“In a way, Winter is the real Spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature.” — Edna O’Brian
At present, your home landscape may look barren and devoid of life. We all tend to wait for the first warm days of March when daffodils and crocus magically appear to suggest that Spring is really going to return. But, with the addition of some interesting shrubs, perennials and bulbs, our gardens will come to life much earlier and make your winter garden really vital and truly inviting.
Adonis amurensis — the first perennial to bloom in winter, an important early flower for bees to gather nectar Magical Snowdrops multiply and continuously spread each year Snowdrops spread like crazy in a lawn, making for a lovely carpet of tiny white flowers in late February into March ‘Jeanne d’Arc’ pure white crocus — emerges in early March Crocus Tommasinianus-“The tommies” the perfect bulb to naturalize in your lawn Iris reticulata — tiny orchid-like irises emerge thru snow on sunny winter days, an inexpensive bulb that loves to multiply in your late winter garden Witch Hazel ‘Sweet Sunshine’ — soft yellow flowers tinged with a lingering fragrance, the perfect addition to a winter garden Magnolia flowers emerging from a snow covered branch ‘The glory of the snow’ Chionodoxa pops up in unexpected places in early Spring Dwarf Daffodils and Chionodoxa — the perfect marriage for your doorway garden Witch Hazel ‘Birgit’ — the darkest burgundy, very dramatic color for late winter Salix ‘Mt Azo’ — a late winter pussy willow from Japan, wonderful texture to the winter garden Witch Hazel ‘Arnold’s Promise’ — the standard wonderful early bloomer, gives off a subtle fragrance that lingers in the winter air. Witch Hazel ‘Aphrodite’ — a wonderful terra cotta color for the shrub border when nothing else is in flower Witch Hazel ‘Nina’ — why grow forsythia when this long blooming lovely is so enchanting Mulicolored hellebores bloom deep purple, mauve, pale yellow, pink and Ivory Soft Pink Hellebore – hellebores start blooming in early March and continue thru June, tolerates deep shade Vivid blue scilla spreads so early under a planting of native shrubs