark and surrounding areas. Let's see how we can help you to enjoy your garden more. Call us on 07900 224 239 or 01529 455 355.
