Spring Flowers

The number of daylight hours increases during spring, and in many countries, people celebrate spring festivals. Many different species of Spring Flowers grow from bulbs.

The USDA Hardiness Zone Map is one of several maps developed to provide this critical climate information. Climate zone maps were created to compare their garden climates with the climate where a plant is known to grow well

Many of the flowers you see in the spring, sometimes poking out of a few inches of snow, are bulbs. They need to be planted in mid to late fall in most regions of the country, roughly about mid-September or October. In fact, most bulbs can be planted right up until the ground is frozen.

Annuals can be planted as soon as the ground is warm enough. Again, this is going to depend on which hardiness zone you live in.

Make sure any chance of freezing weather has passed before planting and in many areas of the country, spring does not arrive until late in the season and by that time you will want to plants flowers in anticipation of summer.

Here are a couple of other flowers you may like, enjoy the myriad of colors that Spring Flowers have to offer.
Agapanthus
Amaryllis
Anemone
Birds of Paradise
Cherry blossom
Dahlia
Freesia
Heather
Hyacinth
Orchids
Peony
Rose
Sweet pea
Tulip
Zinnia

Winter Aconite, or Eranthis hyemalis, will give you yellow flowers approximately three inches in height and resemble common buttercups. These particular bulbs may begin to flower as early as January if you live in a warm area and you will get the best results if you plant them in masses as they grow low to the ground.

Glory of The Snow, or Chionodoxa luciliare, produce flowers that are bright blue with a white centre. The plants will grow between six and ten inches tall, making this particular plant very handy for walkways, borders, and rock gardens. You may also be able to find white/pink varieties depending on the area in which you live

Spring Snowflake, or leucojum vernum, give you bell-shaped flowers that droop from the green part of the plant. These plants will be six to twelve inches in height and are white in color with small green spots on the ends of the petals. You will get the best results if you plant them in clumps and you can expect to see blooms in late February to early March. As with any other springtime bulb, they are best planted in the fall but you can plant in the mid to late winter if you purchase potted bulbs that have already begun the growing cycle.

Netted Iris, or iris reticulate, are wonderfully scented and are most commonly purple in color, although you can also find light blue and white irises in many areas. Irises are one of the earliest blooming plants and you can expect a beautiful display of flowers in early March. As with any other type of bulb, after several growing seasons you will have to thin the bulbs from time to time, as they tend to reproduce rapidly and could actually begin to stunt the growth of the plants due to over-crowding.

Winter Crocus
A gem of a flower, it is capable of withstanding the fluctuating temps of early Spring.

Tulips
Tulips are spring-blooming perennials that grow from bulbs. Depending on the species, tulip plants can grow as short as 4 inches (10 cm) or as high as 28 inches (71 cm).

Daffodil
This flower has a great hardiness and can be grown indoors or outdoors.

Spring Snowflake
Pretty flower that naturalizes easily in early spring.

Gladiolus
Pick a spot with as near full sunlight as possible-performance will vary indirectly with the amount of shade. Poor performance can be expected with 50% shade. Select a location that provides good drainage.

Spring-blooming perennials, other than bulbs, can be planted in the spring or in the fall. If planting seedlings, don't expect them to bloom the year they are planted. They'll need to spend the first year developing a strong root system and growing larger.

Blooming perennials are often sold at garden centers in the spring. They can be planted at once if they have been conditioned to tolerate local temperatures.

Brighten someone’s day or your own with beautiful flowers for Spring and plant some in your garden and pass them along.


Resources:
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