The Perennial Garden
Flowers for Spring
There are two flushes of bloom in the spring.
The first one, supported by spring bulbs and woodland natives, begins and ends before the trees awaken from dormancy.
The spotlight now belongs to early perennials like hellebores, winter aconites, hepaticas, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths.
The early spring garden appears delicate as it dons colorful pastels against a dormant landscape in brown and gray.
The late spring bloom is strong and exuberant, a dress rehearsal for the abundance of summer.
The perennials that are in season now have lush, vibrant blooms and thick foliage, they thrive on excess and burst with energy.
Even though they don't need an introduction, I'll still list the stars of the late spring garden.
Overshadowed by the abundant bloom of lilacs and clematis, the peonies, violets, cranesbills, lily-of-the-valley, Turk's cap lilies, columbines, and bleeding hearts fill the landscape with their color and fragrance.
By now, the trees have sprouted leaves, but many late spring bloomers thrive in the shade. Take Brunnera, for example, which lays dreamy blue flower carpets at the feet of deciduous trees.
Summer Favorites
The garden's full glory is on full display during the summer, surpassing all other seasons.
Following the aggressive growth of late spring, which quickly fills the borders with foliage, the summer perennials are eager to burst into bloom.
Now is the time for once blooming roses, canes laden with flowers, followed by delphiniums, beardtongues, irises, gladioli, astilbes, and pinks.
The Asiatic lilies get covered in bright colored flowers, and just past the summer solstice, the landscape is awash with St. John's Wort, yarrow and daylilies.
Regardless of how many times I've witnessed it, I can never adjust to seeing a fledgling landscape turn to a paradise of bloom in mere days.
Following the magnificent flower display of early summer, the garden rests before the second flush of bloom in August, which showcases hostas, daisies, coneflowers, heleniums, garden phlox, tuberoses, tickseed, salvias, and Oriental lilies.
Late summer perennials have additional time to mature, and can afford to pour their efforts into exquisite fragrance.
Some of the most fragrant flowers, like August hostas, oriental lilies and tuberoses, bloom in late summer.
Winter Interest
There is no true winter bloom, although trees and shrubs like Oregon grape and witch hazel try to make up for it, but the colorful fruits of wild roses, dogwood, honeysuckle, winterberry and hollies provide plenty of interest in the garden.
Winter showcases the beauty of evergreens, particularly against a snowy backdrop.