The First Glimmerings

The earth is slowly warming up, and we have the first glimmerings of spring moving in the garden. Here are some giant purple crocuses:

Crocus vernus 'Flower Record'

The dark purple color makes a nice contrast with the evergreen foliage of this yellow Hinoki False Cypress which is growing across the way.

Chamaecyparis pisifera aurea nana, with Crocus vernus 'Flower Record'

This yellow Crocus is also going strong now. I love the searing color of this one - it almost burns my eyes with its brightness after the bleakness of winter.

Crocus vernus 'Yellow Mammoth'

The snowdrops are already fading now. Most have gone to seed, and only a few flowers remain:

Galanthus elwesii (Giant Snowdrop) with Bergenia

And possibly my favorite of the early bulbs, these gorgeous clear blue Reticulated Irises:

Iris reticulata 'Clairette'

A wide view of the Peony Bed. Little patches of iris and crocus are in bloom, and as you can see the tree peonies are already starting to leaf out!

Peony bed in early April

Wake up, Garden!

Suddenly, it is spring!

One day the garden was covered in snow and ice. And the next - little growing things are peeping here and there! Surprises around every corner. I went out the other day to spread out the last remaining snowmounds, and here is what I found:

Eranthis hyemalis emerging from the near-frozen soil

Galanthus elwesii unfurling among patches of snow

Meanwhile, the rose garden was still covered in snow:

Rose garden in late winter

Just a few days later, the snow is all gone, though the ground is still frozen solid in spots. The snowdrops and Aconites are in their prime, however, and the daffodils and even some tulips have already started to push through the soil in warmer spots:

Eranthis hyemalis in mid-March

Galanthus elwesii (Giant snowdrops) in mid-March

These little bulbs are tiny, few, and not likely to stop traffic. But oh how we cherish these first flowers of spring!

In a warm zone by the house, even these giant crocus have already started blooming. They really should not be the first crocuses to bloom - my little species crocuses should pop first - but these have a head start due to their warm sunny location.

Crocus vernus 'Flower Record in mid-March

I've already started my spring clean-up chores - cutting back old foliage, trimming away dead wood, raking back leaf litter to expose and warm the soil. The warm fresh air reinvigorates the garden and the gardener.

Rose Garden in Late Spring

Late Spring is a time of great excitement. Shrubs leaf out, and perennials, major bulbs, and early peonies begin blooming. I've made sure to include lots of early bloomers in the rose garden, since the roses won't make their contribution until summer.

Late Spring in the Rose Garden: Daffodils, Spurge, and new leaves

This is early May in the Rose Garden. The roses have tiny new leaves, and daffodil blooms are scattered about (this is yellow 'King Alfred', white and orange 'Sound', and white and yellow 'Ice Follies' across the sidewalk). My fernleaf peony hybrid 'Little Red Gem' is an attractive mound of cutleaf foliage - it will bloom soon. The cushion spurge (Euphorbia polychroma) is just beginning its display of flashy yellow bracts. The early crocus have now faded, but blue Scilla blooms on in the background.

Mid-May: 'Princess Irene' Tulips, Heuchera, Daffodils, and Spruce

 
A week later and early tulip 'Princess Irene' has begun to bloom. This is one of my favorite tulips - the orange color is intensely bright, without being blinding or irritating (unlike some oranges). The slight purple tint on the outer petals deepens and softens the color. I think it echoes the color of Heuchera 'Pinot Gris' wonderfully. The dwarf spruce (Picea abies 'Little Gem') is also looking colorful at this time of year, with its bright yellow new growth.

'Princess Irene' Tulips, Hyacinths, Lamium, and Barberry

Another patch of 'Princess Irene' at the back corner of the Rose Garden. Here it contrasts sharply with the dark new leaves of Barberry 'Crimson Pygmy'. As you can see the White hyacinths are still going strong, and Lamium 'Orchid Frost' has begun to bloom at the foot of my young quince tree. It creeps and expands fairly rapidly, but is not hard to pull out.

Mid May: 'Princess Irene' Tulips, Lamium 'Orchid Frost'

Here is the same area from a different angle, a few days later. Lamium is now in full bloom, the barberry begins to glow, and the quince has fuzzy gray new leaves. Clematis vines start their ascent of the trellis (which needs to be painted!) in the background. The small yew (which needs a trim!) also puts on a new flush of growth.

Mid May: Tulipa humilis and Spurge

Meanwhile, in another corner, another early tulip has begun to bloom. This is the tiny species tulip 'Little Beauty' (Tulipa humilis). Unlike standard tulips, this type has unobtrusive, grass-like foliage that dies away almost imperceptibly when its time has come. The blooms are little but very cute. They are bright enough to stand up to the intensity of the Euphorbia in full glory. They also look good near my purple smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria 'Velvet Cloak'), which begins to leaf out now. The jewel-toned leaves of this shrub look fabulous from spring to fall. I cut it back to the ground every year to keep it small - otherwise it grows into a rather large tree. The dwarf conifer here is a fir - Abies balsamea 'Piccolo'. I will probably have to move this soon as it is too close to the Cotinus - hopefully I will manage to do this without killing it in the process!

Late May: Spurge and 'Little Red Gem' Peony

Finally, at the end of May my 'Little Red Gem' peony blooms. This is a so-called "Rock Garden" peony, which is a hybrid of several small European species peonies. It is much smaller than the Chinese Paeonia lactiflora types, and appears to have some fernleaf in its blood, judging by the fine foliage. It is my earliest herbaceous peony to bloom.

Late May in the Rose Garden: Peony 'Little Red Gem' and 'Princess Irene' Tulips

'Little Red Gem' is not really red - more of a deep pink. A lovely color that stands up well to the bright tulips and spurge which bloom with it. The rose behind it is a large, exuberant Rosa alba. It is very hardy and one of my earliest roses to leaf out in spring. At its feet, some dwarf Catmint (Nepeta 'Little Trudy') are just beginning to show color along the edge of the border.

Next up: June, and some actual roses!

Rose Garden in Early Spring

Here in Wisconsin, the snow usually melts some time in March, revealing bare branches and expanses of drab brown leaf litter. I try to include a few evergreens throughout my garden to give the eye some relief throughout the winter.

Peony Bed and Rose Garden just after snow melt

The front of the Rose Garden is on the far side of the picture above. The roses are as yet a tangle of bare stems. Thank goodness for the 'Little Gem' Dwarf Spruce (Picea abies) and 'Blue Point' Juniper (Juniperus chinensis). In the foreground is the lovely Dwarf Pine 'Slowmound' (Pinus mugo). The Rose Garden also contains a 'Piccolo' Dwarf Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) and a Yew at the back, not pictured here.

Crocus vernus 'Yellow Mammoth' bloom in very early Spring

The first bloom in this area is Crocus vernus 'Yellow Mammoth'. How grateful we are for this searing shot of color at this time! Depending on the year, things may begin to pop in late March or early April.

Early Spring in the Rose Garden: Little spring bulbs and a flush of new leaves

About a week later the bright blue flowers of Striped Squill 'Spring Beauty' (Scilla siberica) join in the show. The foliage of some early-growing perennials is starting to warm the scene as well: Heuchera have shining new leaves, and we can see signs of growth on Lady's Mantle and Hardy Geraniums. The daffodils-to-come are pushing up perky green spikes all around.

Chionodoxa forbesii 'Wedgewood Blue' with Heuchera 'Prince'

 
Another very early bloomer is this small patch of Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) 'Wedgewood Blue'. This particular cultivar is an unusual violet blue shade. I have not seen it for sale anywhere - it was sent to me as a free packet of bulbs. If I could find it I would purchase more - the color makes a nice contrast with purple heuchera.

Rose Garden in early Spring: Pulsatilla and more early bulbs

On the other side of the Rose Garden a drift of white hyacinth wafts its sweet scent. A purple Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) is one of the first perennials to flower, and some early daffodils ('King Alfred') are even beginning to bloom in this warm spot as well. The branches of the cotinus are still bare, but new foliage growth can be seen on sedum, lamium, and lamb's ears. Summer-blooming allium bulbs have pushed up an amazing amount of spiky growth in a short time.

Chionodoxa forbesii 'Pink Giant' in April

More Glory-of-the-snow are carpeting the floor in the back corner of the Garden. This is Chionodoxa forbesii 'Pink Giant', a plant of delicate pink coloring that I am not able to capture easily on camera. It always ends up looking very washed out in photographs, while in reality it suffuses the area with a soft warm pink glow. The pink color looks nice with the bare red stems of the nearby barberry, with the dark green yew as a background. It also complements the minty green foliage of lamium 'Orchid Frost':

Chionodoxa forbesii 'Pink Giant'

As you can see, the Rose Garden has charm even in early spring, when roses are still nothing but a gleam in the gardener's eye! I love this time of year, but cannot help looking forward to May... which will bring peonies!

More Tulips, and Their Companions

I realized that the correct spelling of this lovely orange tulip is 'Prinses (rather than Princess) Irene'. Whatever her name, she is so breathtaking I keep taking more pictures every day.

Tulip 'Prinses Irene' (aka 'Princess Irene')

The best use for tulips is to highlight nearby companions. I have Irene in two spots in my rose garden: one is in front of a barberry, where the purple streaks of the tulip really pick up the dark barberry leaves.

Tulip 'Prinses Irene' with barberry

The broader picture has an unruly yew and clematis in the background, with nearby purple flowering lamium under a young silvery leaved quince tree.

Tulip 'Prinses Irene', with barberry, yew, lamium

The second spot is in a corner near heuchera 'Pinot Gris'.

Tulip 'Prinses Irene' with Heuchera 'Pinot Gris'

I'm not sure about the color combination on this one - at first I hated it, but now it seems to be growing on me. 'Pinot Gris' is an odd but intriguing color, which I love against green - perhaps my brain is convincing me that anything flatters the Prinses at this point. Here is the combo from a different angle on a rainy day:

Corner of the rose garden with tulip 'Prinses Irene', Heuchera 'Pinot Gris', Picea abies 'Little Gem'

Also blooming now in the rose garden is this little species tulip, tulipa humilis 'Little Beauty'. It is a jewel-toned pink with lovely white and indigo blue interiors. Despite its tiny size, these bright and perky flowers make a big impact in the garden.

Tulipa humilis 'Little Beauty' with Lamb's Ears

It is next to lamb's ears and a dwarf abies, and overlapped briefly with the tail end of some white hyacinths.

Tulipa humilis 'Little Beauty' with Abies balsamea 'Piccolo', Stachys, and white hyacinth

I love the color contrast with a nearby euphorbia as well. Only the most stalwart of colors can stand up to that level of chartreuse - 'Little Beauty' can handle it. They are bright and striking even when closed.

Tulipa humilis 'Little Beauty' with Euphorbia polychroma

The nearby cotinus is also just beginning to leaf out. The red-burgandy leaves combine beautifully with the tulip. The tulips look a bit like little easter eggs sprouting from the ground.

Tulipa humilis 'Little Beauty', with nearby cotinus, euphorbia, Abies balsamea

This combination of pink and white tulips 'Christmas Marvel' and 'Schoonoord' was supposed to bloom together with pink hyacinths. Naturally, the hyacinths disappeared just as the tulips were coming in, so there was very little overlap.

Tulips 'Christmas Marvel' (pink) and 'Schoonord' (double white)

Still, the tulips look nice on the bright green background of my currant and gooseberry bushes. 'Schoonoord' is supposed to be a double creamy white, but it is not terribly double compared to other double tulips I have.

Tulips 'Christmas Marvel' and 'Schoonoord'

Finally, a few more shots of 'Abba' in context, because I just can't resist. This is another one I can't stop photographing.

Double early tulip 'Abba' with Euphorbia 'First Blush', Lamb's Ears, candytuft; in the background are tree peonies and lilies

Double early tulip 'Abba' with Euphorbia 'First Blush' and Lamb's Ears

Perennializing Tulips

Despite the fact that my garden does not bear even the slightest resemblance to the deserts of Turkey, I have actually had some fairly good luck with perennializing certain kinds of tulips.

Tulip 'Abba' in the peony bed, with tree peonies, candytuft, spurge, and lamb's ears

The best seem to be the doubles, for some reason. This is the third year for this early double tulip 'Abba', and it seems to get stronger and more numerous every year.

Tulip 'Abba', with mugo pine, candytuft, and lily foliage

 I just love the tomato red color, the shaggy-lion shape, and the splash of yellow and black in the interior.

Double early tulip 'Abba'

This double early yellow tulip 'Monte Carlo' has also returned undiminished in its second year. This one is a solid clear yellow, with no interior markings.

Double early tulip 'Monte Carlo'

It is in a sunny spot in my backyard patio bed, but it's not a spot I keep particularly dry as there are moisture-loving roses, filipendula, and siberian iris nearby. Some may find the intense ball of yellow overwhelming, but I like strong color in spring.

Tulip 'Monte Carlo', with siberian iris and filipendula

Another good returner is this fosteriana tulip aptly named 'Juan'. It has large, flamboyant red-orange blooms with yellow interiors, and fantastic purple-mottled foliage. The flowers fan out into a lovely star shape when open to the sun, and roll tightly closed on overcast days.

Fosteriana tulip 'Juan'

These are actually in a part shade location at the bottom of a slope - quite possibly the worst location for a tulip - but have returned nicely. For some reason the squirrels seem to enjoy lopping off their heads periodically.

Fosteriana tulip 'Juan' with Hypericum (St. John's Wort)

I have some "plain old tulip" tulips along the front of the house, in a narrow west-facing crevice between the front walk and the building, which are in perhaps the hottest, sunniest, driest spot in my yard. They predate both me and the previous owner of the house, and have been blooming every May like clockwork for at least ten years. These are the only ones I have in truly tulip-friendly conditions.

Unindentified red tulips

I haven't been as lucky with every tulip I've planted. The single early tulip 'Purple Prince', planted in the same spot as 'Monte Carlo', put on a disappointing show in its second year, with only a few scattered bulbs returning. It is a lovely tulip though - the mauvey-purple shade is just perfect with the spring green of fresh foliage. In my book, worth replanting periodically to keep it going.

Patio bed with tulips 'Monte Carlo' and 'Purple Prince'. Last year there were twice as many purples as yellows - most of the purples failed to return.

 Tulip 'Sweetheart' returned somewhat from last year, but noticeably diminished. I planted more of these last year, thank goodness, or there would be only 1-2 total. Again, its delicate loveliness earns it a spot in my garden, even as a semi-annual.

Tulip 'Sweetheart' with narcissus 'Katie Heath', tree peony and geraniums

New this year is tulip 'Princess Irene', a well-known classic. I certainly hope she returns, because she is a stunner for sure! I will do my best to keep her hot and dry. She is next to a barberry, so hopefully that should not be too hard.

Tulip 'Princess Irene' with purple barberry

Have any particular kind of tulips perennialized well in your garden?