With spring just around the corner, we're all looking for some early colour in our gardens.
Here are a few perennials (plants that come back each year), that I like to include in the garden for some revitalising bursts of colour and texture:
Bleeding heart, Pulmonaria and Hellebores brighten the dullest of days.
1. Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis): Bleeding hearts produce distinctive heart-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white, dangling gracefully from arching stems. They bloom in early to mid-spring, and preferring partial shade, can add interest to a challenging corner or container.
2. Bergenia (Bergenia spp.): Bergenia, also known as elephant's ears, produces clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink, red, or white. They bloom in early spring and have glossy, evergreen foliage - which brings some light to darker areas.
3. Pulmonaria (Pulmonaria spp.): Pulmonaria, or lungwort, is valued for its early spring blooms and attractive foliage. Flowers come in shades of pink, blue, or purple and often change colour as they age. Those with silver or variegated foliage are particularly interesting.
4. Hellebore (Helleborus spp.): Hellebores, also known as Lenten roses, produce nodding flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, green, or even near-black. They bloom in late winter to early spring, often while snow is still on the ground.
Once flowering is finished, their luscious foliage makes a great backdrop for summer and autumn flowering plants.
5. Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla): Brunnera, or Siberian bugloss, produces clusters of small, forget-me-not-like flowers in shades of blue or white in early to mid-spring. They are prized for their heart-shaped leaves, which often have silver or variegated patterns - adding even more interest.
Silver-leaves on Brunnera 'Jack Frost', Anemone sylvestris, Tiarella 'Spring Symphony'.
6. Anemone (Anemone spp.): Anemones come in various species, including spring-blooming ones like Anemone blanda or Anemone nemorosa. These perennials produce daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, blue, or white, adding a delicate touch to spring gardens.
I also love Anemone sylvestris, which can produce flowers a second time in the autumn.
7. Tiarella (Tiarella spp.): commonly known as foamflower, is a shade-loving perennial prized for its ornamental foliage and delicate, airy flower spikes. Their slender spikes of star-shaped flowers, ranging from white to pale pink, appear from spring to early summer, attracting pollinators.
My favourite is 'Spring Symphony', which reliably flowers for months.
8. Heuchera (Heuchera spp.) and Heucherella: also known as Coral Bells, features colourful foliage and delicate flowers, and thrives in wide range of garden conditions.
In early spring, varieties such as 'Marmalade' and 'Sweet Tea' (heucheralla) create great displays while attracting pollinators.
9. Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica): Siberian irises produce elegant, beardless flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white. They bloom in late spring and are known for their graceful, grass-like foliage. They also make a great cut-flower for indoors.
The bright lights of Iris 'Sparkling Rose' and 'Perry's Blue', Heuchera 'Marmalade'.
10. Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens): Candytuft is a low-growing perennial that forms carpets of small, forget-me-not-like flowers in shades of blue or white in early to mid-spring. Also a great ground-cover plant for slopes.
These hard-working perennials will add vibrant colours and textures to your garden, heralding the arrival of spring with their beautiful blooms. Don't forget to consider your garden's growing conditions, such as sunlight exposure and soil type, when selecting plants for optimal performance.
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