Early Bloomers

BRRR! As unpleasant as the cold can be, I keep reminding myself, “This is normal weather for March!” After the first couple dips in temperature, I think I have a newfound appreciation for our little winters. There’s something to be said for the effect it has on tempering our excitement, preventing us from going too hard too soon and burning ourselves out. We can only try to remember this when it hits 90 degrees on Sunday.

If you aren’t well versed in perennials, you may not be aware of the abundance of blooms and color at this time of year. Helleborus, aptly nicknamed Lenten Rose, does not wait for warm temps to put on a stunning display. Pulmonaria, aka Lungwort, is a shade loving bloomer with both striking foliage and charming pink and purple blooms. Spurge, a member of the Euphorbia family, delights with a range of colorful foliage and delicate blooms. Candytuft’s low growing habit cascades white clustered blooms over rocks and borders.

Dicentra, known commonly as Bleeding Heart, has a native variety to our parts with a beautiful fringed bloom that blooms mid-Spring. Brunnera, or bugloss, shines in its many silvery varieties with periwinkle flowers. Dianthus, often called pinks, forms an icy silver gray mat of foliage punctuated by small pink flowers that can tolerate our hot summers. In the spirit of saving the best, or best named, for last: Pigsqueak, of genus Bergenia, is a low growing, thick leaved shade loving plant that blooms stalks of bell shaped pink flowers. How did it get that funny name? Well, you’re going to have to get your hands on one and rub the leaves together to find out.

As gardeners, we often find ourselves looking forward to the next thing — the heat of summer, hydrangeas in bloom, tomatoes as big as your head. I challenge you to try to look for joy and satisfaction in the present season.

That’s it for this week, friends. Tune in on Saturday at 8 am for Gardening Inside Out. Follow us on Instagram for the Know Down and more behind the scenes fun. Queue up the podcast for your next journey. We can’t wait to see you!

Happy Gardening,

Sara Bates