Garden Flowers; Early Spring Performance

Hellebores glow in winter sun

The first day of spring is still more than a week away. Gardeners in the east and mid-west are still shivering in winter but here in the west we are enjoying full-on pre-spring. The quince and narcissus have been blooming for more than a month and are starting to take their curtain call. The Pieris and Ceanothus are waiting in the wings. But we have some of the years loveliest blossoms in their prime right now.

Here are a few of my favorites,  that can be relied on to put on a beautiful show at this time every year.

My favorite Hellebores have interesting markings and color combinations

Hellebore;  amazing colors and attractive foliage. This is a lovely plant for the woodland or with summer blooming perennials that are dormant in the early spring.

The Corsican Hellebore (H.argutifolius) is the largest and sturdiest of the lot

Camellia;  sturdy plants that need very little to produce extravagant blossoms. They are drought tolerant once established and are a handsome shiny green background plant for later summer color.

A pure white Camellia shows off its sculptural form

A wonderful combination of bright pink blossoms and sturdy green foliage

Camellias can be considered old-fashioned, but there’s a reason they’ve been popular for generations.

Bright pinky-red is a classic Camellia color

Many Camellia forms deserve a closer look

Here are a couple more that I love for their spring flowers;

Pure white “Cherry Plum” blossoms have a soft, heavenly fragrance

Plum Blossoms – Spring is just the beginning of the fun, if you have edible plums. They usually have nice fall foliage too.

“Ice Follies” Daffodils have a wide trumpet that’s creamy yellow at first

Daffodils – One of the best bulbs for naturalizing. Mostly because they are deer and gopher resistant. I plant them in pots the first year, to really enjoy them front and center. Then I put them in the garden margins for their second year and beyond. I love the ones that fade from creamy yellow to white.

Camellias and Quince giving their pre-spring show

There’s no excuse to be “waiting till summer” to enjoy the garden, the earth is bursting with color and beauty all around us. The performance is taking place, at a garden near you, whether or not there is an appreciative audience to take in the show.