Now that the warm weather looks like it’s finally here to stay, it’s time to start thinking about ways to improve and enjoy your garden. Our trees, shrubs and flowers are budding and blooming. Spring is certainly the best time of the year to enjoy fragrant and flowering plants.
Below are just a few suggestions for plants that can bring beautiful spring foliage and flowers to your garden or landscape year after year. Many of these plants are low maintenance and will easily add to the excitement of your outdoor space. Plant them now before it’s too late and if you miss this spring, make sure to plant in the fall so you can enjoy their beauty next year. Be sure to mix and match and try other varieties for a great blend of color!
Flowering trees
- Cherokee Brave Dogwood – crimson flowers
- Japanese Flowering Crabapple – white or pale pink flowers
- Kwanzan Cherry – bright pink flowers
- Star Magnolia – white or pink flowers
- Yoshino Cherry – white and pink flowers
- Eastern Redbud – bright pink flowers
Shrubs
- Oakleaf hydrangea – white flowers, full sun to part shade
- Korean Spice Viburnum – white or pink flowers, full sun to part shade
- Border Forsythia – yellow flowers, full sun to part shade
- Lilac – purple flowers, full sun to part shade
- Dwarf Fothergilla – white flowers, full sun to part shade
- Anthony Waterer Spirea – pink flowers, full sun to part shade
- Pink Flower Carpet Rose – pink flowers, full sun
- Knockout Rose – cherry red flowers, full sun
- Azalea varieties – pink, white, purple, or red flowers, part sun
Perennials
- Astilbe varieties – red, white, pink, or purple flowers, part sun to shade
- Blue Star – powdery blue flowers, full sun to part shade
- Coral bells – attractive variegated or dark purple leaves, full sun to part shade
- Bleeding Heart – pink flowers, full sun to part shade
- Creeping Phlox – pink, lavender, red, white or purple flowers, full sun
- Daylily varieties – orange, red, pink, purple, yellow, or white flowers, full sun
- Lily of the Valley – white flowers, full sun to full shade
- Iris varieties – blue, yellow, orange, pink, purple, or white flowers, full sun to part shade
- Peony varieties – pink, red, or white flowers, full sun to part shade
Jared Lowman, RLA is a project manager in Nave Newell’s Land Planning and Landscape Architecture Department.
Questions? Contact Jared at jlowman@navenewell.net or 610.265.8323.
Follow @NaveNewell on Twitter or LinkedIn for regular landscape design and planting tips.