A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Favorite Spring Flower, what's yours?

Hi, guys! I'm sitting here with a cuppa just passing the time of day....snowing here with more on the way. So, here I am....having fun with my dream garden!

And....thinking of spring!!!!

What's your top two spring flower must haves?

I love lilies of the valley (and am following another thread here on them)

And, I love hyacinths...but don't have any in this new home yet.

Barbara

Hi Barb!
A cuppa! You're speaking my language!

I love crocuses because they are the first to bloom in my yard. (Not counting the leatherleaf mahonia, which is all ready blooming, the hearty old girl!)

I think my favorite spring flower would definetly be the hyacinth and second the daffodil. Daffodils because my mom's home in Ireland is surrounded by the most amazing field of them and the smell was like nothing else I've ever experienced before. sigh!

I have to say that Bleeding Hearts are one of my favorite spring flowers, especially the white cultivars...I just wish their fern-like foliage lasted throughout the year.

Hard to pick just one,so i,ll mention a few,flowering in my garden now are,hellebores,primroses,snowdrops,pulmonarias and mini iris.
Crocuses are just coming into bud and daffs are shooting up,i love them all.

Bess,

What is leatherleaf mahonia? I'm a newbie but it must be hearty if it's blooming in this weather!

I forgot the bleeding hearts! Believe it or not, last spring was the first time I've ever seen one. My neighbor has it, and it was gorgeous...she has the pink variety. I think I'd love to get a white and a pink. I am very GREEN when it comes to gardening...not a green thumb yet, mind ya, just plain new at it all!

The earliest thing to bloom in my yard is spirea. I have two bushes. They are beautiful but don't last long.

So many to choose from, but two of my favorites are the Giant white Calla lillies. There's nothing more graceful then a big vase of these beauties. I think their stems and leaves are just as pretty as their flowers.

Anoter favorite are my azaleas.Such a welcome burst of color in February.

Hi Barb!

Here's some info and photos of Leatherleaf mahonia : http://plantsdatabase.com/go/1898

I got mine from a lady who had a huge one growing at the corner of her house in the woods, and wanted to know what it was. It was February when I looked at it, and in bloom with it's little waxy yellow bells that smell like custard. I was enchanted. I found it in a garden book and identified it for her. In turn, she gave me a seedling that we found near her plant.

We had some very mild weather here at the end of December, and mine popped into bloom. Mine is still small, only waist-high, but hers was a good eight feet tall. It has evergreen holly-like foliage. Small blue fruits in clusters appear after the flowers, which is why some mahonia are called "Oregon grape". Nice shrub.

Bess,

It is really pretty. I love the berries....they DO look like grapes! The foliage is really nice too...great contrast! Thanks for sharing it with me. Just goes to show how many plants there are to explore!

Was it something the lady planted, or something that is native to the area? I'm assuming it is native to the area. I bet the lady was surprised and pleased that you went to the trouble to identify it for her.

Can't wait till spring!
Barbara

LOL! I did a double take when you said February until i looked at the bottom of your post.
I always like azaleas too! I use them a lot for the backdrop of photos, they are so striking in all their glory.

Calla lillies are stately and elegant, I think....and you're right I can just see them in a tall vase. Do you grow many of them? Enough to bring indoors and enjoy outdoors? I always have trouble making sure I get enough of one kind of plant so that I can really enjoy them.

Hi there...spirea...isn't that butterfly bush? Or have i got it wrong? I'm new to gardening...but I have heard of it before...pussy willow type thing, maybe?

LOL, I'll have to get out my book now and check it out! I'm sure it will be a *duh* moment for me!!

Barbara

Crocuses, crocuses and more crocuses, I can't wait til spring.

There's something so valiant about crocuses, isn't there? They are the first flowers of spring...hearalders, so to speak!

Do you plant a lot of crocuses?

I have wild english daisies growing here and there in my yard, along with jonny-jump-up's...I love them both, and on the bright side, 90% of the time my horse will graze around them, but not eat them!

Barb H,
Ya, one of the benefits of California...early spring!!! I always look forward to the Calla lillies blooming because it really means spring is just around the corner and all my gardening friends who live in the snow, can get their hands dirty again!!

Daisy,

I hear ya! And I am jealous!!! It will be fantastic to get out and work in the garden again!

Barley,

Sounds wonderful! What kind of horse do ya have? I rode a lot as a kid.

Barb H.

some of my favorite early flowers are
forget-me-nots

I also have hyacinths and daffodils

Lynne,

Hyacinths are one of my faves! I love the smell...wonderful.